<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2Fmini-pore-double-clearing-cleansing-foam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Laneige/Facebook</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>One of my favorite parts of my nightly routine is washing my face. After a long day, it feels great to clear away the dirt and grime, then rehydrate and moisturize my skin. </li><li>The <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2Fmini-pore-double-clearing-cleansing-foam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mini Pore Double Clearing Cleansing Foam</a> ($21) from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/k-beauty-korean-skin-care-products-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korean skin-care</a> brand <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/k-beauty-korean-skin-care-products-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laneige</a> is an integral part of my routine. </li><li>The gentle yet thorough exfoliating cleanser clears out pores and imparts moisture, leaving skin soft and hydrated. It lathers in a luxuriously rich cream and smells like fresh, uplifting mint. </li></ul><p>I follow a very predictable shower routine every night. After <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sulfate-free-shampoo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shampooing</a> and rinsing, I load up the strands and ends of my hair with conditioner. During the five or so minutes I let it soak in, I address my face and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/necessaire-body-wash-lotion-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the rest of my body</a>. </p><p>At the end of a long day, it's often these small but nourishing rituals that I cherish the most. With skin-care in particular, I'm literally washing away the dirt and grime of the day - and any negativity and stress - along with it. That's why I always look forward to the skin-care part of my shower routine, and why I've been loving Laneige's <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2Fmini-pore-double-clearing-cleansing-foam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mini Pore Double Clearing Cleansing Foam</a> ($21) in particular. This cleanser cleans and moisturizes my skin, and it also smells amazing.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2Fmini-pore-double-clearing-cleansing-foam" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Amazon</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/k-beauty-korean-skin-care-products-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Korean skin-care</a> company <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Laneige</a> specializes in "water science," so if your skin is in need of deep hydration, this is the brand to try.</p><p>In the Double Clearing cleanser, water is combined with ingredients like glycerin, stearic acid, and myristic acid. As a humectant, glycerin attracts and retains moisture, a quality that's great news for your dry and tired skin. Stearic and myristic acid are fatty acids naturally found in things like coconut oil and cocoa butter. </p><p>The powerful formula also contains <span>green tea water, bamboo sap, and lotus, which further hydrate and moisturize your skin without making it feel tight. </span></p><p>While the name of the product says "foam," I would describe it more as a cream. I rub it in my hands to create a rich and luxurious lather, and I only need to use a pea-sized amount for my entire face and neck. Scattered throughout are dissolvable cellulose microbeads, which help clear out my pores, but there aren't so many that it becomes an aggressive exfoliator. The cleanser is simultaneously thorough and gentle. </p><p>It's also a comforting and relaxing experience using this cleanser because it smells like mint. I would've been fine with a neutral scent, too, but the mint scent elevates the ritual, making it even more refreshing and enjoyable. </p><p>Once I emerge from the shower, my skin is clean, ultra-soft, and hydrated. Though it's just a small part of the many daily routines I have, using this cleanser is one of my favorite moments of the day. </p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=42483&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fus.laneige.com%2Fmini-pore-double-clearing-cleansing-foam" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shop the Mini Pore Double Clearing Cleansing Foam for $21 at Laneige</a></h3><h3><a href="https://amzn.to/2GTnHq3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Also available from 3rd-party sellers starting at $15.78 at Amazon</a></h3><p class="tagline"><p><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br><br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.<br><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.</br></br></br></br></p></p>

I use this $21 K-beauty cleanser every day to clear my pores and keep my skin hydrated

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> user @gypsytrax posted a series of videos showing how to replace <keyword id="23660" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="teeth">teeth</keyword> with prosthetics made out of InstaMorph beads as an alternative to more expensive partial <keyword id="151369" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="dentures">dentures</keyword>. </li><li>In the videos, @gypsytrax speaks about a divide in dental care in the United States, with many unable to afford more expensive dental solutions.</li><li>A dental expert says that while this hack is cheaper than the up-front cost of dentures, using InstaMorph beads can lead to expensive and permanent damage down the line like gum recession, tooth loss, and infection. </li><li>"It's very important that you don't engage with <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/dentistry">at-home treatments</a>," Dr. Vanessa Creaven, a dentist, told Insider.</li></ul><p>A TikToker went viral for showing how she makes teeth out of InstaMorph beads - an inexpensive product that can be molded after heating - as an alternative to a more expensive <a href="https://eurodenture.com/blog/flipper-tooth-what-you-need-to-know/">"flipper," which is a removable partial denture.</a></p><p>The TikTok creator, who goes by Gypsy Lou (@gypsytrax on the app), posted what's currently a six-part series explaining how to make replacement teeth out of Morph beads. In the series, which has cumulatively amassed over one million views, she also explains why she's been wearing the Morph bead teeth.</p><p>While the hack may seem cost-effective at first glance, InstaMorph bead dentures could potentially lead to individuals incurring further costs down the line related to gum recession, an expert told Insider.</p><h2>@gypsytrax said she's been wearing teeth made from InstaMorph beads for a year, but the company says they're not for internal use</h2><p>In an initial video that's amassed over 30,000 likes on TikTok, @gypsytrax pitches the <a href="https://www.amazon.com/InstaMorph-Moldable-Plastic-6-oz/dp/B004MFLU4Y/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1UPMO32I49LOP&amp;dchild=1&amp;keywords=instamorph+beads+for+teeth&amp;qid=1610388538&amp;sprefix=instamorph%2Caps%2C186&amp;sr=8-3aps%2C186&amp;sr=8-3">InstaMorph beads</a> as a way to replace one or two teeth if you can't afford more expensive dental solutions.</p><p>"I'm not rich," she says in the video. "But for $15, I can make the whole world teeth... if you're missing one or two teeth and you don't have the money to go to the dentist, seriously, Morph beads from Amazon will change your life." </p> <p>In further videos, she answers questions and shows how she makes the teeth, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsytrax/video/6914412070872026374?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowh8yYXh1QzYdB8hYY%2BSGzQPn3ipOj3Tv3h4t41E3Lof8LVkvzQA9Oz4h6L62ELhcJGgA%3D&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAWRdNYvHqD1jJ9Jy-4TKsSfnha-rtvazkqI9c3Wrm0kwUxKg2_JIRjA5dQq-wuGtl&amp;share_item_id=6914430590024551685&amp;share_link_id=94F6D4E7-1DE0-4567-B945-DD831959FF66&amp;timestamp=1609910928&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d6i61gl5m8djkl&amp;user_id=6701362712989877253&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_mp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_m">clarifying that she is not a dentist</a>, and saying that while she has "no <keyword id="422765" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Dentistry">dentistry</keyword> experience whatsoever," she does have "a sh-- ton of experience in being broke." @gypsytrax highlights that the product is clearly labeled as not for internal use, but said that she's been wearing teeth made out of InstaMorph beads for a year.</p><p>In the third part of her tooth saga, @gypsytrax shows herself placing InstaMorphe beads into boiling water and then molding them into a tooth shape, inserting the bead into her mouth. </p> <p>Other TikTokers have also posted videos that show them using similar technology to extend chipped teeth. <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@iciijaylyn/video/6914466572555816197?lang=en">One video with over 147,000 likes from @iciijaylyn</a> shows him melting beads to create a cap for a chipped tooth that makes it appear a nearly-identical size to his other front tooth, <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@iciijaylyn/video/6914783043756494086?lang=en">saying in a later video that he purchased a kit on eBay.</a></p><p>The comments of @gypsytrax's videos are filled with people saying that she's changed their life and thanking her for showing them the technique. </p><p>@gypsytrax did not respond to Insider's requests for an interview.</p><h2>Dentures made from InstaMorph beads might be inexpensive - but they could cause damage to your gums and lungs</h2><p>While InstaMorph beads can be less expensive than real dentures, they may cost more for you and your <keyword id="6354750" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="health">health</keyword> in the long run, according to an expert.</p><p>Dr. Vanessa Creaven, co-founder of <a href="https://spotlightoralcare.com/pages/our-story">Spotlight Oral Care</a> and a dentist, told Insider dentures are made to remain stably in your mouth while causing minimal damage to your gums. InstaMorph beads can technically fill a gap caused by a missing tooth but can also cause <a href="https://www.insider.com/dentists-say-influencers-with-crowns-will-need-dentures-by-40-2020-11">serious damage to your mouth</a> in the process. </p><p>"Using something like microbeads is not hygienic. It will result in food, bacteria, and plaque getting caught around it and around the teeth nearby," Creaven said.</p><p>"This can result in inflammation of the gums and bone in this area which can lead to permanent recession and bone loss leaving the area very difficult to ever restore in a way that looks aesthetically pleasing."</p><p><em><strong>Read More:</strong> <a href="https://www.insider.com/tiktok-users-shaving-teeth-nail-files-dentists-concerned-2020-9">TikTok users are shaving down their teeth with nail files. Dentists say it could cause permanent damage.</a></em></p><p>One of the leading causes of <a href="https://oralb.com/en-us/oral-health/conditions/gums/receding-gums-symptoms-causes-treatments">gum recession</a> - a condition in which your gums deteriorate that can lead to bad breath, painful gums, and tooth loss - is <a href="https://www.healthline.com/health/receding-gums-treatment#causes">poorly-fitted partial dentures</a> like InstaMorph beads. </p><p>In addition to being a gum hazard, using this hack to create dentures could actually pose a choking risk. Because InstaMorph beads are not as secure as real partial dentures, they can be inhaled or swallowed, which could lead to expensive surgery to remove them. </p><p>"There are different ways to replace a missing tooth and some that are more affordable than others," Creaven told Insider. "It's very important that you don't engage with <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/dentistry">at-home treatments</a> that will long term end up costing more financially and also result in sometimes irreversible damage."</p><h2>In her videos, @gypsytrax speaks about a very real dental care divide in the United States</h2><p>@gypsytrax told viewers that her situation came from a divide in oral healthcare.</p><p>In a video response to a <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gypsytrax/video/6914751176726613254?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESMgowh8yYXh1QzYdB8hYY%2BSGzQPn3ipOj3Tv3h4t41E3Lof8LVkvzQA9Oz4h6L62ELhcJGgA%3D&amp;language=en&amp;preview_pb=0&amp;sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAWRdNYvHqD1jJ9Jy-4TKsSfnha-rtvazkqI9c3Wrm0kwUxKg2_JIRjA5dQq-wuGtl&amp;share_item_id=6914430590024551685&amp;share_link_id=94F6D4E7-1DE0-4567-B945-DD831959FF66&amp;timestamp=1609910928&amp;tt_from=copy&amp;u_code=d6i61gl5m8djkl&amp;user_id=6701362712989877253&amp;utm_campaign=client_share&amp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_mp;utm_medium=ios&amp;utm_source=copy&amp;source=h5_m">comment saying that she should have just brushed her teeth</a>, @gypsytrax said that she had sustained facial trauma, leading to a chipped tooth, and then lost teeth as well to bad oral hygiene. "I was raised with no running water or electricity, so oral hygiene just wasn't in the forefront of my life," she said.</p><p>"When you're poor and your teeth start decaying, it's much more expensive to fix them than extract them, and so poor people are left with the choice of having that tooth ripped from their head versus being able to fix it because they cannot afford it because our healthcare system is broken," she says.</p> <p>As <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/sf/national/2017/05/13/the-painful-truth-about-teeth/?utm_term=.d8848df52020">The Washington Post reported in 2017</a>, millions of Americans rely on charity clinics in order to receive dental care, unable to afford more expensive treatment like root canals and crowns and having teeth pulled instead. A divide in dental care, brought about by factors including a lack of dentists in areas of great need, financial inaccessibility of care, and lack of connection to a fluoridated water system, has led to dental health becoming a signifier of wealth. </p><p>The <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/oral_health_disparities/index.htm">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists</a> race, socioeconomic status, age, and geographic location as factors that contribute to <keyword id="6556047" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="oral-health">oral health</keyword> disparities in the United States. </p>

TikTok users are making DIY dentures out of InstaMorph beads that could cause major gum damage

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Shutterstock</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>No, don't get up.</p><p>From your couch, you can replenish your household supply of paper towels, watch all of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-ted-sarandos-says-show-more-popular-than-hbos-game-of-thrones-2015-12">Narcos</a>, research <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-bans-microbead-soap-2015-12">the problem with microbeads</a>, and order sunglasses for a weekend down South this February.</p><p>You can also save some money.</p><p>Below, find nine ways to set yourself up to save more money without visiting the bank, grocery store, or even the mailbox.</p>

How to save more money without getting off the couch

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Face wash, lipstick, makeup, and nail polish often carry labels like "tested" and "clinically-proven." Cosmetics like these are big business in the US, constituting about a <a href="http://www.statista.com/statistics/243742/revenue-of-the-cosmetic-industry-in-the-us/">$60 billion market</a>.</p><p>But how does the cosmetics industry regulate the safety of its products?</p><p>In the US, the FDA oversees cosmetics. But unlike drugs (which must get approval before they can be sold), <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm135709.htm">cosmetics do not</a>. As a result, companies that use or sell unsafe ingredients usually only get in trouble if they get caught.</p><p>According to <a href="http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm135709.htm">the FDA's website</a>, it's up to individual companies, rather than the FDA, to ensure their products are safe. Compared to Canada and the European Union, both of whom have pretty strict oversight over cosmetics, the FDA has very few hard-and-fast rules.</p><p>Here's what is still lurking in our cosmetics:</p><h2><strong>Lipstick</strong></h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Flickr/Peter Grifoni</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>The makeup brand Lime Crime came under fire from <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ICECI/EnforcementActions/WarningLetters/2015/ucm456525.htm">the FDA in July</a> for having color additives, the single ingredient the FDA does require approval for in cosmetics, in some of its products.</p><p>"Color is something that the FDA takes very seriously," said Robert Lochhead, a polymer <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> professor at the University of Southern Mississippi.</p><p>Lochhead told Business Insider the reason the FDA is so concerned with color additives relative to other chemicals is part of the agency's history: <a href="http://www.fda.gov/ForIndustry/ColorAdditives/RegulatoryProcessHistoricalPerspectives/">In the 1950s</a>, some of the color additives in food and other materials caused some serious health complications, namely FD&amp;C Orange No. 1, which made many children sick after it was used in Halloween candy.</p><p>There have also been problems with leads found in <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/400-lipstick-brands-contain-lead-fda-says/2012/02/14/gIQAhOyeDR_story.html">lipstick</a>, which is troubling considering how easily ingestible lipstick is.</p><h2>Nail polish</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/janet/5425642207/">daftgirly/Flickr</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>In recent years, one of the most controversial chemicals in the cosmetic industry has been a chemical called phthalates. They're found in nail polish - that's what gives them that strechy, plastic-y feeling - and perfumes.</p><p>According to the <a href="http://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/1306681/#tab1">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</a>, phthalates are a known environmental contaminant that could have an impact on human health, though they don't yet have enough conclusive evidence to say exactly how.</p><h2>Face wash</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>5 Gyres</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Some harmful substances in cosmetics aren't so much causing bodily harm as hurting the environment.</p><p>Such is the case with plastic microbeads, which are <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/products-that-contain-microbeads-2015-5">found in a number of face washes and toothpastes</a>. Microbeads were originally used because they're are a good way to exfoliate that don't generally cause rashes. Substituting the microbeads for nut shells, for example, would put a large portion of the population at risk for an allergic reaction.</p><h2>Eye makeup</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Flickr/adamhirschhorn</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Some eye shadows may contain certain <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com.turing.library.northwestern.edu/science/article/pii/S0026265X11002086">heavy metals,</a> which can pose a problem if the metals are water soluble, meaning they could absorbed into the body through sweat.</p><h2>In a good spot, but still a ways to go</h2><p>Although they only <a href="http://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/guidanceregulation/lawsregulations/ucm127406.htm">"prohibit or restrict,</a>"the use of 11 chemicals, the FDA still faces a lot of pressure to get things right, Karl Bygrave, the Director of Regulatory Affairs for cosmetics company Lush told Business Insider.</p><p>"It doesn't feel unregulated," he said.</p><p>Bygrave said for its part, his company does its best to cater to consumer concerns about any potentially harmful chemicals in its products. While he says they only use compounds in their cosmetics that have been proven safe for people in tests, they will sometimes change the ingredients in their products based on consumer preference. In light of a <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jat.958/abstract;jsessionid=0F9FB53803FD2EBB963304A5C04321C5.f04t01">study</a> which suggested a link between preservatives called parabens and cancer (though ultimately no link was <a href="http://www.chemistryviews.org/details/ezine/1452093/Underarm_Hygiene_Does_Not_Cause_Breast_Cancer.html">actually found</a>), for example, the company opted to swap them out for different ingredients.</p><p>That's just one company though - and others may not be as careful. As a way to combat the problems in the beauty industry, there seems to be an increased interest in organic beauty products over the last several years, especially in Europe and the US. Sales were projected to reach <a href="https://www.loc.gov/rr/business/BERA/issue17/current.html">$15 billion globally</a> in 2015, still just a fraction of the US market.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/science-male-attractiveness-sex-2015-10">Women are more attracted to men with these physical traits</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="5iZzMyeDranDSEuGX60cVb5VL_qjvfSz" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

A $60 billion industry is shockingly unregulated

<h3><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Flickr Creative Commons</span></p><p class="caption">Blue Bell Creameries is pulling all of its products off the shelf amid a deadly listeria outbreak.</p></div><p></p></div></div></h3><h3>1. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/department-of-justice-investigating-blue-bell-creameries-2015-12">The Department of Justice is investigating Blue Bell Creameries</a></h3><p><span>The DOJ is faced with the challenge of determining when and what Blue Bell executives actually knew about the bad inspection reports, and why they apparently chose to ignore them. Blue Bell Creamery has not responded to reports of the criminal inquiry.</span></p><h3>2. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-bans-microbead-soap-2015-12">The US bans soaps, bodywashes, and toothpastes containing a harmful ingredient</a></h3><p><span>The US just approved </span><a href="https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/114/hr1321/text">a bill</a><span> banning soaps, toothpastes, and bodywashes that contain tiny plastic particles called microbeads. <span>The problem with microbeads is simple: They don't dissolve, instead entering water streams by the billions.</span></span></p><h3>3. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/weight-watchers-stock-is-going-bananas-2015-12">Weight Watchers stock spiked 18%</a></h3><p>Weight Watchers shares spiked Wednesday after the company's first advertisement featuring Oprah Winfrey was released online. The stock closed up 18.8% at $22.58.</p><h3>4. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-worst-thing-on-mcdonalds-menu-2015-12">McDonald's is fixing the biggest flaw on its menu</a></h3><p>The worst item available at McDonald's this year from an investor's perspective was actually an entire menu: the Dollar Menu and More.</p><h3>5. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/chick-fil-a-cuts-cole-slaw-from-menu-and-shares-recipe-2015-12">Chick-fil-A had a brilliant response to customers' devastation over menu changes</a></h3><p><span>Chick-fil-A is cutting cole slaw from its menu in January, and some customers are furious about the change. </span>To appease angry customers, Chick-fil-A has decided to share the recipe for its slaw, which has been kept private for more than 70 years.</p><h3>6. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/xbox-one-elite-controller-out-until-march-2016">The hottest Xbox accessory this holiday won't return to stores until March 2016</a></h3><p>Price was not a concern, apparently, for Xbox One fans this holiday. The console's $150 "Elite" gamepad was sold out everywhere and remains as such until March 2016.</p><h3>7. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/target-workers-save-christmas-2015-12">A mother is thanking Target after workers pretended to coordinate with Santa</a></h3><p><span>Michele Downing Berg </span><a href="http://www.kare11.com/story/news/local/2015/12/29/moms-fb-post-thanking-target-workers-goes-viral/78032776/">wrote on the retail chain's Facebook wall</a><span> to thank employees for helping keep the magic of Christmas alive for her daughter. The post has since received more than 420,000 likes, as well as thousands of shares and comments.</span> </p><h3>8. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/4-beer-industry-trends-to-expect-in-2016-2015-12">The beer industry is going through seismic changes that are impacting how America drinks</a></h3><p><span>The beer industry is changing - and it's going to impact what you're sipping on in the new year. Its <span>growth has sparked countless new trends, including gluten-free beer and D.I.Y. brews.</span></span></p><h3>9. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/top-franchises-of-2015-2015-12">The top 50 franchises of 2015</a></h3><p><span class="skimlinks-unlinked">Entrepreneur.com </span><span>recently compiled a list of the <a href="http://www.entrepreneur.com/franchises/rankings/franchise500-115608/2015,-1.html">top franchises in 2015</a> based on their Franchise 500 score. A few of the franchises that made the list are McDonald's, Great Clips, and Jazzercise.</span></p><h3>10. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-problem-with-pay-what-you-want-sales-2015-12">This retail strategy has one huge proble</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-problem-with-pay-what-you-want-sales-2015-12">m</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/the-problem-with-pay-what-you-want-sales-2015-12"></a></h3><p><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/everlanes-pay-what-you-want-sale-2015-12" target="_blank">Everlane has been advertising a bizarre sale </a>- one in which consumers could choose from three prices. Buy the highest price, and Everlane would get a good chunk of money to fuel its continual growth and pay its employees. Buy the middle price, and Everlane would get a small slice. Buy the lowest price, and Everlane would get nothing.</p>

Consumer and retail news: 10 things you need to know today

<p><em><a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a><span>&#xa0;</span>writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.</em></p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.adidas.7eer.net/c/196318/264102/4270?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.adidas.com%2Fus%2Fparley%3Fgrid%3Dtrue&amp;subid2=1554999093475avq3bfzg5" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Adidas</span></p></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Virgin plastics have become increasingly unpopular as public awareness of plastic pollution has grown.</li><li>Millennials are driving a sustainable shift in consumer goods as their needs, purchase power, and socio-civic mindsets pressure companies to adapt to sustainability.</li><li>Below are 14 companies that are capitalizing off of the eco-friendly trend, and hopefully driving lasting change in the market.&#xa0;</li></ul><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Like perms, gaucho pants, and bump-it clips, plastics appear to be trending downwards in the court of public opinion. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Why? To be reductive, because the news about plastic is getting scarier, more of us are seeing it, and we lead an increasingly large portion of our lives on public forums (such as Instagram) that generate visibility of environmental issues and the social pressure to mitigate them. It also doesn't hurt that millennials and Gen Z are confronting the fact that, as their years on planet earth stretch out before them, so too do the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/01/11/oceans-are-warming-faster-than-we-thought-scientists-suggest-we-brace-impact/?utm_term=.35e7f79a6f8b">rapidly approaching</a> effects of climate change - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/african-cities-water-crisis-2019-3">water shortages</a>, <a href="https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/climate-change-and-famine.pdf">famine</a>, extreme weather, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/miami-floods-sea-level-rise-solutions-2018-4">rising sea-levels</a>, and destabilized societies. </span></p><p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bad press for plastic is pervasive. One week it's a dead whale with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/12/science/sperm-whale-death-spain.html?module=inline">64 pounds of trash</a> in its stomach in Spain. A few weeks later, it's one with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/world/asia/whale-plastics-philippines.html">88 pounds</a> in the Philippines. An impressive number of us could probably rattle off that <a href="https://www.npr.org/2019/01/05/682532583/an-engineering-wunderkinds-ocean-plastics-cleanup-device-hits-a-setback" target="_blank" rel="noopener">1.8 trillion pieces of plastic</a> are floating at the top of the Great Pacific garbage patch. (T<span>en times more than there are stars in our Milky Way Galaxy.)</span> Fewer would know that it's also made its way into our bodies, and was observed <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plastic-accumulates-in-human-feces-evidence-shows-for-first-time-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in eight out of eight human feces</a> scientists tested in 2018.</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"></span></p><p>This has resulted in a <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/nov/13/the-plastic-backlash-whats-behind-our-sudden-rage-and-will-it-make-a-difference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">comparably rare</a> plastic backlash. In 2016, a Greenpeace petition <span>for a UK-wide plastic microbead ban hit 365,000 signatures in just four months - becoming the largest environmental petition ever presented to a government. While climate change is an abstract concept to many, plastics - what you buy, use, and throw away every week of your life - is concrete. It makes you ask, what can I do to stop this?</span></p><p>Now, consumers are putting pressure on companies to nix virgin plastics. The charge is <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/bizwomen/news/latest-news/2018/12/millennials-drive-big-growth-in-sustainable.html?page=all" target="_blank" rel="noopener">led primarily by millennials</a>, people who have grown up in an era of globalization and economic disruption and have, as a result, perhaps missed out on an implicit trust in the infallibility of greater institutions. Familiar with "fake news" online, and armed with instantaneous search results <a href="https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%C3%A0_la"></a>from<span> </span>Google, they're natural-born skeptics.</p><p>Statistically speaking, they're right to worry. A<span>&#xa0;</span>landmark<span> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/07/climate/ipcc-climate-report-2040.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">United Nations report</a> said if the world doesn't utterly transform energy systems in the next decade, we risk ecological and social disaster. But climate change is deeply politicized in the US, and it makes our most effective, easiest option - sweeping legislation - unlikely. While we've made over eight billion tons of plastic in the last 60 years (virtually every piece of which still exists in some shape or form on earth), we're still using more virgin plastic today than ever before.</span></p><p>But millennials have significant sway. They comprise roughly 30% of the population and were projected to overtake Baby Boomers as <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/03/01/millennials-overtake-baby-boomers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's largest living adult generation in 2019</a>, a number that's growing (due to variables like young immigrants bolstering numbers) while Boomers' drop. They have significant purchasing power: They spend <a href="https://www.mytotalretail.com/article/millennials-going-green-means-retail-must-follow/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$600 billion each year</a> in the US alone, and they represent <a href="https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/agencies-are-carving-out-niche-socially-responsible-marketing-168592/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$2.45 trillion</a> in spending power globally.&#xa0;</p><p><span style="color: #000000;">Companies that have wised up to the sustainability trend are capitalizing on the unpopularity of plastics. Many of those companies are young digital startups, spearheaded by millennials themselves who may have first seen the market need or grown up with the same sensibility that achieving a net good is every person and company's responsibility. They have the added advantage of building their companies from the ground up to suit today's customer, rather than renovating an existing structure. Like a socially-conscious Darwinian contest, they're the ones poised to gain from the market opportunities created by their peers - a smart, skeptical group of shoppers with long lives to live, money to spend, and socio-civic concerns. </span><span style="color: #000000;"></span></p><h3>Below are 14 companies that are capitalizing off the unpopularity of plastics:</h3><p class="tagline"><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br><br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.<br><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.</br></br></br></br></p><div></div>

14 companies that are capitalizing on the unpopularity of plastics

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Tim Boyle/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div>Beginning July 1, 2017, the US will start <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/obama-british-mp-bans-microbead-soap-worldwide-2016-8">phasing out soaps and cosmetics</a> that include microbeads, the tiny pieces of plastic often used in soaps to help exfoliate the skin.</p><p>The ban comes after research showed the beads are often too small to get filtered by wastewater treatment plants. That means they can can end up in oceans and rivers, where marine animals wind up ingesting them, in turn causing the beads to be incorporated into our food chain. But microbeads are just one form of microplastics, a broader category that also includes tiny fibers that come off synthetic fabrics like polyester or nylon.</p><p>Because these microfibers are less than a fifth of an inch long, many of them also get through the filters in treatment plants, yet so far there haven't been any governmental efforts to regulate them. A recent study commissioned by outdoor clothing company Patagonia suggests we could be sending a shocking amount of these fibers - more than 64,000 pounds - into oceans and streams each day. </p><p>"Anything from plankton all the way up to whales have been found to have microfibers in their systems," says Bess Ruff, a project researcher at U.C. Santa Barbara's <a href="http://www.bren.ucsb.edu/" target="_blank">Bren School of Environmental Science and Management</a>, which published a study of microfiber pollution in <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.est.6b03045" target="_blank">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> in September.</p><p>The study was conducted by a research team of five graduate students overseen by Patricia Holden, a professor of environmental microbiology. To calculate the amount of fibers that gets released into our water system, the team tested four different types of synthetic Patagonia jackets and one budget fleece (a lower-end version that competes with Patagonia). Each was put in two kinds of washing machines - top-load and front-load - and then the runoff water from the loads was filtered through a uniquely designed column made to collect the fibers.</p><p>The team weighed the fibers, calcu<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Bren School of Environmental <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">Science</keyword> and Management</span></p><p class="caption">A magnified image of microfibers</p></div><p></p></div></div>lated how much gets shed in an average wash, and extrapolated that data for a city of 100,000 people. The group determined that wastewater treatment plants can filter out 65-92% of the microfibers in water, which means means every 100,000 people send between 19 and 242 pounds of microfibers into the water each day. (That large range also accounts for the quality of clothing, the type of washing machine, and the age of the items.)</p><p>That means the entire US population could be releasing more than 750,000 pounds of tiny fibers into the water daily. And that doesn't include the microfibers that get filtered and incorporated into solid waste that water treatment plants collect, which is sometimes repurposed as fertilizer for farms.</p><p>Even the study's low estimate - 64,000 pounds of microfibers each day - is surprisingly high.</p><p>According to Ruff and the Bren research team, microfiber pollution is troubling on two levels. First, it means that animals considered to be filter feeders, which eat by straining food particles out of water, are directly intaking the fibers. That category includes oysters and mussels, so the fibers could actually be in the tissue that humans eat.</p><p>Second, synthetic fibers (unlike natural ones like wool or cotton) are prone to absorbing chemicals. That means microfibers could potentially pick up chemicals while they travel through wastewater treatment plants, or that they could make it into oceans or streams carrying the chemicals originally added to the clothing they came from.</p><p>"You have odor-resistant chemicals applied, water-resistant chemicals applied, and those are inside the fibers," Ruff says. "When they get consumed, these chemicals can be transferred to tissue of organisms that eat them."</p><p>In other words, even if the fibers go into the parts of a fish that humans don't typically eat - like the stomach or intestines - those chemicals could still get into the tissue we consume.</p><p>The amount that humans would ingest is tiny. But Ruff says large quantities of the most commonly found chemicals on microfibers have been shown to cause issues with the endocrine system, neurological development, and cancer. Researchers are also beginning to look into the chemicals' impacts on smaller animals.</p><p>"There have been some studies on filter feeders where they've been shown to produce fewer eggs, smaller eggs and slower sperm, so you're having a lower output of larvae," she says. "It's impacting the population. We don't know how drastically or if it's a longterm impact, but there have been noticeable changes in the physiology of these organisms from consuming fibers."</p><p>That's especially troubling to Patagonia, since many of its jackets and fleeces are made of synthetic materials and lots of its customers care deeply about the environment.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/PATAGONIA/photos_stream">Patagonia Facebook</a></span></p><p class="caption">A woman spills ketchup on a Patagonia fleece</p></div><p></p></div></div>Since the results of the study were released, Elissa Loughman, manager of product responsibility at Patagonia, has been trying to figure out the best action for the company to take. An important first step, she says is "identifying fabrics and fibers that either shed a lot or shed less, understanding that, and then make decisions internally to minimize the use of those fabrics and fibers that shed more."</p><p>Patagonia is also now working with a team at North Carolina State University to devise a test that clothing companies could use in their labs to learn about microfiber shedding when trying out a new material. <br /> <br />"The idea is that there could be another test that everyone could do in their standardized test tabs that would identify the shedding potential prior to actually choosing to put a fiber or a fabric to use in a product," she explains.</p><p>Loughman adds that the problem has to be addressed at many levels - washing machine manufacturers can do their parts, too, and there are several ways eco-conscious consumers can decrease their microfiber pollution. Septic tank filters can be effective at catching microfibers when used in home washing machines, and a nonprofit called the <a href="http://rozaliaproject.org/" target="_blank">Rozalia Project</a>, which is devoted to keeping the oceans clean, is developing a ball that can catch microfibers in the wash.</p><p>Those who have a choice of washing machines should also opt for front-load ones instead of top-load ones, since the Bren study found that top-load machines create 5.3 times more fiber shedding. Ruff says the researchers still aren't sure why this is the case, but think it has to do with the machines' central agitator, which creates friction by grinding against the clothes. Front-load machines, on the other hand, just move the clothes against themselves.</p><p>But the easiest thing people can do, Ruff says, is just wash clothing less. Loughman says that's a message Patagonia can get behind.</p><p>"Patagonia is an outdoorsy company and we sort of pride ourselves on getting dirty and staying dirty sometimes," she says. "So having dirty clothes is kind of funny, and actually part of a solution to this."</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/defunct-oil-rig-hotel-for-divers-2016-3">This defunct oil rig in the middle of the ocean is now a cool hotel for divers</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="12Ym0yMjE6MtFwjzSFxkaTjFSTy8qdMp" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

The US may be releasing over 64,000 pounds of tiny synthetic clothing fibers into the water every day

<p><em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider Picks</a><span> </span>writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.</em></p><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><em><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Juice Beauty</span></p><p class="caption">The Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray from Juice Beauty uses all-natural ingredients to gently exfoliate skin.</p></div><p></p></div></div></em></a></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Most skincare products take time to work. That's why I'm always impressed with the ones that yield immediate results.</li><li>The <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray ($52)</a> from Juice Beauty is a gentle exfoliant that uses all-natural ingredients to slough off dead skin and reveal fresher, brighter looking skin in seconds.</li><li>The first time I tried it, I was in awe - and I'm not exaggerating here. I've been using it for a few weeks now and still am loving how soft and fresh it leaves my skin feeling. </li></ul><p>When it comes to skin care, instant gratification is pretty uncommon. It could take weeks for that serum to reveal its promised dewy glow and even the most expensive under-eye cream out there won't make your crow's feet disappear overnight. Most skincare products take time to work their magic. </p><p>But every now and then you'll stumble upon the elusive product that provides serious results with actual immediacy. And when you find one of those products, you have to share it with the world.</p><p>That's why I'm divulging all the details of my new skin-care obsession: <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray</a>. </p><p>The name may be a jumbled mouthful, but trust me: It's one of the most fool-proof ways to exfoliate your way to smoother, glowier skin.</p><h2>What it is</h2><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juice Beauty</a> was launched in 2005 with a mission to provide high-performance, luxury skincare products made completely from natural and organic ingredients. Since then, the brand has released a host of all-natural makeup and skincare products, ranging from colorful lip glosses to clinically tested and validated skincare collections, like Stem Cellular.</p><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray</a> is just what it sounds like <span>- </span>a facial mist that you spray onto skin to exfoliate. </p><p>For many, the word "exfoliate" conjures up memories of vigorously rubbing skin with rough microbeads until it burns. Juice Beauty's iteration of a <a href="https://www.dermstore.com/blog/chemical-exfoliation-vs-physical-exfoliation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemical exfoliant</a> is surprisingly gentle, though understandably so when you consider it's made with stem cells from fruit. Yes, you read that right. The Stem Cellular spray combines exfoliants derived from plants to slough off dead skin, with ingredients like licorice root, cucumber extract, and aloe to nourish, brighten, and soothe it as well.</p><h2>How to use the peel spray</h2><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juice Beauty</a> recommends using this product in the morning while you shower. As much as I love multitasking, I got it during the day and was so excited to use it, I had to give it a try that night. I think the results were equally as impressive, regardless of when you use it.</p><p>After washing my face and patting dry, I reached for the sleek silver bottle. I gave it a good shake and liberally spritzed my face, neck, and décolleté. The mist is cool with an invigorating (though not particularly pleasant) scent. While lightweight, each spritz comes out quickly, so I'd recommend spraying a few inches away from your face. </p><p>As the instructions suggested, I let <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the product</a> sink into my skin for a few seconds. Then, I used my fingertips to rub all of the product in, gently massaging my face with circular motions. H<span>ere's where the process gets kind of gross, but really great. </span></p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Juice Beauty</span></p><p class="caption">The exfoliant comes out in a lightweight mist.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>As I rubbed, I watched the dead skin cells ball up into little clumps on the surface of my skin and onto my fingers. Within just seconds, the peel had lifted the dry, flaky skin off of my face and left scant remnants on the surface. When I felt that I had adequately rubbed everything in, I rinsed my face with warm water. </span></p><p>After patting dry again, I oohed and aahed as I did a double take in the mirror. My skin looked noticeably more vibrant, with healthy dose of redness (which went away quickly, don't worry), and felt so much smoother than before. To make that baby soft skin feeling last, I followed with my <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/moon-juice-beauty-shroom-jelly-serum-review" target="_blank" rel="noopener">favorite moisturizing jelly serum</a> from <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=44013&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fmoonjuice.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Moon Juice</a> and a basic <a href="http://linksynergy.walmart.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2149&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.walmart.com%2Fip%2FNeutrogena-Oil-Free-Daily-Sensitive-Skin-Face-Moisturizer-4-fl-oz%2F10805084%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Neutrogena moisturizer</a>. </p><p>When I woke up the next morning, I still felt fresh-faced.<span> Just imagine what my skin would have felt like if I had used the spray in the morning instead. </span></p><h2>Bottom Line</h2><p>At-home exfoliation can be a toss up <span>- if you're not careful about the products you use and how often you exfoliate, you can really hurt your skin. You could always go to the experts and get a facial for a deep exfoliation every now and then, but that isn't the most cost-effective option. </span></p><p><span>That's why <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Juice Beauty's exfoliating spray</a> is such a sweet luxury. For $52 you can have a quality exfoliating experience that's gentle on the skin but yields serious results. You can even spray your hands, arms, or any other body parts that could use some extra help sloughing off dry skin. </span></p><p><span>Since it's made of all-natural and organic ingredients, this product should be fine for all types of skin. It's still an exfoliant though, so you probably shouldn't use it every day - I've been using it about once or twice a week. </span></p><p>My favorite thing about this product, though, is how convenient it is. I don't need to fumble around with physical exfoliators or make a mess with a clay mask <span>- all I have to do is spritz. The size - a travel-friendly 1.7 fluid ounces - makes this easy to take on the go.</span></p><p><span>I think you'll want to spread the word after trying this one, too.</span></p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=38268&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fjuicebeauty.com%2Fcollections%2Fpeels-exfoliators-and-masks%2Fproducts%2Fstem-cellular-exfoliating-peel-spray" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular Exfoliating Peel Spray for $52</a></h3><figure id="img-520604" contenteditable="false" data-type="img" data-e2e-name="image-figure-image" data-media-container="image"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018WLMXG2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;tag=biip_042319_amazon-prime-mothers-day-gifts-under-50-20&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;creativeASIN=B018WLMXG2&amp;linkId=ace2cfc11c181ad4c80ed7e0ae9690ce" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-amzn-asin="B018WLMXG2"></a></figure>  <p class="tagline"><p style="font-size: 14px;"><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br><br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.<br><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.</br></br></br></br></p></p>

This all-natural exfoliating peel left my skin feeling softer than ever after just one use - I could actually see my dead skin sloughing off

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Sephora</span></p><p class="caption">From left to right: Cotton Cloud Mask, Bright Potion Serum, and Pretty Pop Whipped Cream.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>It's common for people to be drawn to products for the pretty packaging, but it's the efficacy and value that keeps them coming back for more. </li><li><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Skin</a> is a Korean skin-care line that boasts packaging of social media envy, but most importantly, its scientific formulations yield serious results.</li><li>I tried the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bright Potion Serum</a> ($51), <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fproduct-pretty-pop-probiotic-power-whipped-cream-P442963%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pretty Pop Whipped Cream</a> ($57), and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cotton Cloud Mask</a> ($6) and was impressed with how well they worked on my sensitive skin. </li></ul><p>Sleeping in on Saturday morning is one of life's simple pleasures - and it shows. Eyes look brighter, cheeks look pinker, and smiles look wider. Your skin is fresh with the sort of glow you only get from knowing your calendar is free for two full days of doing whatever you please. You're left with a radiance that money just can't buy.</p><p>Except it can. </p><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Skin</a> thinks your skin deserves that weekend glow on any old Tuesday. The self-proclaimed "weekend in a bottle" is just that - a skin-care line full of products with formulas developed to mimic the way your skin looks when you wake up feeling refreshed: clear, dewy, and supple. Coming to the market at a time when <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/k-beauty-korean-skin-care-products-2018-5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">K-beauty is all the rage</a>, you've probably scrolled by this South Korean skin-care line on your Instagram feed before. Pretty pink and shiny bottles stand out on a shelf and on your feed, enticing potential customers with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/products-with-cool-packaging-design" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cool packaging</a>. </p><p>Saturday Skin is more than just fodder for your feed, though. Behind the Millennial pink and holographic bottles is skincare that seriously works. Formulas are developed by scientists at <a href="http://chalogybeauty.com/chaum" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chaum</a>, an iconic wellness center in Seoul known for it's effective and innovative skin-care treatments. From cleansers to serums and creams, the Saturday Skin collection has everything you need for an effortless glow. The secret that sets Saturday Skin apart is the <a href="http://chalogybeauty.com/innovation/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cha-7 es complex</a><span>™, a patented peptide formula engineered to promote skin's natural regeneration. </span></p><p>The packaging is cute, the science seems to be all there, but does it really work? I got to try three of the brand's products from their new line of probiotic skincare - the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bright Potion Serum</a> ($51), <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fproduct-pretty-pop-probiotic-power-whipped-cream-P442963%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pretty Pop Whipped Cream</a> ($57), and <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cotton Cloud Mask</a> ($6)- and was pleasantly suprised at how nicely they worked on my skin. Keep reading for more about how each product worked. </p><h2>My review of Saturday Skin</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Sephora</span></p><p class="caption">Cotton Cloud Probiotic Power Mask, $6.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cotton Cloud Mask</a>, $6</h3><p>I'm not the biggest fan of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-sheet-mask/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sheet masks</a>. They tend to slide off my face too easily, making them much less effective and much more inconvenient to wear - plus, I find buying masks in tubes or tubs are a more economical move. This Saturday Skin iteration may make me a convert, though. After flying two red eyes in one week, my skin was as jet-lagged as I was. I decided to open the Cotton Cloud Mask (which has the cutest packaging, including some adorable smiley cloud stickers) and give it a try.</p><p><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The mask itself</a> is made with natural microfibers, which adhered to my skin better than any sheet mask I've ever tried before. The sheet is packed with prebiotics and probiotics, along with vitamin E and <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/a19671302/polyphenol-benefits-skin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polyphenols</a> to add hydration and boost vitality.</p><p>It was easy to leave this mask on for twenty minutes as it didn't slip off once. After the time was up, I rubbed the rest of the serum into my skin to help everything absorb and I have to say, it looked great. This mask is super moisturizing, and the powerful ingredients leave your face with a radiant flush - you couldn't even tell I'd just taken a transatlantic flight. At $6, I would definitely buy this again when I feel like my skin needs an extra boost. </p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><p class="source"><span>Sephora</span></p><p class="caption">Pretty Pop Probiotic Power Whipped Cream, $57 and Bright Potion Probiotic Power Serum, $51.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fproduct-pretty-pop-probiotic-power-whipped-cream-P442963%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Pretty Pop Probiotic Power Whipped Cream</a>, $57</h3><p>When they say probiotic power, they mean it - <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fproduct-pretty-pop-probiotic-power-whipped-cream-P442963%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">this moisturizer</a> has four types of probiotics, and two prebiotics to make those even more effective. What stood out to me most, though, is the texture. It's a velvety smooth consistency that melts into your skin. You can actually see the little encapsulated probiotics in the lotion (they look almost like mini microbeads), which is a nice reminder that they're really there. The lightweight consistency is moisturizing without being heavy, so it works well all-year round for all skin types. </p><p>There a few key ingredients here that work together to give you that weekend glow. Hibiscus extract smooths skin and diminishes the appearance of fine lines, vitamin-rich moringa seed extract enhances skin's natural glow, and Niacinamide protects and tones skin. At $57, this is more than I usually spend on a moisturizer, but I see the appeal. My skin looked more supple after hydrating with this cream, and a little goes a long way so I could see this tub lasting a while. </p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bright Potion Probiotic Power Serum</a>, $51</h3><p>This serum contains the same prebiotic and probiotic capsules as the accompanying moisturizer. It also boasts Niacinamide to improve tone and texture, as well as seabuckthorn extract to deeply nourish, and Irish moss extract to soothe and hydrate. </p><p>One fluid ounce is $51, but since this is a <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serum</a>, you really only need a drop. Saturday Skin suggests you warm the product between fingers, then tap into skin. I like that this serum isn't too liquidy - it has a smooth jelly-like consistency that makes application a breeze. After dabbing it onto clean skin and letting it sink in, my skin looked noticeably brighter and it gave my face a healthy flush, which is uncommon after a night of not-enough sleep. While pricey, I would definitely buy this again - it's potent, easy to use, and is the kind of product that yields results right away, making it perfect for the morning. </p><h2>Bottom Line</h2><p>Ultimately, I was impressed with how well Saturday Skin's products worked. If you're looking to revamp your whole skincare regimen, you can try a <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fstarlight-bright-P437681%3Ficid2%3Dsaturdayskin_theproducts_us_productcarousel_ufe%3Ap437681%3Aproduct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sample set</a> filled with some of the company's most popular products. If you want to treat yourself to a hydration boost before a special event, you can't go wrong with the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cotton Cloud Mask</a>. I loved the delicate cream and lightweight serum, but they are both relatively expensive. If you are deciding which to splurge on, I'd go for the <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bright Potion Serum</a>. Serums are generally more potent and penetrate the skin more deeply than moisturizers, so you'll really get your money's worth.</p><p>When it comes down to it, these products work - the pretty packaging is just an added bonus.</p><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shop all Saturday Skin products at Sephora</a></h3><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fbright-potion-probiotic-power-serum-P442962%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get the Bright Potion Serum, $51</a> </h3><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fproduct-pretty-pop-probiotic-power-whipped-cream-P442963%3F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get the Pretty Pop Whipped Cream, $57</a></h3><h3><a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fproduct%2Fcotton-cloud-probiotic-power-mask-P439925https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=2417&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sephora.com%2Fbrand%2Fsaturday-skin%3Ficid2%3Dproduct_link_brand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Get the Cotton Cloud Mask, $6</a></h3>  <p class="tagline"><p><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a><br><br>Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>.<br><br>Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.</br></br></br></br></p></p>

This Instagram-famous skin-care brand is more than just pretty packaging - here's why Saturday Skin's products are worth the hype

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Carlos Jasso</span></p><p class="caption">Discarded toys are seen amongst trash, on a beach near the high-income Costa del Este neighbourhood in Panama City September 10, 2013.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Every year, the world makes <a href="http://www.plasticseurope.org/documents/document/20150227150049-final_plastics_the_facts_2014_2015_260215.pdf">21 million tons of polystyrene</a>, the kind of plastic found in styrofoam cups, take out containers, CD cases, and packing peanuts.</p><p>Most of that ends up in landfills, in waterways, and on the streets - and stays there. Styrofoam isn't biodegradable, meaning that it can't be broken down or decomposed by bacteria or other organisms the way other trash can.</p><p>But a new discovery might help humans dig our way out of our massive pile of plastic trash. Researchers have found a tiny mealworm that can live off a styrofoam-only diet.</p><p>A larvae form of the darkling beetle has microorganisms in its guts that can biodegrade a type of plastic called polystyrene, <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdfplus/10.1021/acs.est.5b02663">according to two studies published in the Environmental Science and Technology</a>.</p><p>In other words, the mealworm is able to recycle this type of plastic using its natural processes.</p><p>"Our findings have opened a new door to solve the global plastic pollution problem," Wei-Min Wu, a co-author of the study, said in a press release.</p><p>Below you can see the mealworms chomping their way through a block of styrofoam.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/september/worms-digest-plastics-092915.html">Stanford University</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div>According to the <a href="http://news.stanford.edu/news/2015/september/worms-digest-plastics-092915.html">press release</a>, 100 mealworms could eat between 34 to 39 milligrams of styrofoam - about the weight of a small pill - a day. Wu told Tech Insider by email that the worms eating even make an audible "crunching sound."</p><p>"You can hear the sound in the evening even [if the] incubator contains only 30 worms," Wu wrote.</p><p>About 12 to 24 hours after eating styrofoam, the mealworms converted half of the styrofoam into carbon dioxide and passed the rest of the plastic as small droppings of biodegraded fragments.</p><p>You can see the droppings in the picture below.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Wei-Min Wu</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Wu said in the press release that the droppings appeared to be safe for use as soil for crops, though more research has to be done on how the droppings might affect other animals. The mealworms who only ate styrofoam were as healthy as those eating a normal diet of bran, according to the paper.</p><p>These styrofoam-eating mealworms aren't the only worms that can biodegrade plastics. Wu and other scientists have already discovered that waxworms, the larvae of Indian mealmoths, can also eat and biodegrade a type of plastic called polyethylene, <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es504038a">which is used in plastic bags</a>.</p><p>The researchers are also looking for marine animals that can biodegrade and digest plastic. Plastic waste is a real problem in the oceans. Plastic trash has accumulated in an area of the Pacific Ocean that's called the <a href="http://education.nationalgeographic.com/encyclopedia/great-pacific-garbage-patch/">Great Pacific Garbage Patch</a>. Fish can mistake plastic trash for food, especially exfoliating <a href="http://www.techinsider.io/nyc-wants-to-ban-microbeads-in-face-wash-2015-9">microbeads that are used in facewash,</a> which then collects in their stomachs, and eventually make it to <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2013/12/12/250438904/how-plastic-in-the-ocean-is-contaminating-your-seafood">your dinner plate</a>.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/how-get-rid-negative-thoughts-tim-wilson-psychologist-2015-5">A psychologist reveals how to get rid of negative thoughts</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="tiNjBldTrpDuXcOLfZiwRhWAXF-dQOQ7" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

These worms have a special power that could help fix our plastic problems

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>James Devaney/Getty Images</span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/microplastics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microplastics</a> - </strong></strong><strong>tiny plastic particles smaller than a sesame seed and often thinner than a human hair - are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/woman-swims-around-easter-island-19-hours-record-2019-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ubiquitous in our modern environment</a>.</strong></li><li><strong>They come from larger plastic debris that gets broken down, as well as microbeads in beauty products and microfiber towels.</strong></li><li><strong>A new <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> suggests people in the US eat about 200 of these tiny plastic pieces per day.</strong></li><li><strong>We don't yet know what these microplastics are doing to our bodies, but <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evidence suggests that eating food and drinking beverages out of plastic containers can mess</a> with our hormones, scramble our reproductive systems, and make us fatter. </strong></li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>Think for a second about what you have eaten today. Chances are, pieces of plastic aren't on your list.</p><p>But they should be. </p><p>A <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/acs.est.9b01517" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study published Wednesday in the journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology suggests</a> that microplastics - tiny, often invisible pieces of plastic - are in our water, food, air, and stomachs at alarming rates.</p><p>The researchers compiled data from 26 studies, looking at 3,600 samples of food and drink sources including seafood, salt, sugar, honey, beer, and water from the tap and bottles. They also looked at microplastic concentrations in the air, indoors and out. Then they calculated how much of these substances the average person eats and breathes in every day, based on recommended dietary intakes, consumption data from the Department of Agriculture, and estimates from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).</p><p>Their numbers suggest that Americans take in between 203 and 312 bits of plastic every day, depending on our age and sex.</p><p>Over time, that adds up: The average American woman may ingest around 98,000 tiny plastic particles every year, while the average man consumes 121,000.  </p><p>Bottled water drinkers have it the worst. They ingest about 86,000 more microplastics per year than people who drink from the tap. That's an extra 236 small plastic particles every day.</p><p><span>Scientists aren't yet sure what health risks these microplastics pose for humans, but here's what we know so far.</span></p><h2>Yeah, we eat and drink plastic. So what? </h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/democratic-presidential-candidate-senator-barack-obama-and-news-photo/81018252?adppopup=true">Charles Ommanney/Getty Images</a></span></p><p class="caption">Democratic presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama (D-IL) and his wife Michelle eat a cheesesteak and fries during a campaign stop at Pat's King of Steaks April 22, 2008 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p><span>The most common microplastics we eat are fibers (like those from microfiber cloths), but we also take in plastic fragments, plastic granules that <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">can be as big as sesame seeds</a>, and tiny bits of foams and films. Plastic even comes</span><span> into our noses. </span></p><p><span>"Unless coughed or sneezed out of the mouth or nasal openings, inhaled particles will either enter the digestive system via mucociliary clearing or remain trapped in the lungs," the researchers said in the study.</span><span></span></p><p><span>The World Health Organization says there isn't yet enough evidence to conclude that microplastic particles are hurting us, since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-drinking-plastic-does-to-your-body-2018-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">so little data is available</a>. But research conducted in other creatures does not look good. Evidence shows that microplastics hurt sea life and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29529442" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slow down growth</a> and reproduction rates in fish. </span></p><p>It's not yet known whether the tiny particles are dangerous for us on their own, but scientists do know that they contain toxic chemicals that have been shown to have detrimental health effects.</p><p>One category of these <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chemicals</a> is phthalates, which are found in plastic packaging. At least one phthalate can cause cancer, according to the <a href="https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/chemicals-and-contaminants/phthalates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">US National Institutes of Health</a>. Phthalates can also mess with our ability to make babies and can impair normal child development. Over the past five decades, sperm counts have plummeted: Researchers have found that <a href="https://academic.oup.com/humupd/article/23/6/646/4035689" target="_blank" rel="noopener">men today produce about half the sperm they did in the 1970s</a> across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. There is some initial evidence this trend <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5242098/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may be linked to more plastic use</a>. P<span>lasticizing chemicals </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26385792" target="_blank" rel="noopener">may also be linked</a><span> to decreases in male testosterone levels. </span></p><p>Microplastics also contain the chemical BPA, which is often used in the lining of canned foods and drinks. <span>A survey conducted in 2013 and 2014 by the </span><a href="https://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Centers for Disease Control</a><span> suggested that 95% of US adults have detectable levels of BPA in their bodies.</span> There's evidence that this BPA exposure can make our bodies turn more calories into fat rather than muscle, and can make our fat cells larger. </p><p><span>"BPA exposure may explain nearly 2% of all obesity in 4-year-olds," Leo Trasande, a pediatrician and public-health researcher at NYU Langone Health who was not involved in the new study, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Business Insider</a>. </span><span></span></p><p>In a best case scenario, any chemicals in microplastics will simply pass through our bodies without causing damaging effects. But even if that is the case, we are not safe from the harmful effects of plastic on a larger scale.</p><h2>Chemicals from plastics are a problem on their own</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/kathycsus/4311836838/">Flickr/Kathleen Franklin</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>Transande said that because research about the health effects of microplastics on humans is still so preliminary, it's hard to know whether the amount we're consuming is a problem.</p><p><span>"There's very little one can actually take away from this particular study," he said. "I can't tell you what these microplastics do. They may get excreted in feces, they may get absorbed into the human body."</span></p><p>But chemicals like phthalates and BPA pose a risk to people who consume food or liquid stored in plastic, regardless of whether or not they ingest any microplastics.</p><p><span>"Yes, microplastics are a rising concern for human health, but when it comes to the effects of plastics in food and in health, there already are many substantial health concerns known about the chemicals that absorb into food directly<em>,</em>" Transande said. "We really should be focusing on action to limit contact of food and water with chemicals commonly found in plastic."</span></p><p><em><strong>Read More</strong></em>: <em><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/endocrine-disruptors-dangerous-chemicals-2019-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A toxic-chemicals expert is sounding the alarm about 4 cancer-linked chemicals that could be making us sicker and fatter</a></em></p><p>Transande added that he recommends people avoid dishwashing or microwaving any plastic containers, because the heat can cause toxic, endocrine-disrupting chemicals to leach out into what we eat. Opt out of plastic packaging and storage containers when possible, he said, and throw kitchen plastics away when they become etched or scratched. </p><h2>The new numbers could be low estimates</h2><p>More research on microplastics is still needed, and there are some important caveats to note about this study. For one, the researchers only estimated how many microplastics we ingest - they didn't measure the concentrations inside people's bodies. So it's possible their counts are off.</p><p>The team's totals are also not comprehensive. They did not calculate how many microplastics people take in from some common everyday foods like meat, grains, and vegetables, for example, because there isn't much information available about the microplastic concentrations in those (data is better for things like seafood and water). The studies we do have suggest foods like chicken contain <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29074893?dopt=Abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener">detectable amounts of plastic.</a></p><p>What's more, the researchers didn't include estimates for any additional microplastics that may get added during food preparation, and they didn't consider the microplastics that might accumulate on top of food while it's sitting out waiting to be eaten either. </p><p>So the authors cautioned that, if anything, their numbers are underestimates.</p><p>In reality, our "<span>annual microplastic consumption could exceed several hundred thousand," the researchers said. </span></p><p><span>Whatever the real total is, the only way to reduce it is to produce and use less plastic overall. This would lead fewer tiny pieces of microplastic to accumulate in the environment, and would ensure that humans consume less of the toxic chemicals found in plastic products in general. </span></p><p><span>"It speaks to reducing the use of plastic materials in your daily life when it comes to contact with food, period," Transande said of the new research. "Because ultimately the reason that we're seeing microplastics in the environment is the ubiquitous use of plastics."</span></p>     <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bpa-plastic-containers-bad-health-risks-obesity-heart-disease-diabetes-2019-2">A molecular biologist warns chemicals in plastic can seep into food and lead to major health effects like obesity, heart disease, and diabetes</a></h3>        <div>                    </div>    </div>

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