Bioglitter® clears both ISO 14851/14852 freshwater tests and TÜV Austria’s “OK biodegradable WATER” audit—meaning >90 % break-down in 56 days, proved in triplicate by an ISO-17025 lab with extra ecotoxicity screens. TÜV calls this seal “the highest level of its kind in the world,” so it’s widely viewed as the gold standard for showing a product really vanishes in rivers and lakes.
Water alone biodegrades the glitter?
Core principle: “No microorganisms = no biodegradation.” All ranges only start breaking down when environmental bacteria or other microbes are present along with moisture.
Shelf-life proof: In the dry jar—or in an alcohol or oil base—the particles stay intact for years because those cosmetic systems keep microbe counts near zero inside the packaging. The cleaner it's kept, the longer it will last.
So, whether it’s any version of loose glitter in a jar or future PURE & V3 in a pre-mixed gel, stability comes from the absence of microbes + water.
Natural water ≠ cosmetic-grade water?
Environmental water (rivers, lakes, soil run-off) teems with microbes, so when Bioglitter® ends up there it finally has both moisture and a robust bacterial community—biodegradation begins.
Inside the jar or a preserved formula the picture is very different: cosmetics are blended with purified or de-ionised water and must stay below about 1 000 colony-forming units per gram (500 CFU g-¹ for eye products) under global microbiological-safety rules; preservatives keep counts near zero. PMC
Bioglitter® itself is inert until both moisture and an active microbial load are present. Kept dry—or suspended in alcohol, oil or a well-preserved gel—it remains stable for years.
What is Styrene/Acrylates Copolymer?
This ultra-thin lacquer layer originally used in Sparkle V1 locks the microscopic aluminum film to the cellulose core while still passing all ISO 14851/52 biodegradability tests. HOLO, Sparkle V2 & V3 use even more nature-derived or EU-compliant binders (Pullulan in V2 & HOLO, Polyvinyl Butyral + copal in V3) to boost biodegradation speed, color-bleed resistance and solvent stability.
All essential for the sparkle of the aluminum to remain attached to the cellulose core.
(PURE does not have it because it does not contain the aluminum.)
Version-to-version differences?
SPARKLE V1 / V2 / V3 and HOLO – all share the same cellulose core; the newer version binders simply improve colour “bleed” resistance in water and solvents.
PURE – aluminium-free, with no laquer binders needed, but follows the same biodegradation trigger.
You don't use Sparkle V3 yet?
Sparkle V3 is Bioglitter’s newest metallic range, built to survive anything you throw at it, so it’s perfect for ready-made gels, polishes and liquid soaps. It’s also fully compliant with the EU’s 2023/2055 micro-plastic rule and remains brilliantly reflective thanks to its bleed-resistant lacquer. Right now V3 comes in just four classic shades—Silver, Platinum, Dark Gold and Copper. Our current Moon Shatter line focuses on coloful loose blends you mix with aloe or gloss bonder just before use to maximize versatility.
However, we are already prototyping lip-gloss wands and festival ready glitter paste, and when those formulas are ready, SPARKLE V3 along with PURE will headline the launch.
In short: limited colours and our “mix-your-own” philosophy keep V3 off today’s menu—but it’s front-of-queue for our next evolution.
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