Proposed regulations for microbeads in personal care products: chapter 5

5 Alternatives

Various alternatives to microbeads have been under review since the increasing public awareness of the potential detrimental effects that microbeads have on the aquatic ecosystem. The main category of alternatives that can be used to replace microbeads found in personal care products are natural exfoliates.

Natural exfoliates such as apricot seeds, walnut shells, bamboo, sugar, salt, almonds and oatmeal can be used as an alternative to microbeads. Natural exfoliates are currently on the market; however, it has been reported that these natural exfoliates are not as smooth as microbeads and may be harsh for the skin.