You cleanse, you tone, you moisturise – and once or twice a week you treat your skin to an exfoliating scrub. But if that scrub contains micro beads, or tiny plastic spheres added to cosmetics to help slough off dead cells, you may also be contributing to the non-biodegradable plastic soup that’s currently polluting our oceans.
Micro beads are often used instead of natural abrasives such as walnut shell or sea salt because they are spherical and won’t scratch the skin’s surface. But our waste water systems are not equipped to filter out the tiny plastic particles, so when they’re washed down the sink they end up being pumped straight back out again. Not only does this add to the mass of non biodegradable plastic in our waterways, it also poses a risk to fish and other sea creatures who are unable to distinguish between the tiny particles in the water and their food.
To make matters worse, micro beads can also act like tiny sponges and absorb other dangerous chemicals such as pesticides. These could eventually accumulate in dangerous levels in the human food chain. According to information collected by Beat the Microbead, an international campaign calling for a complete ban of the beads in all cosmetics, one study examined 670 fish and 35% had micro plastics in their stomachs. The highest number of fragments found in one fish was 83.
The campaign has already prompted many multinational companies to begin phasing micro beads out, but this will take time. Consumers also need to be educated to choose more environmentally friendly options. At Evolu we use biodegradable jojoba beads in our Renewing Facial Exfoliator, which are still perfectly spherical and don’t scratch. We also add natural papaya for some extra exfoliating power.
For more information on the campaign to phase out micro beads, visit Beat the Microbead