I'm Horrified about Micro Beads!

Attention Shine and Sparkle Readers!

This is an urgent report.  We need to be smart consumers and not use beauty products with microbeads!

All images were obtained from beatthemicrobead.org

Microbeads are so small! These were scooped right out of the ocean with a fine mesh net. 

This Report by CNN revealed to me the absolute crazyness that are "exfoliating microbeads".  They are made of little tiny pieces of non-biodegradable plastic!  More research revealed that, these little plastic beads in cleansers and soaps are too small to get caught in water filters before spewing into the ocean.  As a result, they pollute our oceans with tiny little beads.  The beads are so small that fish eat them thinking they are food.  Then we eat the toxic fish.  I knew that there is a plastic island in our ocean, but I didn't know that the ocean is simply going to be made of tiny plastic beads floating in it if we don't stop using them! Eek!

What can you do?
Don't buy or use products with microbeads!  Supporting this part of industry will continue to have them use them!

Here is what to avoid on your products!

Good Alternatives*:
Exfoliating products that use natural ingredients to exfoliate.  This can include sugar, salt, sand, ground rice, walnut husks, coco beans, you name it.  Just avoid micro beads! It's a small difference that can make a big impact.

Comparing good and bad exfoliating ingredients.

Kudos and Status:
As stated in the article, Unilever is getting rid of microbeads by 2015! Hooray!  Here are some other big name brands which pledge not to use micro beads and their timelines thanks to beatthemicrobead.org. Check them out for a more detailed list and information.

• Lush-No Microbeads!
• P&G-Gone by 2017
• The Body Shop-Gone by 2015
• Johnson & Johnson-started to phase out.
• Loreal-Not making new products with micro beads and says they will phase out, but no target date. 

Note: the way to get companies to move faster is to simply not purchase products with microbeads.  They will not make it if they cannot sell it.


* I am not paid or contacted by any of the companies mentioned in this post.  These are my honest feelings and opinions. 

Shine & Sparkle! 
(and help the earth shine and sparkle too.)