If a soap or scrub feels gritty, something had to make it that way. The question is what — and it turns out that answer says a lot about the brand behind it.
The microbead problem
For decades, the exfoliating grit in most face washes, body scrubs, and soaps came from microbeads — tiny plastic spheres, usually made from polyethylene or polypropylene, added specifically to create that scrubbing texture. They worked fine in the shower. The problem showed up after: microbeads are small enough to slip straight through wastewater treatment systems, meaning most of them never got filtered out at all. They ended up in streams, rivers, and eventually the ocean, where they're still turning up in water samples today.
In 2015, the U.S. passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act — a bipartisan bill that phased out plastic microbeads in rinse-off personal care products starting in 2017. It was a real win, but it came with real gaps. The ban only covers rinse-off products, so plenty of other personal care items are untouched, and enforcement since has been inconsistent — researchers have found some products still contain microbeads well after bans took effect. "Banned" doesn't always mean "gone."
The natural alternative
Ground walnut shell has been used as a natural exfoliant for a long time, for a simple reason: it does the same physical job as a microbead — creating gentle friction to slough off dead skin — without leaving behind a plastic particle that never breaks down. It's a byproduct of walnut processing, ground to a texture fine enough to exfoliate without being harsh.
We use ground walnut shell in our Hemingway's Library bar, not because we set out to make an environmental statement with it, but honestly, because we liked the way it felt and the warm color it gives the bar. It just so happens that the natural option was also the better one — which is usually how it goes with ingredients that don't need a loophole to justify themselves.
How to tell what's in your soap
If a product feels exfoliating, check the ingredient list for what's actually creating that texture. Natural options tend to have recognizable names — walnut shell, oatmeal, pumice, sugar, salt. If you see "polyethylene," "polypropylene," or another unfamiliar polymer name on a rinse-off product, that's a sign it may still be relying on plastic, ban or no ban.
Try it yourself
