Why You Should Ditch Your Microbead Exfoliating Scrub

I recently discovered that the microbeads found in exfoliating scrubs pollute the sea and end up in the stomachs of little teeny tiny plankton. Beauty products containing microbeads are having a devastating effect on the environment and sea life.

Now I definitely didn’t plan to cover serious environmental issues in my blog when I first created it. But this issue has a close tie with beauty and skincare brands that you and I have no doubt used. As a proud Geography graduate and a beauty blogger I would be mad to not to raise awareness of this environmental issue. Chances are if you’re reading a beauty blog, you probably have used products containing microbeads which are damaging the environment. So please carry on reading!

Microbeads that we wash down the bathroom sink are too small to be caught in filters that prevent plastic being discharged into rivers. These microbeads are about the size of fish eggs, therefore plankton and small fish mistake them for food. Lots of fish consume plankton - so yes you guessed it, this in turn affects a whole food chain of marine species. Oh and it’s not just scrubs, they can be in shampoo, soap and toothpaste.

This isn’t a brand new discovery - after a quick search online I discovered numerous articles on this topic. In fact, cosmetic companies such as Unilever and Procter & Gamble have already agreed to phase out microplastics but not until 2017. So how do you know if your exfoliator is a threat to marine species until then?

Look out for polyethylene and polypropylene listed in the ingredients of a product. Or if you wanna be super savvy you can download the Beat The Microbead App for free. How easy is that? After a quick scan of Boots it became clear that the Neutrogena and Clean and Clear scrubs are serious culprits. Johnson and Johnson which owns both these brands are one cosmetic company who are phasing them out by 2017, but until then you should use your power as a consumer to avoid them!

Well what can I use I hear ya ask? Thankfully my beloved St. Ives Apricot facial scrub is free from plastic which I discovered on this website, so naturally I’m excited about that. I also love the Korres Basil Lemon body scrub which is fab and plastic free. Also on the good list are Soap & Glory The Greatest Scrub of All. There are tonnes of other plastic-free products made with salt or other naturally occurring particles. So ditch your microplastic scrub and opt for a more sustainable one. Also if you want to keep it simpler, I sometimes get great results just from using a body brush, exfoliating gloves or a loofah. 

You may be thinking jeez Nicole I didn’t come here to read this, I just want to know which mascara is the best to use… BUT as beauty lovers we should exercise our power as consumers if it means that we can save marine life.

Let me know if you have any sustainable body scrubs that you love! x