i been shopping and doing research on the toxicity of this stuff
youre probably gonna find 3 different types of pigments with varying toxicity and looks
- raw aluminum powder
- encapsulated aluminum powder
- mica based powder

raw aluminum powder reacts with water to form hydrogen gas and aluminum oxides which dont look the same as unaffected aluminum. manf. might protect each particle with oil to keep its luster, but if it ever gets removed the aluminum will react with anything it can and ive got to mention one of those reactions is a thermite reaction. the particles might also be sharp and contaminated with heavy metals. so if youre still going that route keep it in mind.

i think the silver i always see is encapsulated aluminum, which is protected by a resin or silica layer. its much more chemically durable so it shouldnt react with air or water but if you dissolve it in acid it will create aluminum salts which can pass the blood brain barrier and cause issues because it bio accumulates. i thought that was weird because people eat foil and the FDA isnt freaking out but powder has a far higher reaction surface than foil. also dont grind it since that can damage the coating

mica based silvers are as far as i can tell completely nontoxic. mica is a mineral found in nature and i guess our bodies are equipped to deal with it. typical silver pigments use titantium dioxide which also isnt toxic? you should be able to shovel this stuff in your mouth without being affected.

mica does not look the same as metallic pigments because the physical process through which the light bounces off it is different than conductive elements. mica looks more like a shiny gray, and the lower the particle size the less silver it looks. mica is also natively transparent so it isnt as opaque as real aluminum. the titanium dioxide does alot of the heavy lifting.

the smaller the particle size the better btw less than 100 microns (um) dont get nanoparticles though

theres different grades of powder so checkout your material safety datasheets because some are cosmetic rated and others are meant for industrial purposes. if your going to be getting from an industrial source compare the contaminants with whats toxic and particle shape as sharp edges will irritate.

im going with silica encapsulated aluminum from TKB trading. its not completely safe to eat but it looks good and is cosmetic rated

And what do you think of mehron silver powder? I saw aluminum powder in Ukraine, it is cheap, but I was not sure about safety. So I was buying mehron, but something tells me it is the same thing

i heard alot about mehron but it looks costly for what you get. it would be nice to get it in bulk

Well, it depends on what you plan to do, one bottle of mehron is enough for 1 full body coverage, maybe even more. You can mix it with baby oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, grape oil and I think some more oils. When you mix it with oil, it is safe for eyes. If you mix with mehron mix, it is not safe, because it contains alcohol. Also, thank you for your research!

What about food grade silver effects?

My wife uses a silver giltter spraypaint for some of her cake decorating, I would not recommend it for the eyes- but being a food product you'll be safe if you ingest it.

I'm pretty sure that's the mica type since it's edible. you should be about to get it in your eyes if the particles are smooth

"Companies that make edible glitters and dusts are required by law to include a list of ingredients on the label. Common ingredients in edible glitter or dust include sugar, acacia (gum arabic), maltodextrin, cornstarch, and color additives specifically approved for food use, including mica-based pearlescent pigments and FD&C colors such as FD&C Blue No. 1. Most edible glitters and dusts also state "edible" on the label. If the label"
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/fda-advises-home-and-commercial-bakers-avoid-use-non-edible-food-decorative-products