Glitter - Does it have to be Cosmetic grade?

Ok wait!! Before you cut me down with you comments
Now I KNOW that the loose glitter you put on someone should be cosmetic grade....

But what about glitter gels?
I was looking into making some glitter gels and non-cosmetic glitter is so much cheaper!

It isn't as though I would be using it as eye liner lol...

What do you all think?

I thought I would share with you something that happened at a gig of mine last week. A little girl was watching her brother get painted, when I finished with him I asked her if she would like to have her face done. Her mum said she hasn't had her face painted in two years! I asked if there was a reason and she told me that the very first time her daughter had got her face painted they had had used craft glitter. When she rubbed her face, as kids often do, some of the coarse pieces of glitter got into her eye. She ended up in hospital with a scratched cornea!!!
I felt so bad for her, I told her that all of my products were cosmetic grade and eve poofed some glitter on her hand to show how fine it was. She ended up letting me paint her a butterfly face. I made it extra special for her and she went away one happy little girl.
I guess my point is that although there are cheaper products out there, is it worth risking a childs eyesight or other injury. Not in my opinion, I like to know that what I am using is the safest product available.

Poor little one...

Yeah, I agree for the loose glitter, that needs to be cosmetic grade.

But glitter gels aren't going everywhere like the loose glitter, right?
It becomes more of a paste and where it goes it pretty much stays... right?

If it isn't cosmetic grade (polyester, etc.) then it could be metal.

Therefore sharp edges. Even in a gel it could cause irritation to the skin. If the metal contains nickel it could irritate people with nickel allergies. A.so the pigments and dyes used can also be irritants. This stuff is NOT meant for use on the skin, period.

If it isn't a cosmetic glitter gel then is it glitter glue?

And FYI... I, myself, was injured by cosmetic glitter... Someone (who shall remain nameless) painted me at a convention and at the urging of one of her offspring glittered me horribly... when I removed it I did it the way I would usually remove face paint... however, that caused the glitter to scour my face... I had a two inch patch of skin on my forehead that was oozing and painful for a couple of days.

You know, deep down I already knew the answer to this question. It just sucks how expensive cosmetic grade glitter is compared to he craft kind.

I was wondering if it's polyester glitter if it's safe for skin? since that's what cosmetic grade glitter is. Before I purchased cosmetic glitter for the tatts I had always used polyester glitter. What is the difference? it sure looks the same as some of the cosmetic glitter I purchased.

That is true, huh....
If it would be polyester glitter does that make it ok for a gel or the face?

The problem with glitter gel is that the gel dries, leaving the glitter behind. So what happens when that newly abandoned glitter begins to flake off from where you put it? That would be about the time we'd revisit the story of the little girl with the scratched cornea. My customers pay me the prices they do because of the training I had, the skills I have and the investment I've made into ensuring that I only use the highest quality of materials. Yes, glitter costs a pretty penny, but so do medical bills and lawsuits. If it's intended for a craft, only put it on a non-living craft type item. Craft glitters are manufactured in environments that many cosmetic companies would run away from and the environment that cosmetic grade paints are made in would drive up the bottom-line of the companies that make bucks producing $1-$2 craft glitter.

You can probably save money by only making one or two colors of glitter gel, but you don't want to skimp on the safety of your customers.

The material the glitter is made from, how it's coated and how/where it's cut are what makes it safe. Rough/sharp cut poly glitter can still be highly abrasive and dangerous.

just order a pouch of glitter say from Metina or Jody Rogers of Signature Tattoos. I use it to refill by glitter for tatts and for the face

If you look up recipes for home made body glitter gels...which I have never made nor ever used, but, they say use polyester glitter. I have used the glitter gels cosmetic grade and they can still get smeared so, I would not use the craft ones at all. Shannon is right some are made with metal. My daughter bought some glitter the other day at hobby lobby called fairy dust which she thought is what I used ( so cute) ...it looked the same to her. It actually had glass pieces in it. Could you imagine? That would hurt like crazy.

I used the glitter gels for a long time cause I had a painter to poof glitter into my daughters eyes accidentally. It made them red, but fortunately it was cosmetic grade so it only lasted a while. If that was metal craft glitter then it would have been a very bad situation.

I know it is a bummer. Craft glitter is WAY cheaper.

I just bought some glitter from coastal scents and it was way cheap- $3.49. I wish I could show you how much you get for this price, but I have camera issues atm. It's a bunch though, easily 1/3 CUP! And the particle size is super small- .004 where most of the glitters we buy (if they do happen to list the particle size) are .008. And you can get all of thier products in sample size for about a buck. but get this- the sample size is enough to FILL my shimmer wand! So, while it is a bit more expensive than Wal-mart glitter, cosmetic glitter doesn't have to break the bank.

It isn't about the glitter being polyester or metal. It's sorta a no brainer these days to understand that metals can scratch the eye and are not for use on people. Of course too some polyester cuts are too sharp.

It is the pigment in the coloring. The pigment (aka paint) used to color the glitter must be cosmetic grade and can not contain heavy metals.

The glitters professional are required to use are polyester, cosmetic (colored) grade. I say required because if one is a professional you need to adhere to that level and standards of service.

If you're putting glitter into gel it still needs to be cosmetic grade as the coloring may come off and into the gel and it is still being used on the skin.