Today is World Oceans Day and the main conservation theme of this year’s event is finding solutions for plastic pollution and marine litter. One easy solution you can implement at home? Stopping microbeads – the tiny non-biodegradable plastic particles found in face scrubs, toothpaste and other household products – from going down the drain, and ending up in our oceans, as well as the stomachs of fish and marine animals, by using natural exfoliators instead.
A government ban on the sale of products containing microbeads will come into force at the end of this year, but there are already plenty of biodegradable scrubs on the market that put paid to dull, flaky skin – without damaging the environment when they’re washed away. From affordable to luxury, here’s our pick of the best face and body scrubs that don’t contain microbeads…
1. Lush Sugar Scrub, £2.95
You can always count on Lush to deliver top-notch body products that are completely natural. Use this solid scrub in the shower to soften rough skin.
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2. Dr Organic Exfoliating Scrub, £6.99, Holland & Barrett
With volcanic lava and willow bark to scrub away dead skin cells, and tea tree oil to soothe inflammation, this facial scrub is ideal for oily skin types.
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3. Weleda Birch Body Scrub, £9.95
Suitable for vegetarians, this citrus-scented scrub contains exfoliating beads made from wax, not plastic.
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(Weleda/PA)
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4. Soaper Duper Zingy Ginger & Sea Salt Body Scrub, £10, Tesco
Salt granules do the scrubbing here, while ginger and eucalyptus provide the invigorating scent.
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5. Frank Body Original Coffee Scrub, £12.95
With ground coffee beans, plus sea salt and almond oil, this all-natural and vegan scrub leaves your skin smooth and soft.
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6. Neal’s Yard Remedies Honey & Orange Facial Scrub, £18
Natural beauty champions Neal’s Yard have never used microplastics in their products – the main exfoliating ingredient in their hero facial scrub is rice powder.
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7. Trilogy Gentle Facial Exfoliant, £22.50, FeelUnique
To mark World Oceans Day, buy any two Trilogy products on FeelUnique.com and you’ll get a free Gentle Facial Exfoliant, or you can purchase the scrub, which uses jojoba wax spheres to exfoliate, for £22.50.
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8. Thalgo Gentle Exfoliator, £27
Phytic acid may sound harsh, but this exfoliator is actually specifically designed for dry and sensitive skin types, promoting cell renewal without causing irritation.
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9. GloTherapeutics Brightening Polish, £28.99
Made with innovative Celluloscrub beads, derived from wood pulp, plus jojoba beads, this polish targets dull skin and pigmentation.
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10. Voya Effervescence Nourishing Sugar Scrub, £34
Seaweed and sugar are blended with nourishing oils in this gorgeously gooey body scrub that actually smells like the sea.
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