The manufacture and sale of products containing microbeads is now prohibited in the UK. Products affected by this ban include rinse-off cosmetics such as face scrubs, soaps, shower gels and tooth paste.
The manufacture of products containing microbeads was already banned in January this year (2018).
What are microbeads?
Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic that are designed to help exfoliate dry skin. When washing these products off, they swim down the drain and slip through water filters because they are so tiny. As a result, a single shower can lead to 100,000 microbeads entering the oceans.
Further plans
Microplastics will continue to be used in other cosmetics such as lipstick, and sun-creams. In fact, a range of products that don’t wash off will continue to use microplastics. The European cosmetics industry is on track to remove micro plastics from all beauty and personal care products by 2020.
Sources: Cosmeticdesign-Europe, BBC News, Mirror
Source: https://www.tentamus-web.com/microbeads-ban-uk/