Who came up with the bright idea of microbeads?

So by now you have probably heard of microbeads, those minute little coloured beads suspended in body washes, scrubs and all sorts of cosmetic products. The USA under President Obama, outlawed microbeads in 2015. So you would think Australia would follow suite. What has been in place has been a voluntary phase out so there are still heaps of products that contain microbeads such as Clarins and The Body Shop, some of them even claiming to be natural (really! they are made out of plastic!) For an updated list go to https://www.beatthemicrobead.org/

Why are Micro beads a problem?

Waste water treatment plants were not designed to filter out such small plastic objects, so the beads end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans. Studies have shown they end up being ingested by very small creatures to whom it looks like food and of course end up going up the food chain. According to www.dosomething.net.au - "At the bottom of Sydney's Middle Harbour, scientists have found up to 60 fragments of microplastics per 100 milligrams of sediment. These are amongst the highest levels recorded. These microplastics can be ingested by worms which in turn can be consumed by fish."

How can you tell if they are in the products you use?

Check out this link for a list of products anywhere in the world that contain microbeads and stop buying them. If people stop buying them, they will stop making them.  https://www.beatthemicrobead.org/product-lists/ This is a fantastic tool to find out what products use microbeads. I chose Australia, Red ( Products on the Red List have been found to contain ingredients which are commonly considered to be microplastic ingredients. These include but are not limited to Polyethylene (PE), Polypropylene (PP), Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), Nylon (PA), Polyurethane, and Acrylates Copolymer.) and the catagory shower/bath products. It contained brands such as Loreal and Banana Boat but also Sukin Naturals, a company that on its's website claims "Natural and effective skincare that’s good for you, your wallet, and the environment too."

Download the product checker App.

There is also an app you can download to use when you are shopping. By downloading the free 'Beat The Microbead' app, consumers can scan the barcode of products at home or in the shopping aisle to see if they contain plastic microbeads. The app is available free of charge for Apple, Android and Windows phones via BeatTheMicrobead.org.

Where do Microbeads come from?

The microbead was invented by a Norwegian company and according to their website "Microbeads AS is a Norwegian company established in 2002 based upon the manufacturing of polymer beads. The uniform shape and size - monosized beads or "perfect spheres" are used as functional additives in a wide range of industries including Paints & Coatings, Plastics, Cosmetics, Calibration, Ceramics and Adhesives." I guess someone thought it was a great idea to put them in cosmetics! Wrong! And just so we are clear, Truth uses fine grain pumice (volcanic rock) in our Bergamot and Cypress Face and Body Scrub.