Hello there,
I was asked about glitter ,free of animal derivatives, only hours after I just saw an article about it. I am not a glitter person myself, I find it too dangerous around animals, children, everyone with eyes really.
So today I stumbled over a headline that they are now making biodegradable glitter out of cellulose. When I looked the information up in my search engine later, not only articles, such as this one on phys.org popped up, but also companies that state, their products are “vegan, cruelty-free” and biodegradable. I used quotation marks for a reason, because we all know how these words have not one set-in-stone definition (see here for detailed information), that everyone will reference to.
In the past (2018) I had the information of Culture Hustle offering glitter made out of glass (free of animal derivatives); but again, old news and you definitely want to protect your health. You don’t want miniscule glass shards in your eyes, on your skin, in your lungs… I mean this goes for all kinds of glitter. Think also about your scanner. That’ll scratch the surface up nicely. I doubt it will show up, once scanned in.
I do remember ages ago (maybe 15 years ago) a segment about glitter on Rachel Ray, how you have to swaddle a child in a blanket, burrito style, to stop them from rubbing their eyes and really doing great harm to their corneas. And then you have to rinse out the eyes with water or sterile saline solution (the latter probably nicer on the eyes). Imagine having to do that with a wiggly child or animal. No thanks. And then schlepping them to an eye specialist; or yourself to one. Here is an article about foreign bodies in eyes. (Disclaimer: I am not giving you medical advice)
If you live in a country that experiences cold winters, you get glitter for free and harmless to your eyes in frost form. Feast your eyes on the sparkling veil covering delicately every surface. You can even capture it on camera. No man made glitter can surpass frost.