The Scrubby Beads In Your Face Wash Might Soon Be Illegal

You know those tiny plastic beads in your face scrub? According to The New York Times, those microbeads might soon be illegal in New York, as per legislation that's being introduced this week in Albany. Turns out, microbeads do more than exfoliate — they're causing some serious harm to the environment.

The article states that microbeads are showing up in the tens of millions in the Great Lakes, where "they become coated with toxins like PCBs and can be eaten by fish and other marine life. Scientists suggest that those toxins could be working their way back up the food chain to humans." Sounds not worth it to us. No one should have to suffer because of our beauty routines.

Not sure if your products have microbeads? There's an app for that — literally. Called Beat the Microbead, it lets you scan bar codes to see whether or not the little plastic beads are in the ingredients.

However, there are some benefits to microbeads. Dermatologists actually tend to prefer them: The man-made, perfectly round shape means they're less likely to scratch your skin, like natural options with uneven edges such as pumice, salt, and seeds. We get why they're important to skin care; it's just that knowing what microbeads do to the environment makes it hard to keep using them and also feel good about ourselves.

So, if you're willing to stop using the plastic and want a better alternative, try a konjac sponge. We're convinced it's the exfoliator of the future. (The New York Times)