Beauty products are in the Government's sights with a ban now being proposed on the use of plastic microbeads in personal care goods.

Environment Minister Nick Smith's unveiled the plan today, citing the risk plastic microbeads pose to aquatic and marine environments.

He said the problem is the beads are too small to retrieve, they don't biodegrade, and they are mistaken for food by marine animals.

"By 2050, there will be more plastics in the ocean, then there is fish, and this is part of a longer term global plan to take better care of the marine environment."

If approved around 100 products would be affected with the ban to take effect by July 2018.