3 Natural (And Skin-Friendly) Alternatives To Microbeads

Microbeads. As major beauty junkies, we’ve encountered these tiny little plastic beads a lot more than we’d like in our lifetime – often in cleansers, exfoliators and the like. At first, we were fascinated with the stuff (they really do great work with dead skin), but soon our fascination turned to horror as we realised the detrimental impact it was causing on the environment.

However, great news has arrived today: microbeads have finally been banned, which means they can no longer be manufactured here in the UK. As strong supporters of sustainable beauty, we don’t feel the loss at all – especially because over the years we’ve found even better (and natural!) alternatives for exfoliation.

Read on to discover the 3 microbead alternatives that are also great for your skin!

Jojoba beads

Like microbeads, jojoba beads are small, spherical in shape and great for exfoliating – but unlike their plastic counterparts, they’re naturally derived and biodegradable. Fun fact: jojoba beads are actually wax esters, so this makes them softer than plastic and gentler on your skin!

BYBI combines these with fruit acids in their Prime Time facial polish to create a thorough dead-skin-munching formula, while Pai Skincare have thrown omega oils into the mix for a hydrating effect in their Kukui & Jojoba Brightening Exfoliator.

Ground oats

Using ground oats are a perfect option for those with more sensitive skin. A great source of skin-friendly nutrients and antioxidants, it’s especially effective on eczema-prone skin because of its anti-inflammatory effects. Not only that, their high starch, oil and sugar content leaves skin thoroughly moisturised and keeps this moisture locked in.

Hollywood-based beauty expert Jean Seo does great oat-based exfoliators, the Lué Erase Exfoliator and the Évolué Resurfacing Grains, in which she’s married colloidal oatmeal (a.k.a. cosmetic-grade oat flour) with dry milk for its lactic acid and skin resurfacing benefits.

Coffee

Turns out, your classic cup o’ Joe is not only great for getting you through the work day, but also for reviving and reenergising your skin!

We love Frank Body’s coffee scrubs for super straightforward all-over exfoliation: it does what it says on the tin, plus they do amazing shimmery scrubs that are to die for. Otherwise, if you’re tight on budget, whip up our energising face mask using just two ingredients from your kitchen.

– Jennie Lim