Ladies, if you’re used to your face scrubs and tiny microbeads in your toothpaste, you may need to find a new product substitute. New York may be the first state to ban plastic microbeads in beauty products, with other states potentially following the lead. While the instant reaction is to think the plastic beads can be harmful to your health, though, the real reason is that they’re actually polluting waterways.
According to the 5 Gyres Institute, “alarming levels” of plastic beads are making their way into the Great Lakes, where at Lake Erie, researchers found the plastic microbeads found in beauty products accounted for half of the total plastic in the lake. The beads are small enough to slip through waterways — like your drain and then sewer after washing your face — yet large enough to be put on the radar. Once the plastic gets into lakes and rivers, there’s a chain reaction. Fish and small animals can ingest the plastic, and those chemicals can then be ingested by humans. The ripple effect is concerning, at best.
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NYC Dermatologist Dr. Francesca Fusco says, “I have definitely noticed increasing concern among my patients with regard to the products they are using — especially the short contact products that spend less than a minute on their face but years on the water supply. I try to recommend eco safe products from brands such as Weleda, First Aid Beauty, Skin Medica and Hydroxatone as alternatives and they are most pleased.” Instead of using products with plastic microbeads, look instead for natural exfoliating agents like brown sugar or sea salt.
Image via Tetra Images
