microbead
Miniature plastic sphere
Microbeads are tiny plastic spheres, typically less than a millimeter in diameter, added to personal care products like exfoliating scrubs and toothpaste.
Because they're too small for water treatment facilities to filter, microbeads wash into waterways and accumulate in ecosystems, where marine life ingests them.
Many countries have banned their use in cosmetics.
The term also applies to small glass or plastic beads used in industrial applications like sandblasting or crafts.
Minute spherical particle
- granuleTiny solid fragment
- speckMinute visible particle
- spherePerfectly round solid
- pelletSmall rounded mass
grain · dot · spherical · tiny · minuscule · uniform · diameter · millimeter
Thermoplastic from ethylene gas
- polypropyleneVersatile thermoplastic resin
- microplasticTiny synthetic particle pollution
- polymerLarge repeated-unit molecule
- syntheticProduced artificially, not natural
manufactured · non-biodegradable · acrylic · nylon · thermoplastic · resin · copolymer · industrial
Skin-sloughing substance
- scrubClean by rubbing hard
- cleanserSubstance for removing grime
- skincareComplexion maintenance regimen
- toothpasteOral cleaning gel
beauty · product · ingredient · formula · additive · abrasive · polishing · buffing
Relating to the sea
- oceanMassive saltwater body
- waterwayNavigable route for vessels
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
- aquaticWater-inhabiting
wildlife · ingestion · fish · bioaccumulation · sediment · wastewater · runoff · contamination
Able to decompose naturally
- naturalNot artificially produced
- jojobaWaxy-seeded desert shrub
- oatmealBoiled grain breakfast
- sugarCrystalline carbohydrate sweetener
salt · pumice · bamboo · sustainable · eco-friendly · plant-based · compostable · cellulose
microsphere
Minute spherical particle
pellet · grain · dot · spherical · tiny · minuscule · uniform · diameter · millimeter · micron
polyethylene
Thermoplastic from ethylene gas
- polypropyleneVersatile thermoplastic resin
- microplasticTiny synthetic particle pollution
- polymerLarge repeated-unit molecule
synthetic · manufactured · non-biodegradable · acrylic · nylon · thermoplastic · resin · copolymer · industrial · mass-produced
exfoliant
Skin-sloughing substance
- scrubClean by rubbing hard
- cleanserSubstance for removing grime
- skincareComplexion maintenance regimen
toothpaste · beauty · product · ingredient · formula · additive · abrasive · polishing · buffing · smooth
marine
Relating to the sea
- oceanMassive saltwater body
- waterwayNavigable route for vessels
- ecosystemInterconnected organisms and surroundings
aquatic · wildlife · ingestion · fish · bioaccumulation · sediment · wastewater · runoff · contamination · environmental
biodegradable
Able to decompose naturally
sugar · salt · pumice · bamboo · sustainable · eco-friendly · plant-based · compostable · cellulose · silica
- Microscopicbacterium, virus, amoeba, paramecium, microbe
- microencapsulationcapsule, capsules, microspheres, encapsulant, core-shell
microbeadsugar scrub
Abrasive skincare mixture
pumice · oatmeal · sea salt · natural fiber · organic material