09 Feb Take The ‘Litter’ Out of Glitter: Biodegradable Glitter at Your Fingertips

Become a part of the guilt-free glitter revolution!

Planning a little ones’ next birthday party? Or perhaps you’re piling tents, camping chairs and fairy lights into your hatchback and heading off to an offbeat music festival? Either way, you can do your bit to take the ‘litter’ out of glitter with the latest innovation in body art and crafts. Now you can shine bright like a diamond while keeping it environmentally conscious with vegan-friendly and cruelty-free biodegradable glitter.

Why the need for biodegradable glitter?
Plastic, which standard glitter is made from, has been polluting our oceans and desecrating our marine life for over 100 years. We’ve all seen the sobering images of turtles deformed by plastic six-pack rings, or with straws stuck in their nostrils. Even tiny specks of glitter, which never break down, find their way into the digestive systems of seals, penguins and coral – causing irrevocable harm. Eco-friendly citizens, and environmentalists, were just about done with glitter, until a group of creative conservationists conceived the idea of using natural products and compounds to make a biodegradable substitute. Thanks to them, glitter-lovers can still sparkle, but not at the expense of Mother Nature.

What is it made from?
Unlike normal glitter, made from the pesky plastic particles found in most grocery bags and drinking bottles, biodegradable glitter is produced from plant cellulose. This natural material is extracted from eucalyptus trees – one of the fastest and tallest growing plants on the planet. The ingredients used to make glitter shine are basic minerals and starches.

Biodegradable glitter is, holistically, a more conscious substitute. The eucalyptus found in the product is an antiseptic with antifungal and antibacterial properties, making it highly effective in treating skin conditions like acne and scarring.

Is it really biodegradable?
Yup. Biodegradable glitter is made from all natural goods – even the colours added to the specs of glitter come from the earth. So as soon as it makes contact with water, heat, oxygen and other microorganisms, the sparkly product will begin to break down. The speed of this process varies depending on whether you’re throwing shapes on a dancefloor in the middle of the Karoo desert or partying up a storm, closer to the coast. Weather conditions and climate play a huge factor, but producers of biodegradable glitter have gone to great lengths to ensure no hazardous material goes into the product. Because all the components are 100% natural and sustainably farmed, the glitter is safe for humans and animals to digest if accidental consumption ever occurred.

How do I apply and remove it?
Most biodegradable glitters are packaged as loose glitter, as opposed to the sticky glitter glue-type products sold for arts and craft purposes. This means that you’ll need to apply an adhesive to make sure the glitter stays on your face and doesn’t float away with the breeze. Many biodegradable glitters will stick to cream- or gel-based products like moisturizer, sunscreen or lip balm (un-petroleum jelly works well too). If you’d like to continue the natural way go for products like coconut oil, beeswax, aloe vera gel or shea butter.

When decorating your face, make sure to avoid your eyes, nose and mouth.

Removing the biodegradable glitter is super easy. Use some baby oil or an oil-based make-up remover to get the shimmering body art off. Again, when removing the biodegradable glitter, make sure to wipe up and away from your eyes to avoid the specks of glitter getting where they shouldn’t.

Where to go?
Right here. Biodegradable glitter has become extremely popular and is incredibly easy to find. Some of your favourite ethical cosmetic brands have made the switch from using plastic glitter in their products, to opting for biodegradable glitter. Mirror Moon has 15 different biodegradable glitter pots to pick from, as well as an aloe vera application gel.

We just love that looking good doesn’t come at a cost to the earth. So, let’s take this new found eco knowledge and be a part of the guilt-free glitter revolution.