Micro Powders Inc. commercially launched its biodegradable exfoliant technology. Bioscrub (INCI: Polyhydroxybutyrate) is produced from naturally derived polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) powders via the bio-fermentation of sugars.
The scrub is an effective abrasive but does not irritate the skin. Also, it is stable in formulations. It is available in two particle sizes, 20PC and 50PC. Both Bioscrub 20PC and Bioscrub 50PC are characterized by thier irregular particle shape, which provides a higher degree of abrasion than a spherical particle shape. The particle size for 20PC has been carefully controlled with a maximum particle size of 20 mesh (840 microns), while the particle size for 50PC has been carefully controlled with a maximum particle size of 50 mesh (297 microns).
The new biodegradable scrub meets all environmental requirements of current and proposed microbead legislation, while providing the same high-performance exfoliation. PHB is characterized as readily biodegradable under OECD standards for marine and freshwater environments.