Biophilic’s new serum says it’ll clean your face *and* the ocean. Cute. Except the bottle’s stabilizer is microplastic.
The irony is so thick you could spread it on toast. They use algae to trap pollution on your skin—but the delivery system literally pollutes water.
[IMG_1: A close-up of the serum bottle next to a single, sad-looking piece of kelp on a white counter]
**Section 2 of 6**
It’s $58 for 1 oz. The claim: “Ocean-positive” algae extracts bind to heavy metals and rinse them off—so you don’t absorb them.
Algae-Pollution Complex
Harvests spirulina to trap city smog particles on your face before they sink in.
Microplastic Stabilizer
They use *polymethylsilsesquioxane*—tiny plastic beads—to keep the algae suspended. Not biodegradable.
pH-Balanced Ocean Water
Base is filtered seawater. Smells like a low tide at Santa Monica.
[IMG_2: Ingredient list on the box, with “polymethylsilsesquioxane” circled in red pen]
**Section 3 of 6**
Three hero ingredients, one villain. The algae is legit—it’s wild-harvested *Chlorella vulgaris* that binds to cadmium. But the plastic stabilizer is there so the formula doesn’t separate in your bathroom.
- Chlorella Vulgaris: Binds to heavy metals, rinses them off skin
- Spirulina Extract: Anti-inflammatory, calms redness from pollution
- Hyaluronic Acid: Holds 1000x weight in water—standard humectant
- Polymethylsilsesquioxane: Microplastic beads for texture, not ocean-safe
[IMG_3: A dropper dispensing the serum onto a hand, showing the slightly cloudy, green-tinted liquid]
**Section 4 of 6**
Texture is like watery jelly—slides on cold and thin, absorbs in 12 seconds flat. Leaves a slight film, like you forgot to rinse a mask.
Week 2: My skin looked… fine. Calmer, sure, but nothing a $15 niacinamide serum couldn’t do. The smell never got better. It’s briny, like you’re rubbing a tide pool on your face.
[IMG_4: A selfie showing slightly shiny, calm skin, with the caption “Week 3. Not mad, not amazed.”]
**Section 5 of 6**
Redness dropped by maybe 30%. Pores unchanged. The “pollution removal” claim is unverifiable without a lab—I’ll take their word, but my skin didn’t feel *detoxed*.
[IMG_5: The serum bottle next to a small jar of spirulina powder from the health food store—visual comparison]
**Section 6 of 6**
A clever idea torpedoed by its own packaging. If they ditch the microplastic, I’d reconsider—until then, it’s greenwashing with good intentions.