# Beat the Microbead — Fight plastics in cosmetics! > Scan cosmetics for microplastics and find plastic-free brands. (iPhone/iPad app by Stichting Plastic Soup Foundation.) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Stichting Plastic Soup Foundation](https://appshunter.io/developer/920784969) - Category: Health & Fitness, Lifestyle - Price: Free - Rating: 4.50/5 from 25 App Store ratings · 132 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 12.0 · 52 MB - Languages: American English - Released: 2012-11-03 - Data updated: 2026-07-04 - Monetization: ad-supported - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717/reviews.md ## What is Beat the Microbead? The Beat the Microbead app is the fastest way to learn if your cosmetics and personal care products contain plastic ingredients. This app uses state-of-the-art text recognition technology. Just scan the ingredients of your products and check them for microplastics. Not only that, but you can also get to know microplastic-free brands certified by us. How does it work? It’s straightforward: you can scan products with four easy steps: - Find the ingredients list on your product. - Position the full list within your camera frame. - Make sure the ingredients are clear to read. - Take a picture to scan! A traffic light rating system - RED: Products that contain microplastics. - ORANGE: Products that contain what we call “sceptical” microplastics. With this, we mean synthetic polymers for which there is not enough information available. - GREEN: Products that do not contain microplastics. Help us enrich our database! Every time you add a product to our database, you help us build a case against microplastics. With every product information, we can create evidence and convince authorities about the extensive use of plastic ingredients. A bit of extra effort on your side makes you a part of the fight against microplastics in cosmetics and care products. So, go ahead, scan the barcode of your product and help us get some more information! By adding the products to our database, you can also discover our certified microplastic-free brands. These brands have their entire range of products free of all known microplastic ingredients. Why is it important? Plastic in cosmetics is a global problem! Microplastics are hardly visible ingredients that pollute our planet & may pose health risks. These microplastics, hardly visible to the naked eye, flow straight from the bathroom drain into the sewer system. Microplastics are not biodegradable, and once they enter the (marine) environment, they are almost impossible to remove. Sea animals absorb or eat microplastics; these particles are passed along the marine food chain. Since humans are ultimately at the top of this food chain, it is likely that we also ingest microplastics. Using body washes or cosmetics that contain microplastics can put the ocean, ourselves, and our children at risk! With this app, you can get aware of this issue and make environmentally friendly choices. Who is behind this app? The collaborators behind this app include the following partners: Plastic Soup Foundation: NGO based in Amsterdam, initiators of the worldwide campaign “Beat the Microbead”. Their mission: No plastic in our water or our bodies! PINCH: a renowned mobile development agency from Amsterdam that is proud of their work for the Plastic Soup Foundation. ## Key features - Scan product ingredients for microplastics - Text recognition technology - Traffic light rating system (Red, Orange, Green) - Discover certified microplastic-free brands - Contribute to a database against microplastics - Barcode scanning ## Recent user reviews (10 of 132) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/beat-the-microbead/id573546717/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Not my language *2025-11-03, version 3.1.1* The app is in German and the Translate to English button does not work. Back to the drawing board people. ### 3/5 — Great idea, needs work *2025-03-17, version 3.1.1* I love that this app exists, but it needs some serious work and I hope developers will take the feedback seriously. It ignores fragrance/parfum as an ingredient of concern which almost always contains microplastic chemicals. Next when it lists zero plastic brands, it would be so helpful to either link to that brand’s website or at least give a general description of what products it sells - very not user friendly scrolling through so many brands 2 at a time. Its database of products is also still very small and no matter how many products I scan it doesn’t seem to have them. Anyway I love that this exists and will keep using it but beware some of the pitfalls ### 3/5 — Great app but…… *2025-03-04, version 3.1.1* This app is really useful. I think it could be even better if the barcode of a product was not always asked for after a scan of ingredients. I frequently look at product ingredient lists on my computer before deciding whether or not to buy it. The app is great at identifying microplastics in the list, but because I am looking at a list on my computer screen rather than holding the product in my hand, there is no barcode to be scanned. ### 5/5 — Really great app *2025-02-16, version 3.1.1* I’ve been using this app for like 20mins and am obsessed. It’s very easy to use and I’ve discovered a shocking amount of my products have microplastics. I was particularly surprised by my kbeauty skincare as I thought Korea had a ban on microplastics. The only things I would like to add to the app for improvement is an option for a personal database so when you scan a product you can save it to avoid having to rescan the same product and also a website version (like Paula’s choice ingredients checker) where you can type ingredients in would be super helpful aswell as not everyone has smart phones ### 3/5 — Mid *2025-02-16, version 3.1.1* Not bad but we should be able to access the database and look for products. ### 2/5 — Has potential *2025-01-19, version 3.1.1* While the app does flag products with micro beads, and user provides app w data, that is literally all it does. There is not database for me to search for a safe product. Kind of a dead end ### 5/5 — A Must-Have!! *2024-09-18, version 3.1.1* I saw a review that said that this app is criminally underrated and I cannot describe it any better! It is an essential must have and it is so user-friendly, to the point and just made the information so accessible! Thank you for creating this! ### 5/5 — Thank you for your good work :) *2024-06-28, version 3.1.1* An app like this is truly amazing and revolutionary in a world full of cancer causing toxins and microplastics in literally anything and everything. Now whenever I want to buy a new product but I’m skeptical about it I’ll just scan it! So easy and simple and it’s free! I’ll be using this app for everything now🫶🫶🫶🫶 ### 3/5 — Under developed potential. *2024-02-16, version 3.1.0* Having used this app for scanning product over a few years now I’ve found it really hasn’t progressed. Instead of just live scanning or library pic scanning which means users collecting pics or screenshots they don’t need the app should allow for cut and paste text abilities from a list of ingredients. This text feature should also be included in the webpage. I’ve scanned and submitted many products to the app for inclusion to the database but, they never really end up there! The database search feature is also very poor and inaccurate or simply doesn’t work. It feels at times like the app is pushing to towards ‘green’ or microplastic free brands only and not the info the user seeks regarding a product of interest. ### 1/5 — 6x *2023-12-25, version 3.1.0* Ik moet 6x een foto maken en als ik geluk heb krijg ik een uitslag. ## Frequently asked questions about Beat the Microbead ### What does the Beat the Microbead app do? The app allows you to scan the ingredients of your cosmetics and personal care products to check for the presence of microplastics. It uses text recognition technology to analyze ingredient lists and provides a clear rating system to help you make informed purchasing decisions. ### How does the traffic light rating system work? The app uses a traffic light system to rate products: RED indicates the presence of microplastics, ORANGE signifies 'sceptical' microplastics (synthetic polymers with insufficient information), and GREEN means the product is free of microplastics. ### Is the app free to use? Yes, the app is free to download and use. It is supported by advertisements, which allows it to remain accessible to all users. ### What are the benefits of using this app? By using the app, you can avoid products containing harmful microplastics, protect the environment from pollution, and discover brands committed to offering microplastic-free options. You also contribute to a larger database that helps advocate against the use of plastics in cosmetics. ### Can I find out about brands that are completely microplastic-free? Yes, the app allows you to discover brands that have been certified by them as having their entire product range free of all known microplastic ingredients. This makes it easier to support companies dedicated to plastic-free formulations. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 3.1.1 — 2024-04-02 A small update, so that the app works even better, the barcode scanner is working again. Your feedback about the app is welcome and we try to include as much as possible in next updates. ### 3.1.0 — 2023-11-13 A small update, so that the app works even better. Your feedback about the app is welcome and we try to include as much as possible in next updates. ### 3.0.5 — 2020-11-25 A small update, so that the app works even better. Your feedback about the app is welcome and we try to include as much as possible in next updates. ### 3.0.4 — 2020-07-31 The Beat the Microbead app has been completely renewed! Next to a full redesign, we improved the recognition of microplastics in products, thanks to advanced machine learning technology. ### 3.0.3 — 2020-07-20 The Beat the Microbead app has been completely renewed! Next to a full redesign, we improved the recognition of microplastics in products, thanks to advanced machine learning technology. This update also includes some improvements for the text fields in the app. ## Apps similar to Beat the Microbead | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [30 plants a week: Plant Points](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/30-plants-a-week-plant-points/id6736978153) | 4.7 (93) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Circadian: Your Natural Rhythm](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/circadian-your-natural-rhythm/id1495373007) | 4.6 (659) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [SportCity](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/sportcity/id614562456) | 4.9 (247) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Read Your Body](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/read-your-body/id1488117813) | 4.4 (191) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Nerva: Gut-Brain Program](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/nerva-gut-brain-program/id1467398796) | 4.7 (13,996) | Free | Health & Fitness | | [Open Food Facts - Product Scan](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/open-food-facts-product-scan/id588797948) | 4.4 (120) | Free | Health & Fitness | ## More apps by Stichting Plastic Soup Foundation - [My Little Plastic Footprint](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/my-little-plastic-footprint/id1268714494) - [PlasticFreeFuture](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/plasticfreefuture/id6746025794) All apps by Stichting Plastic Soup Foundation: https://appshunter.io/developer/920784969 ## Related topics [beat the microbead](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/beat-the-microbead) · [btmb](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/btmb) · [microbead](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/microbead) · [wove score](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/wove-score) · [academy plastics](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/academy-plastics) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-04.*