Teach Soap

Hi, All! Is it acceptable/allowable to use cake decoration glitter in soap? It looks incredibly similar to mica. The reason I ask is because the 'edible' glitter I've been using on cakes for years turns out to be 'non-edible' (but is non-toxic), even though it's sold as cake decoration with no usage statement. The company in question was taken to court over it (allegedly), but got off because they'd called themselves 'Edable Art', not 'Edible Art'. Reason it's non-edible is apparently because it doesn't dissolve, so comes out exactly as it went in. (Bet our septic tank's dead pretty! ) Does cosmetic grade glitter dissolve?

I don't believe cosmetic glitter dissolves.

I would ask your safety assessor... there are some ingredients you can use for soaping that you can use for food but it's something that needs to be checked and authorised by your safety assessor.

Hi, Honey, and thank you for the reply. If cosmetic glitter doesn't dissolve, and 'cake decoration' glitter doesn't dissolve, and neither are toxic, surely there's no significant difference? The stuff sold for use in soap is called 'Mica', but the MSDS's for it states that it's polyethylene with a bit of aluminium thrown in ... real 'Mica' is a naturally occurring mineral, which isn't made of plastic with a trace of aluminium! My assessment sheets only have 'Mica' listed .... no other definition or qualification (and the last thing you'd want to use in soap is Real Mica)s so ... gut feeling is that the stuff sold for cake decoration is pretty much the same as the cosmetic glitter. Plastics won't break down in the digestive tract, but aren't toxic (by definition). Glitter/mica in soap isn't eaten (unless you're truly sad - and I did have a great-aunt who allegedly drank ink, but that's another story entirely.) I can't find any MSDS sheets (why?) for the cake decoration stuff ... I'll certainly contact my assessor to ask the question, but I'm more cross about the non-edibility of stuff I was sold years ago, on the understanding that it was 'edible glitter' than anything else! Dear God ... have I poisoned my entire family ... ?!!!

Mica (as sold for soaping) is different from glitter though (personally perfer mica myself as use it a lot as colouring).

I think it's pretty dreadful that the company got away with selling that stuff was edible when it wasn't. However, I can only imagine that the tiny bit you would have eaten would have moved through your body and ... ejected shall we say?! I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you were glittering your breakfast, dinner and tea! I'm sure we've all eaten things in foods that we'd hate to know about!

Your safety assessment can easily include glitter and mica (mine does) as both are cosmetic safe and both used on a regular basis for soaping (only thing is I'd use far less glitter than mica as it can prove somewhat scratchy if used too much and isn't always safe for use near the eyes - just in case it was used as a facial soap). I'd ask your assessor to add the glitter in too .. it's a completely safe and acceptable additive to soap and approved for use.

Honey ... again, thank you! I kind of suspected as much; don't think the food stuff contains the aluminium (?) that the cosmetic stuff does, so will contact Assessor Man tomorrow and check. AND ... I finally got to put my avatar up there!! Take care ... Jinny

No worries Cool avatar!

Hi Captain Bubbles. One of my cousins used to eat soap all the time when she was a kid. Also, my greedy dog (labrador) was hanging around while I cut up M&P, so I held out a piece for her to sniff, and find out it wasn't edible. Ha, joke was on me. She ate it, and asked for more!