Plastic microbeads, commonly used in facial scrubs and other personal care exfoliating products, could be nixed by New York City lawmakers as early as next year, which means spas in the city would need to stock eco-friendly alternatives if the bill passes.  To date, nine U.S. states, most recently California, and four New York counties have adopted laws to ban microbeads, although no law has been adopted for the state of New York at this point. However, the Big Apple's city council is making progress with a bill that would ban these tiny plastics used in personal care products and over-the-counter drugs within the city’s five boroughs starting Jan. 1, 2016. There are the three pieces of legislation currently in discussion with the New York City Council related to personal care products that contain microbeads: 1. Intro 928, a local law that would ban the sale of all personal care products that contain microbeads, which is supported by Attorney General Schneiderman. Read more at Skin Inc.