Make-up, face and body care trends are changing very dynamically. One of the leading trends for several years now is glitter, also well known to all of us as glitter, which lovers of shine bright like a diamond use everywhere. After all, such a seemingly universal product can be added when decorating a manicure, when applying makeup, so that the image is unforgettable and even when leaving - for sure many have seen the sensational masks from Glam Glow.



A truly brilliant show of the Valentino collection took place in Rome spring-summer 2021, on which the faces of the models were generously strewn with sparkles, thus imitating a golden mask. This show made a splash.



But, in fact, few people think that all this glitter madness can not only produce a serious resonance, but also seriously harm the environment around us.

The thing is that glitter is a microplastic, since it is made from aluminum and non-degradable polyethylene terephthalate. For example, British biologists from Anglia Ruskin University conducted their experiment, during which they collected water, sediment and plants from the Glauven River, through which they were able to create artificial ponds in the laboratory. 6 types of cosmetic glitter have been added to each of these ponds. Already after 36 days, plants began to die in these "ponds", and the number of algae also decreased.

According to data published by Wikipedia, between 1989 and 2009, 4.5 million kilograms of glitter were produced. Just think about this figure! Now imagine that all this huge amount of glitter goes through the sewers into water bodies, rivers and lakes, and then into the seas and oceans, every time someone removes makeup.

That is why the scientific community in New Zealand is actively fighting for a complete ban on the use of all types of glitter in cosmetics. But even despite the fact that while the "cosmic glow" is not included in the list of "prohibited", progress does not stand still, and with conscious "brilliant" steps moves towards awareness in the consumption of cosmetics, as a result of which biodegradable glitter began to appear in different countries.

By the way, they can also be purchased in Russia. Isidalibra, an independent brand from St. Petersburg, produces friable glitter made from regenerated plant cellulose, which degrades in its natural environment and is 92% free of plastic (compared to conventional glitter).

Agree that this is already interesting! But ... now it is absolutely incomprehensible, who is who in the composition of our funds? If the packages with the products do not have any marks about which glitter are used in them, to understand this, you need to look into the composition - a "good" glitter should not contain styrene, acrylates and polyethylene terephthalates (Polyethylenterephtalat (PET)).

Fortunately, there are now safer alternatives for the planet - Mica or Synthetic Fluorphlogopite (mica and its synthetic counterpart), as well as Cellulose or Rayon (biocellulose).



Another alternative of the alternatives is the use of natural glitter substitutes. For example, mica, which is a completely natural, beautifully shining analogue that does not harm the planet.

By the way, they learned to synthesize mica artificially in laboratories (which avoids the inhumane use of child labor in mines) and completely decomposes. To understand whether the composition contains natural or synthesized mica, you need to search in the composition - mica, synthetic mica, synthetic fluorphlogopite.

Organic glitter is also produced from a special cellulose film obtained from vegetable cellulose, which, in turn, is extracted from organic raw materials. In the composition of such a glitter, look for - Cellulose (cellulose), Rayon (biocellulose).

Of course, most of the glitters on the cosmetic market today still contain microplastics. But if, after reading this article, you are seriously thinking about the importance of this topic, if you want to continue to do your favorite shiny makeup or manicure not to the detriment of the environment, I highly recommend paying attention to brands that produce biodegradable glitter - NYX, Isidalibra, Sleek, In Your Dreams, Ecostardust.