PLASTIC MICROBEADS IN COSMETICS – Feel Clean Through a Dirty Truth
Plastic microbeads are incorporated in everything from facial cleansers to toothpaste. They are used widely in the cosmetic industry to give the sensory experience and have little to no supplemental benefits. Once discharged into the waste water streams, it was feared that their small size would allow them to bypass the waste water processing plants filter mechanism, and thus they would end up in the world’s seas and oceans. Well, that is no longer a theory, as they have been detected in fresh water bodies, such as lakes and rivers, posing more risk to the aquatic life. Specifically, a research team from McGill University and the Canadian government have discovered beads which have settled at the bottom of the St. Lawrence River. The St. Lawrence river is the key river outlet for the Great Lakes, and empties into the Atlantic Ocean. So why are these beads so concerning? Toxic polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) tend to latch onto the microbeads and then get eaten by fish who mistake the beads for a food source ( they look very similar to fish eggs). Concentrating within the fish fat reserves, the PCBs eventually work up the food chain affecting the health of those who consume them (i.e., birds, animals and humans). All this just for an artificial feel of ultra-clean. Furthermore, the beads are large enough to damage your skin, as their size and macro abrasive action can rupture capillaries, and tear at the skin’s delicate surface. In Dr. Brei’s opinion, these microbeads can have a detrimental effect not only on the environment and your health but on your skin as well. What you can do is to simply choose a face wash and toothpaste without any synthetic microbeads. For an exfoliating product that offers a deep cleansing effect, at NuVsio we have incorporated ultra-fine natural mineral exfoliants that work to offer a microdermabrasion effect. You do not see the natural mineral beads with NuVsio, but they will leave your skin smooth and ultra-clean without harming us or the environment.
Wishing you a healthy, glowing skin,
Dr. Brei, PhD NuVsio Founder
