Sustainability is something that is really important to our whole team here at the Urban Veda HQ. And with this month having had World Ocean Day and World Environment Day, sustainability and the need for it is growing more and more. With that thought, we want to discuss the topic of Microbeads. What are they? Why are they now banned? And what are the natural alternatives? Being a certified member of the Good Scrub Guide, we are proud to say we never have and never will use microbeads in any of our natural skincare products, so you can use our products knowing you aren’t harming our precious planet.
What are Microbeads and why are they bad?
Microbeads used to be commonly used in facial exfoliators and body scrubs as the exfoliating granules which unblock pores and buff away dead skin. This may sound perfectly normal; however microbeads are actually tiny balls of plastic that are smaller than 1 mm. They are also used as cheap fillers in cosmetic products which are barely visible to the naked eye. These beads are so small that they get washed down the drain alongside the product they sit within, and ultimately end up in our oceans as their tiny size means they fall through any attempts to catch plastic from reaching our oceans. They can then be eaten by sea animals without knowing and form part of the animal food chain. Given that humans are ultimately at the top of the food chain, microbeads can therefore end up on our plate.
What are the alternatives?
There are many alternatives, and more importantly, natural alternatives. Mother Nature has provided us with an abundance of exotic and powerful plants and fruits. These can be used in a number of ways. From the very start of Urban Veda’s journey 5 years ago. We have never used microbeads in any of our products, something that we are extremely proud of. Instead, we use a variety of volcanic pumice, crushed walnut shell powder and crushed peach stone throughout our Facial Exfoliating Polishes and Body Scrubs. The granules are non-abrasive yet strong enough to tackle dead skin and softening the skin. And most importantly, dissolve in water as they are washed down the drain.
On the 1st July 2018, it became illegal to sell cosmetic products that contain microbeads. This means you don’t have to worry about finding them in any of your skincare products and can feel at ease knowing your facial and body scrubs contain other natural alternatives such as coffee, sugar and salt.