Ceramides
Harm score: 2 (Derivatives of natural substances)
Ceramides are among the components of cells that are part of the skin and serve to protect it. But this article wants to focus on something else. Hidden under this term is also the name for Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, known as CAB. This belongs to a group of thermostable plastics that are used to make various types of products, from films to eyeglass lenses to automotive parts.
So cellulose acetate butyrate is not part of our skin, but it is very important what it can do in industrial manufacturing. This plastic material is known for its flexibility, but also for its high resistance to sunlight and all kinds of weather. It is thus an ideal material for the production of objects that must withstand not only mechanical stresses but also external influences. Among other things, it is used to produce, for example, greenhouse films that protect plants from harmful UV rays but also allow light to pass through for photosynthesis. It is also used for automotive parts that must withstand not only mechanical stresses but also the weather. One of the material's other applications is in optics, where CAB is used to make flexible and durable lenses for spectacles. Despite its flexibility and durability, this type of plastic is easy to process, which allows it to be widely used.