The Shocking Truth: 5 Hidden Steps Revealing Exactly How Glitter Is Made (And Why It’s Changing)

Glitter is one of the world's most ubiquitous and yet mysterious creations. It is an assortment of flat, small, reflective particles that are precision-cut into a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, finding its way into everything from cosmetics and crafts to industrial coatings and clothing. As of today, December 18, 2025, the manufacturing process is undergoing a significant, urgent transformation, moving away from traditional plastic to plant-based materials to combat a growing environmental crisis.

The journey from a simple sheet of material to a dazzling, microscopic particle is a complex industrial process involving chemical coatings, high heat, and specialized cutting machinery. While the traditional method relies heavily on plastic and aluminum, the latest innovations point toward a sustainable future for the world's favorite sparkle.

The Surprising History and Core Materials of Modern Glitter

The modern-day glitter we know and love has surprisingly humble and accidental origins. Its invention is credited to an American farmer named Henry Ruschmann in New Jersey, USA, around the late 1930s or early 1940s. Ruschmann stumbled upon the idea while trying to find a way to dispose of scrap materials, leading him to develop a process for cutting up plastics and metals into small, reflective pieces. This accidental discovery led to the establishment of the first-ever glitter factory after World War II.

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The core of traditional glitter is a surprisingly simple laminate structure, but the combination of materials is what gives it its unique, persistent sparkle. The primary components are:

• Plastic Film (PET): The base material is typically a thin sheet of plastic, most commonly Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET), which is melted and formed into thin sheets, often called PET flakes.
• Reflective Coating (Aluminum): To achieve the signature mirror-like shine, a delicate layer of metal, usually aluminum, is applied to the plastic film.
• Color and Finish: The aluminum layer is then protected and colored using various pigments and lacquers.

The entire structure is essentially a multi-layered sandwich of plastic, metal, and color, which is then ready for the precision-cutting stage.

5 Essential Steps in the Traditional Glitter Manufacturing Process

The industrial production of traditional, plastic-based glitter is a highly specialized process that requires precision machinery to achieve the perfect reflective particle. It is a process of lamination, metallization, coating, and finally, cutting.

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1. Creating the Base Film (Lamination)

The process begins with the base material, which is often a large roll of PET plastic film. This plastic is first heated and then stretched into a very thin, flexible sheet. For certain types of glitter, like iridescent glitter, the film may be created with multiple layers—sometimes up to 233 layers—to achieve a unique optical effect before any coating is applied.

2. Vacuum Metallization

This is the step that provides the sparkle. The plastic film is transferred into a vacuum chamber where aluminum is heated until it vaporizes. The aluminum vapor then condenses onto the plastic film, creating an incredibly thin, mirror-like metallic layer. This process is called vacuum metallization and is crucial for creating high-reflective metallic glitter.

3. Coloring and Sealing

Once the reflective layer is in place, the film is coated with a layer of colored pigment or lacquer. This step determines the final color of the glitter, from deep reds to vibrant blues. A clear protective layer is often applied on top to seal the entire structure, protecting the color and metal from tarnishing, especially when the glitter is used in products like nail polish or body paint.

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4. The Precision-Cutting Stage

The entire multi-layered sheet, which can be hundreds of meters long, is then fed into a specialized cutting machine. This is arguably the most important step. The machine uses extremely sharp, precision blades to cut the film into tiny, uniform particles. The shape and size of the blades determine the final product, whether it’s a standard hexagon, a tiny square, or a decorative shape. The particles are typically measured in mils (thousandths of an inch) or microns, ranging from fine dust to chunky flakes.

5. Sieving and Packaging

After cutting, the glitter is not immediately ready. It must be sieved through various mesh screens to sort the particles by size and remove any dust or irregularly shaped pieces. This ensures a consistent, high-quality product. The sorted glitter is then packaged for distribution to various industries, from arts and crafts to the multi-billion dollar cosmetics market.

From Microplastic Menace to Eco-Friendly Sparkle: The 2025 Innovation

The biggest and most important development in the glitter industry today is the shift away from traditional plastic-based glitter. Since PET plastic does not degrade, every single piece of traditional glitter ever made still exists somewhere, contributing significantly to microplastic pollution in our oceans, soil, and even the air.

This environmental impact has led to bans on traditional plastic glitter in some regions and a massive push for sustainable alternatives.

The Rise of Biodegradable Glitter (Bioglitter)

The solution gaining the most traction is biodegradable glitter, often marketed under trade names like Bioglitter. This innovative product replaces the plastic core with a plant-based material.

• Cellulose Base: Biodegradable glitter is primarily made from cellulose, often sourced from sustainably harvested wood pulp, such as eucalyptus trees.
• Degradable Structure: Instead of a plastic core, the cellulose film is coated with a thin layer of non-plastic, water-soluble binders and a reflective layer made from natural materials or specialized non-plastic films.
• Environmental Benefit: When washed down the drain or composted, this new glitter is designed to degrade naturally in the environment, leaving little to no trace, which is a massive win for aquatic and soil health.

While the concept of eco-friendly glitter is not entirely new, recent innovations have dramatically improved its durability, color, and shine, making it a viable and increasingly popular alternative for cosmetic and craft manufacturers globally.

The Three Main Types of Glitter and Their Unique Shine

Not all glitter is created equal. The final effect depends entirely on the materials and coatings used during the lamination and metallization phases of manufacturing. The three most common types are:

Metallic Glitter

Metallic glitter is the most common type and the one most closely associated with the traditional manufacturing process. It features a high-reflective, mirror-like finish achieved by the vacuum-metallized aluminum layer. It has a single, solid color and a very high sparkle factor, making it ideal for standard crafts and industrial use.

Holographic Glitter

Holographic glitter is the glamour choice. It is manufactured by embossing a microscopic pattern onto the plastic film before the metallization process. This pattern acts like a diffraction grating. When light hits the surface, it splits the light into the colors of the rainbow, creating a brilliant, shifting prism effect that changes based on the viewing angle.

Iridescent Glitter

Iridescent glitter achieves its effect without a metallic layer. Instead, it is made by layering multiple, extremely thin films of plastic with varying refractive indexes. This complex layering causes light to reflect and refract in different ways, producing a soft, shifting, mother-of-pearl or opal-like sheen that is often seen in cosmetics and high-end fashion. It is characterized by a softer sparkle compared to the harsh reflection of metallic glitter.