Just in time for Earth Day, CIDESCO has called on its global membership to help protect the environment by advising schools, students and makeup artists to use glitter made from non-plastic alternatives—an important move considering the number of students taking part in makeup training using the CIDESCO syllabus and examination.
Standard glitter typically used for dramatic and costume makeup designs is made from etched aluminum bonded to polyethylene terephthalate, a form of microplastic. When thrown away, microplastics are an ecological hazard to marine life in particular, often ending up in the stomachs of fish and birds. Pus, studies have shown that fish consumption of microplastics results in toxins further up the food chain.
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With the microbead ban finally taking shape, CIDESCO believes it’s time for authorities and brands in the beauty industry to take note of plastic-bonded glitters and act quickly to ban its use. “As a worldwide organization with a large number of members and students, we know that we can make a difference to our environment,” says CIDESCO president Anna-Cari Gund. “It is in our best interests to reduce plastic pollution as much as we can. Our appeal extends beyond our organization as we ask people to reconsider and re-educate themselves on the products that they are using.”
