Dr. Kurrasch believes the ban is a step in the right direction, and that it’s good that attention is being paid to protecting wildlife and humans from the potential harms of plastics.
Dr. Naissan O. Wesley
Dr. Naissan O. Wesley, a dermatologist in private practice in Beverly Hills, noted that she, too is pleased about the concern regarding potential detrimental effects of microbeads.
“This is a huge step in skin care for products that are healthy for us and our environment,” she said, adding that while the quality of some products may be affected by the microbead ban, there are plenty of alternative scrubs, including sugar- or salt-based products.
“There are also other ways to achieve exfoliation, such as with things like the Clarisonic brush once a day, glycolic acid washes, Retin-A [tretinoin], chemical peels, microdermabrasion, or hydrofacials, and lasers,” Dr. Wesley, who is also a Dermatology News Board Member, noted. “Some women also do dermaplaning.”
Dr. Friedman also agreed with the importance of protecting the environment and the minimal impact the ban will have on products.
“I’m all for putting appropriate measures in place to prevent inappropriate exposures and damage to the natural setting. That said, I’m also for preserving the scientific method.”
Taking microbead-containing products off the shelf is not a life-altering process, Dr. Friedman said, noting that he doesn’t usually even recommend such products for patients. However, it will be expensive for the industry as it adapts to the microbead ban – and the money that will be spent is money that could have been applied to initiatives and efforts that may have had a bigger impact, he added.
“What frustrates me is that no opportunity was given to improve the technology,” he said, explaining that nano- and microparticles could be augmented to prevent them from entering the water system. For example, surface modifications applied to the microbeads could be used to increase aggregation under specific environmental conditions, and thereby prevent filtration failure. “There was a missed opportunity to engage industry and scientists alike to better understand how materials at this scale behave and how they can be manipulated for good,” he maintained.
“The ban opens the door to adversely impact more important technology that could be life altering. Now, we have an uphill battle.”
Dr. Friedman, Dr. Kurrasch, and Dr. Wesley reported having no relevant disclosures.