Recent studies find that small, plastic microbeads are found in personal hygiene products such as face washes, toothpastes, and shower gels. The reason these abrasive beads are placed into these products are for the desired 'scrub' that people desire in order to really polish their teeth, eliminate dead skin, and wrinkles. However, these particles, when finally washed down the drain, completely bypass the water treatment systems and are exposed to the natural waterways of lakes, oceans, and etc. Aside from poor fish eating them, thinking it is food, these particles cause some severe environmental damage. Upon entering the oceans, lakes, rivers, and other bodies of water, the beads are considered to be microplastic marine debris, which can stay in water habitats for decades. However, measures have been taken to prevent this from further ecological damage. 18 states in the U.S., Canada, and Europe have either agreed or prosed the idea of banning all microbead incorporation in hygienic products. The overall issue of plastic in the environment still persists. This is proven by the staggering amounts of money in environmental damage, which is a whopping $13 billion a year. Several companies have already pledged to eliminate their usage of the microbeads in their products, such as Johnson and Johnson, Crest, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, L'Oréal, and Colgate- Palmolive. This ongoing problem has received promising growth of awareness as well as corporate initiative, but is still an enormous task to take ahold of.