It seems like every week, some seemingly good-for-you item, used by millions of people every day, turns out to be harmful or at least not what it's cracked up to be. Most recently a certain kind of toothpaste and artificial sweeteners have joined the list. So we decided to check out some everyday practices and see how they can help or hurt.
First Up: Toothpaste (With Microbeads)
A few years ago, Phoenix-area dental hygienist Trish Walraven started noticing that many of her patients who used a type of Crest toothpaste had blue flecks of what appeared to be plastic in their gum lines, reported the The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
After removing them, their origin was discovered: decorative microbeads used to make toothpaste more appealing.
The small bits are made of polyethylene, which is also used in grocery bags and bullet-proof vests. You can actually find polyethylene in the ingredient list of your toothpaste if it contains microbeads. Proctor & Gamble, who make the brand Crest, have announced that they'll stop using the ingredient.
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