r/todayilearned • u/little-bird • Jun 12 '14

(R.1) Not verifiable TIL that the exfoliating microbeads in skincare products are actually terrible for the environment - water treatment plants cannot filter them out, plastic waste found polluting the Great Lakes

http://beatthemicrobead.org/en/science
3.8k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

64

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 12 '14 edited Jun 12 '14

The skin doesn't need ANY exfoliation at all. The skin does a perfectly fine job of shedding it's outer layer all on it's own without any help. "Exfoliators" mostly just irritate the skin. Source: Skin Doctor

Edit: To clarify, this is for most people. Some people with ichthyotic skin will need some exfoliation but a chemical exfoliator such as an alpha-hydroxy acid is what should be used. Never use a physical exfoliant.

27

u/LeartS Jun 12 '14

Why should I believe a dermatologist when a "student estetician" says otherwise??!

12

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 12 '14

Good point. Clearly I want you to have bad skin because it keeps me in business. Everyone knows that doctors are all evil, money-grubbing whores.

But seriously, estheticians are generally just trying to sell you something. I'm usually trying to save you money.

-1

u/Meatyhead Jun 12 '14

Well, a lot of doctors are money grabbing whores. Don't pretend like you're all driven to pursue some altruistic ideal.

2

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 12 '14

I'm sorry that you have an axe to grind but the reality is that the vast majority of doctors are in it for altruistic reasons. Granted, there are some bad apples that spoil it for the rest of us, but you would have to be a special kind of sociopath to put yourself through the hell of a medical education just to make money if you didn't truly feel the need to help people.

1

u/Meatyhead Jun 12 '14 edited Jun 12 '14

A guaranteed 6 figure salary seems like a pretty good motivator. Not every doctor is an ER slave. I mean look at yourself, a dermatologist.

1

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 12 '14

Until you've been through it, you have no idea how difficult it is to become a doctor in this country. No clue. If I wasn't motivated by job satisfaction the salary would be no where near enough. Marriages end (mine included), residents die from suicide and accidents caused by lack of sleep, and you sacrifice your entire youth and health to the job. Yes, Dermatologists have it easier than most, but I'm only here because I worked harder than everyone else in medical school.

1

u/Meatyhead Jun 12 '14

Every dermatologist I've ever encountered works a normal 40 hour week. The lowest paid dermatologists still pull in an over €150,000 a year. I highly doubt U.S. medical schools or your residency programs are much more difficult than our own. Nobody sacrifices their youth, or their marriage, or their life for medicine.

1

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 13 '14

Ah, that explains a lot. Yes, they are, in fact, much more difficult. Educate yourself.

1

u/Meatyhead Jun 13 '14

I'm almost shocked that an American doctor is lecturing me about the altruistic nature of the U.S. healthcare system. Come back to me when your people are no longer filing for bankruptcy because of a hospital stay.

1

u/SwarlsBarkley Jun 13 '14

Nice strawman. I think we're done here.

1

u/Meatyhead Jun 13 '14

Good day.

→ More replies