All That Glitter Is Not Goals- Effect of Glitter Products On Our Environment

by Expertish

You probably remember that night concert or a party you attended with the shimmering faces and sparkling makeup. Right from the face mask to the makeup these tiny specks in the glitter cosmetics let you glow but without your notice, they cause some damage too. The glitters in cosmetic is just a smart-move of various brands to grab your attention but these very products cause you and the environment long-term issues. After the microbeads, now it’s time for these glitter cosmetics to head their way out of the beauty world. Here are few reasons as to why the twinkle glitter proves dangerous in various ways.

Looks Over Quality: Never!!
Most of us will agree that we have applied a glittery facemask and took a snap or posted an Insta-Story. When you buy these glitter cosmetics, what you first think of is it’s going to look better than your regular mask. And that’s what certain brands do. They create an illusion for you. Many experts have themselves told that the glitter is just to create a unique look and does nothing but improves the aesthetic appearance of the mask. The makeup with glitters is nothing different than the normal product except that it adds some sparkle to your face. What this glitter is made of is a plastic layer coated with a reflective layer of some metal like aluminium which is toxic. This means, we are compromising on the quality of the cosmetics merely for the looks. This is a little unusual that we care how this mask we put on in our washroom just for 20-25 min needs to look unique and we need to put a full stop on this thought process.

Are You Spending Wisely??
Now when you go through the store to look for these beauty products, you land on these glitter cosmetics. They have caught your attention and here you are, ready to spend your money on them even if it gets your wallet empty! We know that the regular products have quite a reasonable price and won’t exceed our budget but we still can’t resist to spend to the glitter cosmetics. With those glitters comes the extras like the adhesive glue because normal eyeshadow bases won’t be sticky enough to keep the glitter from falling. Or you may need a glitter primer to stick the glitter. By the time we realize all this, we have already bought everything we are made to believe we need.

Glitter is after all plastic, which can cause irritation if you have a sensitive skin. Moreover, the material is really abrasive and rough on the skin. And if the glitter gets into you eye, don’t even think of rubbing it off as it may actually cause the cuts you were trying to avoid. 

Glitter Is New Plastic Pollution 
Consider a big plastic sheet being layered with a reflective material and then trimmed into micro pieces. This is what glitter cosmetics have in them. Now that we know this glitter is nothing but a plastic that cannot be recycled and is really toxic, what harm is it doing to environment? Basically, when we remove the makeup or drain down the face mask, these tiny pieces get washed away in the drain. These are so small in size that they can’t be stopped by the sewage mesh and get washed into rivers and oceans. That is where the real problem starts. These pieces act as a bed for other chemicals in the water bodies. They create toxins which are harmful for animals and humans likewise. 

Most of the time, we dump these products and they end up in the dumping yards which eventually lead to land and soil pollution. Not just the face wash with microbeads was creating problems but your glitter cosmetics like the eyeshadow and these trendy highlighters are killing the environment. When we know the situation all the world related to pollution and plastic wastes, is it really worthy to do more harm!? The best way to deal with our obsession of blingy things and to take care of the environment at the same time is by buying products which have biodegradable glitter or synthetic mica which will serve the purpose without putting the nature at stake

Is There A Flipside?!
You don’t want to harm the nature but you also don’t want to loose this sparkle, then there is something else for you. Shift from conventional glitter to more environment friendly options. There are few brands that do have a cellulose based glitter that is actually biodegradable. Moreover, if you really don’t feel a need of the glitter cosmetics, you always have an option for regular products. You should always look for such cosmetics that are good for you and free from chemicals and plastics. When you look for a good brand of cosmetics, the one who sells less or no chemicals and plastic-free products is the best.

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