Your Microbead Face Wash May Be Banned Soon – And For Good Reason

If you happen to use makeup or face/body washes that contain “microbeads” — advertised by the industry to clean pores — you should probably consider switching to something a little less terrible for the environment, stat. These non-biodegradable microbeads are getting washed down sinks by the hundreds of thousands — and they’re polluting our water so much so that that state of Illinois is seeking to ban them for good.  According to Take Part, “Illinois, which is adjacent to one of the largest freshwater bodies of water in the world, Lake Michigan, has become the first state in the nation to issue a ban on the manufacture and sale of personal care products containing microbeads. S.B. 2727, which was sponsored by state Sen. Heather Steans and state Rep. Jaime Andrade Jr., mandates the removal of synthetic microbeads from all face and body wash, toothpaste, and other personal care products.”

Why are these little beads such a problem? Well, they don’t go away. As Take Part explains: “Imagine a gazillion tiny plastic balls floating through the world’s streams, rivers, lakes, and oceans, adding to the already insane amount of plastic in the water. Scared? You should be. In the future it might be impossible to find water without them.”

Do you really want tiny plastic balls floating in all of our world’s water? I sure don’t.

“Banning microbeads will help ensure clean waters across Illinois and set an example for our nation to follow,” said. Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. “Lake Michigan and the many rivers and lakes across our state are among our most important natural resources. We must do everything necessary to safeguard them.”

If you own anything with microbeads, consider trying something else next time that won’t make this Earth more plastic. We hope these are phased out very soon! According to Take Part, “cosmetics giants Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Johnson & Johnson have all agreed to start phasing out microbeads.” We hope all other companies (and every other state) follows in these footsteps too.

Let’s #CrushPlastic! Click the graphic below for more information.

Image source: thebeautynook/Flickr