The Microbeads Ban and What it Means for You

On Friday, December 18, 2015, the U.S. Senate approved a bill to ban microbeads! The Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015 will phase out the manufacture of beauty products with plastic microbeads by July 2017, and the sale of these products by July 2018. Until recently, many consumers did not realize what microbeads were, or in what products they were present in. Microbeads were patented in the ‘70s, but have recently been making their way into mainstream products. Sadly, microbeads have been polluting our oceans without many of us realizing it.

What are Microbeads?

Microbeads are teeny-tiny particles of plastic (listed as polyethylene and polypropylene in the ingredient list) and show up in a variety of beauty products such as face wash, body scrub, and toothpaste. Microbeads are the reason for the rough texture that exfoliates your skin and leaves behind a feeling of unmistakable clean. Due to their small size, and cheap manufacturing, companies have been using Microbeads instead of natural exfoliates, and these microbeads have been making their way into our oceans, causing pollution and harm to the inhabitants that live there.

Why are they bad for people and the planet?

Microbeads are made from plastic, which means they are not biodegradable. Every time you send a handful of soap with these little guys down the drain, it goes directly into our ocean. Worst of all, they attract toxic chemicals – wherever they end up – forever. And, because they are so small, they are not able to be captured by waste management before making their way into our environment.

What does this ban mean for skincare?

Realistically, there is no reason to use microbeads in beauty products. Their benefit, the texture and extra friction that easily sweeps away dead skin cells, can be found in other, safer ingredients. However, because the sale of these products will still be ongoing for a couple more years, we highly recommend looking at this list from Beat the Microbead containing the products in which these little buggers exist.

A study published in 2013 found a Zooplankton ingesting a micro-plastic, along with other widely reported marine life. Exposure showed that algal feeding was significantly decreased. Debris, such as microbeads, cause a significant danger to ocean and plant life, and will negatively affect marine-life health on a much larger scale.

Better alternatives?

Aside from using exfoliate sponges or loofahs, there are a variety of different products available now for those of us opting for the more natural life of beauty and they are just as affective. Rice, apricot seeds, salt, charcoal, and sugar are all fantastic alternatives.

Of course, we here at Calypso Glow are fans of natural exfoliating products. Using Caribbean sea salts mixed with coconut and olive oils, we offer an invigorating non-toxic experience to meet your beauty needs. Try one of our sample sets, which includes our Illuminating Body Scrub & Polish, to see if making the switch today is right for you – it is certainly right for the environment!

#ingredientstoavoidinskincareproducts #microbeads