Microbeads are tiny pieces of plastic (5μm to 1mm in size) that do not dissolve in water which are commonly found in exfoliators, toothpastes and rinse-off skincare products. The US banned the use of microbeads in 2017 and as part of the 2019 National Waste Policy Action Plan Australia committed to phasing out the use of microbeads in rinse-off products but they are still used around the world in cosmetics and cleaning products.
Fact checked by Lottie Dalziel, Director of Banish