The UK has banned plastic microbeads in rinse-off beauty products and that is welcome news. It’s only the tip of the plastic iceberg that’s doing untold damage to our environment but it hopefully heralds the beginning of the end for microplastics.
Small Beads, Big Hassle
Microplastics are found in many products from clothes to make up and are incredibly harmful. They are too small to be caught by filters so they are washed out to sea. There they absorb toxic chemicals and leech them back into whatever they end up in: water, soil, animals or you.
There’s no excuse for using plastic-filled products as there are plenty of environmentally-friendly options on the market. The idea of getting rid of microbeads has been floating around Parliament since 2016 so the upcoming ban is no surprise. Companies guilty of using plastic have been slowly (and reluctantly) looking into other options.
Toothpastes were the first hit after a dental hygienist found that the non-biodegradable plastic beads for cleaning enamel were embedded in patients’ gums. Many companies got rid of the toothpaste plastic beads and replaced them with natural ones. Only a few – like Arm and Hammer’s Truly Radiant Whitening Toothpaste – have yet to catch up.
If you don’t like the sound of toxins on your skin or in your mouth then don’t wait for the ban to take effect. Here are some brands leading the way in being friendly to people and the planet while improving their product.
Neal’s Yard
One of the few places on Earth to satisfy our needs for both good cheese and clear skin, London’s own Neal’s Yard (left) has always cared for consumers and its impact on the world. All of the firm’s products are organic and devoid of microplastics and the company regularly launches environmental campaigns – including supporting #BanTheBead.
We all know by now that “organic” is another way of saying expensive but the cost to our bodies and habitat is much higher. Neal’s Yard products are under £20 but feel luxurious: the honey and orange facial scrub smells good enough to eat and the incredients of the men’s revitalising face scrub read like a menu at Soho’s hottest new vegan restaurant.
If your whole body needs a polish we recommend the seaweed salt scrub – the geranium version smells a little too sweet for our liking. Neal’s Yard also does foot scrubs and hand polishes so you can feel revitalised and virtuous. Find all their microbead-free products here or in stores across the capital.
The Body Shop
No environmentally-friendly beauty list is complete without a nod to The Body Shop, our long-serving High Street eco-warrior. The Body Shop was friendly before it was cool and has produced consistently green products while keeping costs low.
The best thing about The Body Shop is the sheer range of its products. Scrubs and exfoliators come in all manner of smells and flavours. The Vitamin C range (left) feels fresher than a squeezed orange juice in the morning and uses natural crushed garnet stones instead of plastic. The 3-in-1 tea tree gives you a wash, scrub and mask in a single product while the Chinese ginseng and rice polishing mask brightens your day and complexion.
That’s just for your face: there’s such an endless number of delicious, environment-loving products that it’s worth going into a shop and spending some time smelling, scrubbing and exploring.
Soap & Glory
Finally an excuse to treat ourselves to Soap & Glory products. Being able to buy the award winning, nose ambrosia that is its smoothie star breakfast scrub and claim it’s for the sake of the environment will make your day.
The maple-scented scrub uses the shell of the cupuaçu – the unpronounceable cousin to the cacao plant – as an alternative to beads and is filled with oats, sugar and shea butter. If it somehow isn’t to your taste Soap & Glory has scrubs containing fig powder, sea salt or sugar to buff away dead skin.
Find your favourite Soap & Glory scrub at Boots: going green has never felt so glorious.
by Jo Davey
The post Microbeads: Brands You Can Already Rely On appeared first on Felix Magazine.
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