Microplastics in Scrubs — Why the Kessa Glove is the Better Alternative

What are Microplastics in Scrubs?

Over 500 tons of microplastics end up in European waters each year from cosmetic products alone — a large portion of which comes from scrubs. Until the late 2010s, many body and face scrubs contained tiny plastic beads, known as microbeads, made of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), or polyethylene terephthalate (PET). They were popular because they are inexpensive to produce, provide a uniform exfoliating texture, and are easy to incorporate into formulations.

However, these particles — smaller than 5 millimeters — pass through wastewater treatment plants almost unimpeded. What you rinse off in the shower in the morning ends up in rivers, lakes, and finally the ocean via the wastewater cycle. There, they are ingested by marine animals, accumulate in the food chain, and ultimately reappear on human plates. Studies by Ghent University estimated that seafood eaters consume up to 11,000 microplastic particles per year.

The EU Ban 2023: What Has Changed?

On October 17, 2023, the most far-reaching microplastic regulation in the world came into force: EU Regulation 2023/2055 significantly restricts the use of intentionally added microplastics in products. For scrubs and rinse-off products, an immediate ban applies — anyone who manufactures or sells a scrub with plastic microbeads today violates European law.

This is a real milestone. But at the same time, the ban shows how long it took industry and regulators to react to something environmentalists had known about since the 1990s. Countless bathroom cabinets are still full of old products whose ingredients are not transparently declared anywhere. And many alternatives that came onto the market after the ban do not use plastic, but instead rely on synthetic abrasives like aluminum oxides or synthetic cellulose, whose environmental impact is also questionable.

The real problem with the EU ban: It only affects intentionally added microplastics. Microplastics generated by the abrasion of products — such as from detergents or tire wear — are not covered. Nevertheless, for the cosmetics industry, the ban is an important signal: mechanical cleaning without plastic is not only possible, it has always been the better choice.

How Microplastics Pollute Our Waters

The Alfred Wegener Institute detected over 1,400 microplastic particles per kilogram of sediment in German coastal waters — and that in regions considered relatively clean. But the consequences of microplastics go far beyond the visible:

• Bioaccumulation: Fish, mussels, and zooplankton mistake microplastics for food. Since plastic cannot be digested, it accumulates in tissues and moves up the entire food chain.
• Pollutant transport: Plastic particles act like magnets for hydrophobic pollutants — pesticides, PCBs, and other persistent organic compounds bind to the surface and are thus introduced into organisms in concentrated form.
• Hormonal disruption: Certain plastic additives like BPA and phthalates can act as endocrine disruptors, interfering with the hormone systems of animals and potentially humans.
• Persistence: Once in the environment, plastic remains for centuries. It merely breaks down into ever smaller particles — down to nanoplastics, which are even harder to filter and study.

What does all this have to do with your showering habits? Every time you use a scrub with plastic particles, you are literally flushing plastic into the water cycle. Yet there is an alternative that has worked for centuries — and has never needed a single gram of plastic.

The Kessa Glove: 1,000 Years of Mechanical Exfoliation

In Moroccan hammams, the Kessa has been the central body care tool for over a millennium — long before anyone thought of mixing plastic into cosmetics. The Kessa is an exfoliating glove made of woven viscose or synthetic viscose fabric, specially designed for its abrasive effect. The texture is rough enough to mechanically remove dead skin cells but gentle enough not to injure the skin.

The principle is strikingly simple: wet skin, steam for a few minutes or shower warmly, then gently rub the moistened Kessa over the body in circular motions. What comes off are not plastic particles — but the outermost layer of dead skin cells, the stratum corneum. The result after a single application can be surprising: the skin appears brighter, softer, and more circulated, and care products like body oils or moisturizers penetrate deeper.

What distinguishes the Kessa from modern synthetic exfoliating cloths: it is durable. A well-maintained Kessa glove lasts months to years. You don't need a disposable product, no reorders of plastic bead scrubs — buy it once and use it permanently. That is sustainable body care in the true sense of the word.

Kessa vs. Microplastic Scrubs: A Direct Comparison

Let's get specific. What distinguishes the Kessa from a conventional scrub with synthetic abrasives?

• Environmental Footprint
  The Kessa produces no microplastics, no special waste, no problematic wastewater. What goes down the drain after use are skin cells — biodegradable, completely harmless. A conventional plastic scrub, however, sends thousands of plastic particles into the water cycle with each application.
• Effectiveness
  Exfoliating beads glide over the skin instead of truly gripping it. The Kessa, on the other hand, works with friction — it "grips" the dead horny layer and lifts it off. Many people report after their first Kessa ritual that their skin feels softer after ten minutes of use than after weeks of using a conventional scrub.
• Cost
  A Kessa glove costs little once and lasts a long time. Scrubs need to be repurchased regularly, consume packaging, and add up to a significantly higher amount over a year. Sustainability and cost-effectiveness point in the same direction here.
• Skin Health
  Exfoliating with the Kessa stimulates blood circulation and activates the renewal of the epidermis. Since no synthetic fragrances, preservatives, or emulsifiers are washed off, the irritation potential is minimal. Especially for sensitive skin or skin prone to eczema, the purely mechanical method is often more tolerable than chemically abrasive alternatives.
• Ritualistic Quality
  A scrub from the drugstore is a product. The Kessa is a ritual. This sounds romantic but has real practical value: those who consciously take time for body care do it more thoroughly and regularly. Hammam culture means slowing down — and that has measurable effects on stress levels and skin appearance.

How to Use the Kessa Correctly

Most people using the Kessa for the first time make the same mistake: they use it too early. The secret lies in preparation — the skin must be sufficiently softened so that the horny layer can detach.

1. Prepare Skin (10–15 minutes)
   Shower warmly or bathe in hot water. The longer the skin is exposed to moisture and warmth, the better the horny layer will loosen. In a hammam, you sit in the hot area and let the steam work — at home, a long warm shower or bath is sufficient.
2. Apply Beldi Soap (optional, but recommended)
   Traditionally, before using the Kessa, black soap — Beldi soap — is applied to damp skin and left on for a few minutes. Beldi soap contains potassium hydroxide, which further softens the horny layer and enhances the exfoliating effect of the Kessa. Do not rinse — continue directly with the Kessa.
3. Moisten and Use Kessa
   Hold the Kessa briefly under water and rub it over your hand. Using medium pressure, stroke over the body in long, straight strokes — legs, arms, back, stomach. You will see small gray rolls forming: these are the dead skin cells that are detaching. This is normal and desired.
4. Face with Caution
   Facial skin is significantly thinner and more sensitive than body skin and reacts more strongly to mechanical stimuli. If you want to use the Kessa on your face, reduce the pressure considerably and limit the application to 1–2 minutes. Many prefer Ghassoul clay as a gentler facial exfoliating alternative: simply mix with water to form a paste, apply, let it sit, and gently rub off. For acne-prone or reddened skin, we recommend consulting a dermatologist before use.
5. Rinse and Moisturize
   After the Kessa ritual, rinse the skin with lukewarm water and immediately moisturize — the skin is particularly receptive after exfoliation. Natural body oils like argan or marula oil work noticeably more intensely after the Kessa than on untreated skin.

The Perfect Combination: Kessa, Beldi Soap, and Ghassoul

The Moroccan hammam ritual is not a single product — it is a system. Three components work together to achieve the complete cleansing and care that has made this ritual so effective for centuries:

This trio replaces a whole range of modern cosmetic products — scrub, cleansing foam, face mask, hair dye — and without a single synthetic additive. For people who want to simplify their cosmetic routine and at the same time avoid microplastics and plastic packaging, the hammam ritual is a complete answer.

Tebrima, the traditional Moroccan exfoliating powder made from ground diatomaceous earth and natural minerals, is another useful addition — especially for body areas that benefit from the mechanical action of the Kessa but need a milder introduction. Mixed with a little water or oil, it creates an exfoliating paste that is purely mineral and completely biodegradable.