Body Exfoliates Can Be Highly Polluting Plastics
Body exfoliates scrub away dead skin cells to give you that glowing complexion, that is the good news.
The bad news is many companies use finely ground pieces of petroleum-based polyethylene.
These non biodegradable micro-beads are washed down the drain where they enter our sewers, rivers and oceans and can be fatal to aquatic critters thinking they are food.
Some of this material is so small that current sewage filters cannot trap them.
When they get as small as powder, even zooplankton (tiny animals found in oceans) will swallow them.
They appear on the product ingredient list as "polyethylene micro-spheres", or "micro-fine polyethylene granules" or "polyethylene beads" or just polyethylene.
They are not just in exfoliates, but toothpaste too.
Companies that make personal care products continually make the choices to create products that pollute the environment and kill aquatic animals.
The United Nations Environmental Program estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean hosts 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.
Does that take into account micro-particles that are so small the naked eye cannot see? Eating plastic can cause animals to feel full which can lead to starvation and death.
So what are the healthier options for our bodies and the planet? Find and support companies that use natural ingredients that exfoliate.
Natural exfoliates such as jojoba beads, finely ground coffee beans, coarse sugar, oatmeal and grape seeds are all excellent ways to remove dry, dull skin without harming the environment plus they are biodegradable.
Even fruit, which contains natural alpha-hydroxy (fruit acids), naturally loosens cell bonds and removes dead skin cells.
Choose apples, grapes, lemons, strawberries and raspberries to create your own recipes.
Consumers need to be savvy shoppers and be aware of what ingredients are in the products they are buying.
Exercising our freedom of choice by not supporting companies that produce harmful and polluting products is one step we can all take in the right direction.
The bad news is many companies use finely ground pieces of petroleum-based polyethylene.
These non biodegradable micro-beads are washed down the drain where they enter our sewers, rivers and oceans and can be fatal to aquatic critters thinking they are food.
Some of this material is so small that current sewage filters cannot trap them.
When they get as small as powder, even zooplankton (tiny animals found in oceans) will swallow them.
They appear on the product ingredient list as "polyethylene micro-spheres", or "micro-fine polyethylene granules" or "polyethylene beads" or just polyethylene.
They are not just in exfoliates, but toothpaste too.
Companies that make personal care products continually make the choices to create products that pollute the environment and kill aquatic animals.
The United Nations Environmental Program estimated in 2006 that every square mile of ocean hosts 46,000 pieces of floating plastic.
Does that take into account micro-particles that are so small the naked eye cannot see? Eating plastic can cause animals to feel full which can lead to starvation and death.
So what are the healthier options for our bodies and the planet? Find and support companies that use natural ingredients that exfoliate.
Natural exfoliates such as jojoba beads, finely ground coffee beans, coarse sugar, oatmeal and grape seeds are all excellent ways to remove dry, dull skin without harming the environment plus they are biodegradable.
Even fruit, which contains natural alpha-hydroxy (fruit acids), naturally loosens cell bonds and removes dead skin cells.
Choose apples, grapes, lemons, strawberries and raspberries to create your own recipes.
Consumers need to be savvy shoppers and be aware of what ingredients are in the products they are buying.
Exercising our freedom of choice by not supporting companies that produce harmful and polluting products is one step we can all take in the right direction.
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