Exfoliating Soaps and Body Washes May Be Banned Worldwide!

Do you exfoliate every day? Ads for exfoliating body scrubs and washes say that you need to exfoliate at least once a week to get that glowing, silky smooth complexion. But did you know that this weekly beauty regimen may be bad for the environment?

Most exfoliating soaps contain microbeads, which are tiny pieces of plastic that exfoliate the skin. Yes, they’re made of plastic, and no, they don’t dissolve in water, and worse, they don’t get filtered out by water treatment plants. Just imagine how many tiny exfoliating beads make it to the water stream if a huge number of people exfoliate twice a week!

In 2015, the US already passed a bill that will ban hygiene products like toothpaste, body washes, and soaps that contain microbeads. This calls for a phasing out of these beads starting on July 1st 2017. The British Parliament, however, has a more drastic solution – they’re calling for a worldwide ban!

“Trillions of tiny pieces of plastic are accumulating in the world’s oceans, lakes and estuaries, harming marine life and entering the food chain. A single shower can result in 100,000 plastic particles entering the ocean,” according to Committee Chair Mary Creagh.

Johnson & Johnson, Unilever, and Procter & Gamble have already made pledges to phase out these microbeads from their products, regardless of where they’re sold.

And if you’re wondering which products you use have microbeads in them, here’s a helpful list compiled by the International Campaign Against Microbeads. These products will be banned from the US starting in 2017.

So now that these microbeads will be phased out, what should you use to exfoliate? Instead of opting for these common products, you can always make your own. Organic material like sugar, salt, and oatmeal have exfoliating properties, and adding them to your regular body and face washes gives you the same exfoliating power without harming the environment!

Source: Business Insider