Okay, maybe you are way smarter and far more well informed than I. Maybe you already know what I just learned. Let me start at the beginning.
One of my best friends from way back when came for a bit of a visit a few weeks ago. We were catching up and I (of course!) started telling my friend, Liz, about all of the amazing things HHH has been making, doing, creating, and pondering. Liz told me that she's also been trying to be a bit more green. One of her main goals is reducing her plastic waste.; trying to buy fewer plastic ensconced items. Wow. Think about it, everything comes cased in plastic. What's more, Liz let me onto something that hadn't ever crossed my mind. Microbeads. Do you know what microbeads are? Plastic. Small plastic orbs produced solely to be flushed into the water system. Whoa. I was aghast. I love microbeads. They leave my skin so soft and radiant. If it says "microdermabrasion" I am in. Or, I was in. I am officially out. No more.
Once my visit with Liz was over I immediately started researching microbeads. If any of the following are listed in the ingredient list - steer clear: “micro-fine polyethylene granules,” or “polyethylene micro-spheres,” or “polyethylene beads.” Or just polyethylene. All that just means plastic. Plastic that we are producing at mass rates just to wash our faces and then rinse down the drain. The thought made me a little sick. There are "safe microbeads" Be on the lookout for all-natural exfoliants. Some companies make it a priority to only use natural ingredients to lend their products that special coarse consistency we long for.
Read this. It's an older article (circa 2007) but it was a great read. I feel enlightened, and stressed. The following is just a small excerpt from Weisman's article.
I'm sure there are many, many other companies and products as well. Let's look for these companies and support the products they make, shall we? I for one am with Liz, I am going to try and reduce my plastic waste. For me this means only natural exfoliants from here on out and buying more "naked" products. I feel a little better knowing that I will no longer be blatantly pouring small plastic spheres into our water. Can you hear my sigh of relief?
One of my best friends from way back when came for a bit of a visit a few weeks ago. We were catching up and I (of course!) started telling my friend, Liz, about all of the amazing things HHH has been making, doing, creating, and pondering. Liz told me that she's also been trying to be a bit more green. One of her main goals is reducing her plastic waste.; trying to buy fewer plastic ensconced items. Wow. Think about it, everything comes cased in plastic. What's more, Liz let me onto something that hadn't ever crossed my mind. Microbeads. Do you know what microbeads are? Plastic. Small plastic orbs produced solely to be flushed into the water system. Whoa. I was aghast. I love microbeads. They leave my skin so soft and radiant. If it says "microdermabrasion" I am in. Or, I was in. I am officially out. No more.
Once my visit with Liz was over I immediately started researching microbeads. If any of the following are listed in the ingredient list - steer clear: “micro-fine polyethylene granules,” or “polyethylene micro-spheres,” or “polyethylene beads.” Or just polyethylene. All that just means plastic. Plastic that we are producing at mass rates just to wash our faces and then rinse down the drain. The thought made me a little sick. There are "safe microbeads" Be on the lookout for all-natural exfoliants. Some companies make it a priority to only use natural ingredients to lend their products that special coarse consistency we long for.
Read this. It's an older article (circa 2007) but it was a great read. I feel enlightened, and stressed. The following is just a small excerpt from Weisman's article.
I'm glad to know that some companies are providing safe alternatives to plastics. Along with St. Ives, here are a few more you can look into: Korres (a company from Greece, that makes several gentle scrubs for the face and body with ingredients like jojoba beads, finely ground bamboo, and walnut granules.) Kiss My Face (Try Rough Seas Organic Sudz shower gel) Pangea Organics Burt’s Bees (Citrus Facial Scrub with ground almonds, pecans and oats) Now I've not used these products, but I've seen the companies repeated several times in articles on alternatives to microbeads.“Exfoliants: little granules that massage you as you bathe.” He selects a peach-colored tube of St. Ives Apricot Scrub; its label reads: 100% natural exfoliants. “This stuff is okay. The granules are actually chunks of ground-up jojoba seeds and walnut shells.” Other natural brands use grape seeds, apricot hulls, coarse sugar, or sea salt. “The rest of them,” he says, with a sweep of his hand, “have all gone to plastic.”
I'm sure there are many, many other companies and products as well. Let's look for these companies and support the products they make, shall we? I for one am with Liz, I am going to try and reduce my plastic waste. For me this means only natural exfoliants from here on out and buying more "naked" products. I feel a little better knowing that I will no longer be blatantly pouring small plastic spheres into our water. Can you hear my sigh of relief?
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