Say goodbye to your favorite exfoliating cleansers! Come July 1, 2017, cosmetic companies will stop manufacturing products with added plastic microbeads. This means that by 2018, there will no longer be any products on the market with the added beads. The bill was passed by Congress on December 7, 2015. But worry not! There are plenty of other safer ways to exfoliate your skin!
You can find these tiny plastic beads in face washes, body scrubs, and even toothpaste. Although they are little, they pose a big threat to our water systems. Because these beads are so small, they easily pass through water treatment systems and right into our waters, according to this NY Times article from back in December. Sherri Mason, who is an environmental chemist, predicts that 11 billion beads are released into waterways every single say.
Although the tiny beads are not toxic, they can cause harm to marine life. Because there is so many of the little beads they attract harmful chemicals like PCBs. Marine animals can consume them and then, in turn, if a person eats seafood, they can consume them as well. This is only a small step in the big problem of plastic and chemicals in our water, but it is a step in the right direction.
There are easier and safer ways to exfoliate your face without using microbeads. According to this Time article, using household items like honey and baking soda can help you scrub away dead skin. Honey is a natural antibacterial substance and by adding baking soda, you can get that "scrubby" feeling you desire.
A Konjac sponge and your favorite cleanser (without microbeads, of course) can also be a gentle daily exfoliant. A konjac sponge is hard when it is dry, but running it under some warm water softens it.
You can also purchase an electronic brush, like a Clarisonic, add your favorite cleanser and exfoliate as well! All of these options are much safer, and gentler for our delicate skin on the face.
For your body, something like a loofah can slough away dead skin cells safer than a cleanser containing microbeads. With a loofah, however, make sure that it isn't shared and is replaced often as it can house bacteria.
It is so incredibly important to keep our water systems clean. By banning things such as these microbeads, our country is taking a very big and very positive step to becoming more eco-friendly! According to the Grace Communication Foundation, the United States depends on 44 billion gallons of clean water every single day for our houses, schools, and businesses. The water that we receive is treated with chemicals for our safety but is then used for drinks, food, bathing and so much more. We depend on water for our survival, let's keep it clean!
