I remember my sister telling me to use facial wash for acne with stuff like that in it. Thank fuck I've ADHD and never got a routine going with using it.
I used it because I never thought about how bad it would be for the environment. Switched to dissolving exfoliants like salt as soon as they were available though!
I’ve been buying face scrubs that have ground apricot pits in them. They are great. Just the right amount of abrasiveness and totally biodegradeable. These have been around for decades. The microbead shit was cheaper, I suppose. And maybe some squeamish people don’t like the brown grainy appearance of apricot pit scrub.