Not Everything that Glitters is Gold

Imagine you’re getting ready for a concert. You do your regular makeup routine but decide to add glitter for a little extra pizazz. To match the glitter on your face, you strap on some glittery boots to bring your outfit to the next level. Then, every day for the next week, you find specks of glitter that don’t seem to go away no matter how many times you shower. Some of the simple decisions we make, such as switching up a makeup routine, can be bad for our environment and for us. From fast fashion to single-use plastics, we are often encouraged by the media and the fashion world to prioritize style and ease over health—and glitter usage is a prime example.

Why glitter?

You may be asking yourself: Glitter? This is a valid question because the idea that something as fun as glitter could be harmful to our ecosystem or health may be surprising. However, glitter is coated with aluminum and made up of a plastic called polyethylene terephthalate (PET). PET is best known as the main chemical in the plastic bottles from which we consume water and our favorite soft drinks. Not every substance with a chemical name should concern you, but the implications of PET’s presence in products like glitter should be worrisome. 

The issue of glitter is representative of the larger problem of microplastics—a plastic that is less than five millimeters (or the size of an eraser) in length. As a result of larger plastics breaking down, microplastics accumulate in our ecosystems. Plastic does not decompose easily; while larger pieces of plastic are mechanically broken down, smaller pieces take an extremely long time to decompose chemically. Only a few organisms and chemical processes are capable of facilitating this decomposition. 

There are two types of microplastics: primary and secondary. Primary microplastics, like glitter, come into the consumer market fitting the definition of microplastics. Secondary microplastics come from larger plastics that break down to eventually become microplastics. Nearly everyone who has used glitter is aware that it can get everywhere and become difficult to remove. This is similar to the way that microplastics contaminate the Earth and can be very hard to target for decomposition. Since glitter is so small, it is much harder to separate out of our ecosystems than other pollutants. After you dispose of your glitter, it is likely to end up in landfills or washed into waterways where it can live for thousands of years. This means that every piece of glitter that has ever been made is still on our Earth in its original form. 

What are the real health impacts?

It took scientists decades to understand the harms of smoking because they had to observe user health patterns over long periods of time. Similarly, we seem to be in the “waiting stage” of understanding the harm of microplastics. Because plastic has only been in mass production since the 1950s, we don’t yet know the long-term health effects of its use. It is also challenging for scientists to test for the exact effects of microplastic exposure on the body. We are regularly exposed to a large amount of chemicals, which makes it difficult for researchers to specify chemicals that lead to certain conditions in humans. Additionally, it would be unethical to intentionally expose humans to microplastics for conclusive evidence. Regardless, several studies have shown that microplastics can appear nearly anywhere in our bodies, and this has untold implications on the reproductive health of both men and women. For example, across different studies, including one in 2020 conducted by Dr. Dick Vethaak, professor emeritus at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, in which microplastics were discovered in the placentas of pregnant women and in nearly every other tissue in the body, including the blood. Microplastics have also been found in the testicles which has the potential to affect male fertility. 

Although we are still unclear about the effects of microplastics in humans, studies have been conducted on other animals. In a cohort of studies, including one co-authored in 2023 by Dr. Alex Bond, Principal Curator and Curator in Charge of Birds at the National History Museum, microplastics were introduced into fish and birds which brought about changes in behaviors. In this study a new disease associated with plastic ingestion called plasticosis was discovered, characterized by scarring in the digestive tract which can make it harder for animals to get nutrients and leave these animals vulnerable to infection. According to a report produced by the World Economic Forum in 2016, there is already expected to be more plastic than fish by weight in the ocean by 2050, and this problem is exacerbated by pretty but unnecessary microplastics such as glitter made with PET. 

So, what does this mean for our health? PET has not been shown to be an endocrine disruptor itself, but it has been shown to increase concentrations of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, chemicals that interfere with the endocrine system, when it is used for storing food and beverages, such as in water or soda bottles. When PET containers are reused for drinks, it increases the migration of bisphenol A (BPA), which is a known endocrine disruptor and has been associated with reproductive diseases such as, but not limited to, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and infertility. It has also been shown to cause inflammation in some people when used in implanted medical devices, which implies that it may be dangerous to put into our bodies. Other plastics have different implications, and they can appear in everything from laundry detergent pods to coolers.

Moreover, it is apparent that Black people are bearing an undue proportion of the plastic burden. Black people are more likely to buy plastic products and subsequently reuse them. This  increases the probability that unwanted microplastics will make their way into their bodies.  Additionally, Black people are also more likely to live near landfills where microplastics can make their way into the waterways or pollute the ecosystems. This makes being cognizant of plastic consumption and its unknown implications even more important for the Black community.   

What has been done about microplastics?

Many states across the US have taken the initiative to ban some forms of primary microplastics. In 2014, Illinois led the charge for this change by banning the use of a microplastic subgroup called microbeads. Microbeads are commonly used as an exfoliant in products such as soaps and cleansers. In 2015, the rest of the country followed suit when Congress passed the Microbead-Free Waters Act of 2015. This law, which bans the use of microbeads in certain instances, has been in full effect since 2019. However, the law has a loophole. It is specific to personal care products, and that means glitter is exempt. Outside of the United States, other countries have taken steps to curb the use of glitter. In 2023, the European Union began measures to ban plastic glitters from being distributed. The rollout of this law started with loose glitter and will transition to include rinse-off cosmetics by 2027, leave-on cosmetics in 2029, and all glitter-containing make-up and nail products in 2035. 

What can I do about microplastics?

Although sparkle made with PET is the most common option on the market, it is not the only one you have as a consumer. Other viable choices include mica powder, which is composed of 37 different minerals and provides shimmer without many of the harmful effects of glitter. There are also other biodegradable glitters on the market that have shorter lifespans in our ecosystem. It is noteworthy to mention that there are several beauty products on the market that do not use glitter or microplastics. These products can be identified by reading labels or referencing websites like the Non-Toxic Black Beauty Database published by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. 

However, it is clear that glitter is not the only microplastic present in our lives. So how can you reduce the impact that other microplastics have in your life?

• If you frequently use plastic storage containers for your food, switch to glass or stainless steel, and try to drink out of fewer plastic bottles. If you do use plastic containers, avoid scratching them, cleaning them in the dishwasher, or reheating your food in them. 
• When buying new clothes, run them through the wash before you wear them for the first time.  
• Try to reduce your use of plastic in general, especially disposable plastic. 

It is unlikely that microplastics will be going away any time soon. Now, rather than later, is the optimal time to start minimizing your contact with microplastics and trying to avoid the unknown implications that exposure may bring. All in all, it is important to be an informed consumer—to understand how the little choices we make affect our bodies and the world around us.