Microbeads could make a comeback in exfoliating shower gels and face creams as scientists have invented an environmentally-friendly alternative.

The plastic beads are due to be banned later this year as they are too small to be removed by sewage filtration systems, meaning they end up in rivers and oceans where they are ingested by birds, fish and other marine life.

Microbeads, tiny spheres of plastic less than 0.5mm in size, are added to products such as face wash, sunscreen and toothpaste to give them a smooth texture.

Now engineers from the University of Bath's Centre for Sustainable Chemical Technologies have developed a biodegradable, renewable alternative type of bead.

The hope is that they could eventually be used in products after the ban on old-style beads is in place.