Beat the microbead! Last period I spent my master's study with a paper on microplastics in our drinking water. Microplastics are plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters, and they have many different sources in our daily lives. A big source, and also the only one we intentionally flush with our water, is that in personal care products. The problem with microplastics is that they are small, and therefore often “invisible.” This also makes them difficult to remove in the wastewater treatment plants, and they can end up in nature and ultimately in our drinking water, while still having little insight into the consequences for our health. All right, all very technical, but what does it have to do with you? You wouldn't expect to put plastic on your face, would you? In addition to the physical exfoliation particles that you suspect to be plastic, it may also be included in shampoos, toothpaste, and makeup. The https://www.beatthemicrobead.org website has a database of products that contain microplastics. It's somewhat outdated, but it also has good information you can watch out for. I try to take it into account more and more, although it is often disappointing how difficult it is. Four plastics you can pay attention to as an ingredient are polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate, and poly (methyl methacrylate) (source: Sue Kinsey, Marine Conservation Society). If you would like to read more about microplastics, the following article is also recommended: https://orbmedia.org/stories/Invisi...