Turns Out That Bio Glitter Isn't That Bio After All
We are all about transparency - in case you didn't know that by know - and in the name of transparency we were excited to write a blog article on this amazing UK company that had created this bio, eco-friendly glitter. I mean, they even claim to be BPI certified - like, they literally had the logo on their product and website.
We were lacking that little somethin', somethin' in our bath salts and were we ever stoked to find out that we could add bio-glitter!!! Eco-friendly glitter, made of plant particles and that dissolve easily without harm to the environment. We ordered a HUUUUUUUUUGE amount and variety of glitter, perfected our bath salt recipes, and added the bling!
As a company sincerely dedicated to the purest products possible, with the least harm to the environment, we like to research the heck out of our blog topics. In all our research, we could not find any substantial proof that bio glitter in fact existed. (We'll get into the dirty details in a minute.)
In due diligence, we searched the BPI (Biodegradable Products Institute) site for our beloved manufacturer. However, to our surprise they weren't listed. That's not uncommon among smaller retailers and manufacturers, as sometimes the certified sites take time to update their lists.
We then reached out to the retailer themselves to let them know we couldn't find their certification and asked if they could get back to us to confirm their products are truly biodegradable. We got a response immediately that the according department would get back to us. We waited...and waited...we even waited a little longer, just to give them the benefit of the doubt. After a few weeks went by and we had not heard back from them, we chose to contact BPI directly in one last ditch effort - cause we really, really, like reallllllllly loved these glitters.
We quickly, like within 24 hours quickly, received a straightforward and brief e-mail from BPI stating, "We would never certify something like that."
Insert our hearts sinking here. It went a little something like this...
That was NOT the answer we were hoping to get! Now, while our bath salts will not involve any glitter, they are still 100% jam-packed with certifiable, natural ingredients and garnishes. From your first step into a Pampered Femme bath you will feel calm, rejuvenated and pampered. You will also rest at ease, knowing your skincare is completely natural and environmentally friendly.
The Nitty-Gritty | Why Bio Glitter Doesn't Exist
WHAT IS BIO GLITTER MADE OF? Bio glitter is made of plant cellulose. GreenMatters.com explains in further detail, "The first type of bio glitter, which resembles traditional loose glitter, is made with a core of eucalyptus tree-based modified regenerated cellulose (MRC), coated with aluminum, and then finished with a thin layer of plastic." You read correctly, while the basis for these glitters are plant-based, they are still finished in both aluminum and plastic - bleh! The second type of bio glitter comes from Mica and that is rooted in its own disastrous exploits.
HOW DOES BIO GLITTER HARM THE ENVIRONMENT? "All that glitters is litter" is sooooo well-coined, we wish we came up with it. ScienceDirect.com gets the credit for that one. They explain step-by-step the first study done on the effects of glitter in a freshwater ecosystem. Comparing four main types of glitter in New Zealand, over the course of 36 days, the results spoke for themselves. All glitters curbed the growth of plant-life as well as chlorophyll (with the exception of synthetic glitter), and increased an invasive species of snail. Clearly so-called bio glitter isn't absolved of destroying eco-systems.
ReconnectWithNature.org continues to explain the harmful effects on the environment. "Glitters are microplastics, tiny plastic particles less than 5 millimeters long that can harm aquatic life in our lakes, rivers and oceans. Most glitter is made from aluminum and a plastic called polyethylene terephthalate, or PET, according to Blue Ocean Society. PET is a lightweight plastic in the polyester family.
Plastic is the most abundant type of debris found in both our oceans and in the Great Lakes, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Because microplastics are so small, they are able to pass through water filtration systems and enter our waterways, where they pose a threat to aquatic species."
HOW CAN COMPANIES CLAIM THEIR GLITTER IS BIO? Marketing is a mastermind when it comes to manipulating and sugar coating terminology based on consumer demand and a client's goal. Sad but true, marketing outside the bounds of food is poorly regulated when it comes to labelling and transparency of ingredients. That's why so many companies claim to offer 100% Natural products, organic or otherwise, even if just 1% of what goes into their product is actually natural or organic. It's important to pay close attention to the products you buy and the retailers you buy them from.
THE PAMPERED FEMME PROMISE
In short, we provide you with the best, unadulterated natural products possible. One of the reasons we release our products one category at a time is because we want to know how they hold up over time, through shipping, and so on. They don't go onto our site until they have passed our ridiculously high standards.
We don't opt for marketing gimmicks, or inflated pricing, and keep the accessibility of our products in mind when selecting ingredients and packaging.
If you have any topics that you wish to know our stance on, just ask! We promise to do what we can to honour our bodies, the planet and society as a whole.
So, what are you waiting for? Get pampered!