evidence: Plastic bags and containers, which never biodegrade, are made of PE. PE also is found in face and body scrubs in the form of tiny beads that add texture and boast exfoliation properties.2 The same ingredient is in our toothpaste, primarily the Crest brand. PE is found in other toothpaste brands but mixed with other ingredients, such as triclosan, zinc citrate, SLS and polyethylene glycol.3 Without a molecular biology background, I was a little out of my element trying to read about these ingredients and understand their composition. [...] The colored polyethylene (PE) specks used in our oral care products are safe, FDA approved food additives. They are used in chewing gums and are commonly used in toothpastes … There is no evidence from clinical studies or from on-going monitoring to indicate that these particles persist underneath the gumline or cause harm. We've already begun the process of identifying alternatives for use in our toothpaste and the PE specks will be replaced as soon as alternatives are qualified. In addition, we have decided not to introduce microplastic beads into any new product category.4