Toxic Time Bomb: The Major Microbeads Issue

The Issue

Microbeads are brewing up a storm – for our oceans, our health, and our skin. This week, a government report recognised that these tiny beads of plastic – no more than half a millimetre in diameter – could be posing a serious risk to people and planet alike as they accumulate in the sea and potentially enter the food chain.

More than 280 marine species have been found to ingest the microplastics, which are then passed on to people’s plates around the world. In Europe, the consumption of mussels, scallops, oysters and clams, can equate to consuming around 11,000 of these particles every year. In Britain, one in three haddock, cod or mackerel caught off the coast is contaminated.

The consequences of the microbead problem is unknown, but one study from ‘Environmental Health Perspectives’ gives some indication of the implications. Scientists found that polyethylene, one of the plastics used to make these microbeads, disrupts hormones – a precursor to cancer.

Aside from indirectly ingesting the beads, people are also at risk by applying them to skin. Microbeads often get caught in the corner of the eye and scratch the cornea.

Overuse of exfoliators which include microbeads can also cause tiny rips in the skin that let in bacteria and pollutants, leading to ageing and spots.

The Solution

Fortunately, using an exfoliator with plastic beads isn’t necessary to maintain healthy, clear and glowing skin. Electric Body’s award-winning exfoliator, our Body Polish, is readily available and free from any harmful plastics, parabens, petrochemicals, fillers, or alcohol.

With the government promising to ban the beads by 2017, now is the perfect time to switch to a healthy alternative. Handmade to order, the Body Polish consists of only skin-loving ingredients, including a high percentage of regenerative colostrum and gently abrasive natural salts.

Under a microscope, skin resembles a series of mountain ranges – to achieve smooth skin, you need to remove these. The natural salts combined with the New Zealand colostrum, cleanse, enliven, stimulate and invigorate – the longer you massage the crystals, the greater the result.

Our Body Polish works alongside our Skin Elixir and Body Spray to create a healthy skin care range free from harmful chemicals and preservatives.

Microbeads may be a toxic ticking time bomb but with our Body Polish, you can stop the clock. For a limited time, Electric Body is offering Body Polish at a special discounted price. For just £36.00 (RRP £48.00), you can achieve glowing, healthy skin without any nasty side effects.