this post was submitted on 29 Apr 2024
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Showerthoughts

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A "Showerthought" is a simple term used to describe the thoughts that pop into your head while you're doing everyday things like taking a shower, driving, or just daydreaming. A showerthought should offer a unique perspective on an ordinary part of life.

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

A few years ago there was a brand in some shops with literal pearls of something suspended in the gel.
Not very unlikely they were just plastic pearls.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 8 months ago

Its not even a decade ago. Its closer to 5 years ago that they got banned

[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago

It is as Benjamin Franklin once said: "Life is microplastics, it's micro-fantastic."

[–] [email protected] 13 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Hold up- when I read micro infiltrated blood, Intuit breast milk, glaciers etc, I pictured microscopic. You're telling me plastic materials large enough to see and feel are what they're referring to?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 8 months ago (1 children)

As I understand it, there's a range of sizes that are problematic, from small to micro to nano and beyond.

The problem is the more plastic we make, and the smaller it starts, the easier it is for it to get worn down into smaller and smaller bits that become more problematic for us.

One of the problems with all the macro plastics in the ocean is that that as they get churned up and baked in the UV from the sun, smaller and smaller bits break off and become part of the... Everything.

Micro plastics are so prevalent that they can't even do proper studies on how harmful it might be to us, because there are no control groups that have no plastics inside their bodies to compare against. Even babies in the womb have plastic in them. You have plastic in you right now, almost a 100% guarantee.

There's probably more to it than that even, but that's my understanding of it.

[–] [email protected] 10 points 8 months ago

Ahhh.. that whole, plastic seeps into your possessions thing... That might be the ocean, not the hot soup in your nalgene. Man.. there is a lot of macro in the ocean to break down. I've been following environmental news and science for almost 35 years and I keep learning new and exciting shitty things for the first time. It only gets worse!

[–] [email protected] 31 points 8 months ago (3 children)

My dentist recommended me a stupid toothpaste called "Pearls & Dents" which also contained literal plastic balls. Such a stupid and corrupt person. I believe Dentists are paid by Elmex in germany too.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I asked my doc if my toothpaste is good. He said the ingredients look sane for tooth care.

spoiler

If someone is in Germany and cares about the brand:
Dental Delight.
My choice of flavor: Polar Punch

That docs can be a bit skewed towards a sponsoring brand is not unlikely though.
I mean every lrofession is suscepticle to it...

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Genuine question, what's the purpose of putting plastic balls in a tooth paste? Texture or something?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

Most toothpaste contains abrasives. Look in the ingredients list on your toothpaste, it's likely silica.

The point of using plastic is because the petrochemical industry makes money if they use plastics.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Something with cleaning. Bullshit.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Abrasives. Same thing as charcoal. Tiny hard particles help remove gunk when you brush them against something.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Got it, thanks!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

They are. I went through pre-med for my postmortem science degree and am still close with my doctor/dentist friends from the program. They get kickbacks from companies if they successfully sell a brand. Sometimes the results are great, like Wakix (my Narcolepsy medication that actually helped), but other times, it's a garbage product. If the medical professional has a fancy pamphlet or offers you coupons for the product, that means the company is paying them.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Do you have you pay for medication in Germany?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

Yesn't.

In short: It depends on what meds and your current situation.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago

I'm in the USA, where you do pay, but the companies hawk drugs and other products anywhere that they can get approved by the government drug administration

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

I was once offered a job peddling prescription drugs to GPs on behalf of several manufacturers. These marketing companies are mass-interviewing, you know. And so, there's never a shortage of these hawkers.
Ever wondered why you have to sit in the waiting room for a full hour when your appointment is scheduled at 8? Your doctor is talking to salespeople.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 8 months ago

"Now with the cleansing power of asbestos!"

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (2 children)

There is a bar soap currently for sale that does that

[–] [email protected] 4 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is it advertised with plastic in it or just an abrasive? I have a scrub that contains walnut shell to exfoliate the skin

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

Not sure. Doesnt have a rough texture so may be plastic microbeads. Havent seen any upclose as theyre colormatched to the bar which reinforces the plastics theory

[–] [email protected] 8 points 8 months ago (3 children)

Well, ain't that old fashioned - bar soap! I can remember my Mother and Grandmother making soap every fall at home. Stuff could take the hide right off you some years, but you got clean for sure. It also made a fine laundry soap too. I can remember watching my Mother shave slivers of it off into the washing machine when I was little.

But thanks for reminding me, I need to put bar soap on my shopping list. I need to also order another puck of shaving soap too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Is bar soap really considered old fashioned now?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

In a tongue in cheek manor - kind of. If you go actually look at the shelves when you go to buy some soap, you will find all kinds of liquid and foaming soaps/body washes that promise all kinds of things to make you cleaner and more radiant and smell better. And those tend to populate the eye level shelves to make them easier to notice. And the bar soaps are tend to be on the lower shelves. Making them less noticeable and a bit harder to see.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Sounds like you need to make some soap this fall.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 8 months ago

I have made some soap when my Daughters were younger and still at home. Mostly so they could learn about what "the old days" were like when Dad and Mom were their age. Soap making is kind of expensive to do these days. A lot cheaper and easier to just buy a bar of soap from the store. But they had fun learning.

We taught our Daughters a lot of things that aren't commonly done these days. But were things we did everyday to have a normal life. Everything from gardening and canning to sewing to soap making to how to raise and kill and butcher an animal.

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