California says ‘No’ to plastic balls in personal care products: Governor Brown passes toughest ban ever

by: | October 21, 2015
California says ‘No’ to plastic balls in personal care products: Governor Brown passes toughest ban ever
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(NaturalHealth365) In a surprising move earlier this month, California Governor Jerry Brown signed what is now the toughest ban in the United States on personal hygiene products that contain microbeads. AB 888 was authored by Representative Richard Bloom (D-Santa Monica) and sponsored by Californians Against Waste (CAW), 5 Gyres Institute, Clean Water Action, the Story of Stuff Project and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA).

According to Bloom, while there have been other states that have passed similar bans, AB 888 goes a step further to avoid loopholes and ensure that only environmentally-safe alternatives are accepted.

“AB 888 is a comprehensive solution to the growing problem of microbead pollution,” said Assembly Member Bloom. “California steps forward to lead the nation in environmental protection by banning this pervasive source of plastic pollution.”

The disgusting truth about microbeads in commonly sold personal care products

If you don’t know what a microbead is, then you should because chances are, you are washing your face with them and may even be ingesting them. Like the name implies, microbeads are super-tiny plastic balls that are found in many personal products, including toothpastes, soaps, scrubs, exfoliants, make up, lip balms, face moisturizers and other personal products. For example, a tube of face cream can contain up to 300,000 microbeads inside!

Check out this video – which clearly illustrates how gross this stuff is in our personal care products:

Discover how microbeads (filled with toxins) end up in the water supply

Their small size means they can pass through waste water facility filters undetected. To date, trillions of the tiny beads, most measuring less than a millimeter wide, have ended up in lakes, rivers and streams across the country as well as in the world’s ocean. Ultimately some of these plastic particles wind up in your body since they are often mistaken for food by fish (they look similar to fish eggs) and are also ingested by wildlife.

A 2014 report by New York’s Attorney General estimated that there are as much as 19 tons of these tiny plastic particles being discharged into that state’s waterways each year. If every state dumped that much annually, we can easily see how the pollution is staggering and unacceptable.

How do microbeads threaten human health

Microbeads are mostly made up of polyethylene, polypropylene terephthalate, polymethyl and methacryulate. A derivative of polyethylene, polyethylene glycol, is harmful to the immune system and polyethylene exposure itself has been linked to colorectal cancer in some studies. And of course, polypropylene terephthalate, or PET, has long been linked to xenoestrogen production in the body and to breast cancer.

Perhaps the scariest ramification of microbeads in the water supply and in our bodies, however, is that their chemical makeup makes them attract other chemicals, including PCBs and flame retardants. The result is a tiny cocktail of floating toxic junk that severely harms the drinking supply, the food we eat and the environment in general.

Join the Movement: Say ‘No’ to microbeads

As of August 2015, there are 16 states that have microbead legislation pending. Besides California, there are also seven states that have banned them, albeit with looser regulations which allow for so-called new “biodegradable” formulas.

Globally, Canada and New Zealand have jumped on board; microbeads are currently banned in those countries. Individual companies, including Procter & Gamble, Colgate-Palmolive, have also supposedly phased them out, with Johnson & Johnson committing to do so by the end of 2017.  But, naturally, some experts are suspicious of these industry efforts.

“The sponsors and author of the California Microbeads Bill drafted our policy to be the most environmentally responsible in the world. We simply banned plastic microbeads of any kind,” Story of Stuff Project Campaign Director Stiv Wilson said in an interview for Ecowatch.

“If industry wants to use a form of biodegradable plastic, they’re going to have to prove it’s totally safe before they can use it. We are not taking their word for it. Johnson & Johnson and Procter & Gamble fought us every step of the way, never producing a shred of evidence about the safety of their so-called ‘green innovation’ alternatives. The state of California called their bluff.”

It’s time to take action: Protect your health – starting today

What can you do to put an end to microbeads in your community and in your household? Make sure that the toothpaste, face scrubs and other personal products you use are made with natural exfoliants like jojobah, apricot seeds, coconut husks, diatomaceous earth and walnut husks. Because toxins come from many sources in today’s world, also make sure your personal health protocol includes a periodic detoxification regime for your liver, gut and overall system.

On the community level, find out if your state has legislation pending to ban microbeads and whether this legislation is an overall ban or if it makes exceptions for “biodegradable” plastics. Work with others in your community to make sure that microbeads are banned across the board, no exceptions. In addition, there are coalitions that are working towards a national ban on microbeads in the United States.

If California can do it, so can the nation as a whole.

Editor’s note: The following is a partial list of products that contain microbeads

  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
  • Neutrogena Deep Clean Scrub
  • Clinique Exfoliating Scrub
  • Aveeno Skin Brightening Daily Scrub
  • Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub
  • Nivea Men Energy Face Scrub
  • Proactiv Skin Smoothing Exfoliator
  • The Body Shop Tea Tree Squeaky Clean Scrub
  • Bath and Body Works Deep Cleaning Hand Soaps
  • Walgreens Pink Grapefruit Foaming Acne Scrub
  • Clearasil Refining Superfruit Scrub
  • CVS Oil Free Daily Acne Scrub
  • Garnier Clean Balancing Daily Exfoliator

For a complete list, visit: beatthemicrobead.org

About the Author: Dr. Veronique Desaulniers (“Dr. V”) is a best-selling author and specialist in Chiropractic, Bio-Energetics, Meridian Stress Analysis, Homeopathy and Digital Thermography. After 30 years in active practice, she decided to “retire” and devote her time to sharing her personal, non-toxic Breast Cancer healing journey with others. Her years of experience and research have culminated in “The 7 Essentials™ “, a step-by-step coaching program that unravels the mystery of healing the body. Her website and personal healing journey have touched the lives of thousands of women around the globe. To get your F.R.E.E. 7-day mini e-course and to receive her weekly inspiring articles on the power of natural medicine – visit: BreastCancerConqueror.com

References:
https://ecowatch.com/2015/10/09/california-ban-microbeads/2
https://ag.ny.gov/pdfs/Microbeads_Report_5_14_14.pdf
https://www.motherjones.co/environment/2015/05/microbeads-exfoliators-plastic-face-scrub-toothpaste
https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2015/08/economist-explains-0
https://journals.lww.com/joem/Abstract/1988/05000/Evaluation_of_Excess_Colorectal_Cancer_Incidence.12.aspx
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2854718

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