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Actiscrub physical exfoliants from Lipotec offer a wide variety of naturally-sourced exfoliants to be used as an environmentally friendly alternative to plastic microbeads. Read details in the article in COSSMA 7-8/2017.

How exfoliants work

Exfoliants are made from particles which scrub the skin through a mechanical action. This mechanical action helps to stimulate cell renewal and removes dead cells and impurities at the surface and thus improves skin appearance. The exfoliating ingredients are small abrasive grains of a calibrated size. As microbeads particles used in mechanical exfoliation are too small to be caught by sewage works, this leads to tons of microbeads being released into the environment, which damages marine ecosystems. With the bad press on these types of microplastics spreading around the world, several safer and environmentally-conscious alternatives have been developed. Actiscrub* physical exfoliants offer a wide variety of naturally-sourced exfoliants making a perfect environmentallyfriendly alternative to plastic microbeads.

Because the environment matters

Microbeads have commonly been used as exfoliants in skin care scrubs, shower gels and soaps. The most common are plastic particles such as polyethylene and polypropylene, from 4 μm to 1 mm in size microplastics. These abrasives then get rinsed down the drain, but cannot be filtered out by sewage treatment plants. They then reach lakes and rivers, thus affecting plant life, and often kill fish that mistake them for food. The beads absorb pollutants which make them more toxic and eventually can be ingested by humans through seafood.

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