# Skin sparkles ... and NOT on Edward Cullen. How? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 6, 2010, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693 "2010-07-06T09:12:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/61 "2010-07-09T17:04:22Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > I mean, it’s not like women in sub-Saharan Africa give birth to “silvery” babies who darken after a few months. Only when they give birth, at night, by the light of the silvery moon. Of course, if Mars is also in the sky at the time, it’s going to be a boy. If it’s Venus, then a girl. If neither, if neither, … I got nothin’. ---
**Author:** ![DogRatCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/8e8cbc/32.png) [@DogRatCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DogRatCat)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/62 "2010-07-09T17:31:27Z")
So back on subject, obviously the answer is that they brush their teeth with Sparkle toothpaste containing Mica, and then they spit on each other, or drool on themselves. Maybe they spit in their hands and then shake to form agreements. Maybe they just sneeze. ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/63 "2010-07-09T18:36:18Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > ^I know, I was just trying my hand at a facetious comment. “{C}lue us in as to when that has happened” meaning that a serious answer to this general question would be indistinguishable from a humorous reply.😉 > > The Aristocrats! For what it’s worth, I got it and thought it was funny. ---
**Author:** ![Shot\_From\_Guns](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ccd318/32.png) [@Shot\_From\_Guns](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shot_From_Guns)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/64 "2010-07-09T19:12:51Z")
> [@DogRatCat](#): > > So back on subject, obviously the answer is that they brush their teeth with Sparkle toothpaste containing Mica, and then they spit on each other, or drool on themselves. Maybe they spit in their hands and then shake to form agreements. Maybe they just sneeze. Or lick themselves, like cats! ---
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2010, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/65 "2010-07-09T19:31:37Z")
> [@Shot\_From\_Guns](#): > > Or lick themselves, like cats! Or dogs. Shiny genitals! ---
**Author:** ![1trugrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/b9bd4f/32.png) [@1trugrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/1trugrl)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2010, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/66 "2010-08-11T19:09:49Z")
I was on here searching for an answer to the same question. I am part Cherokee Indian and when I tan I get the “sparkle” effect on my skin as well I know exactly what you are talking about. It has been very hard for me to find an answer to this question myself. It seems that everyone just wants to say its lotion or some other cosemetic explanation , but you and I and others that actually have this sparkle on our skin know that is not the cause. I believe it has to be minerals in our bodies or something that we asorb from the sun. Either way I just know that those of us that have it, have very beautiful skin and those that dont are the ones posting the stupid answers. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/67 "2010-08-12T00:06:40Z")
[Birefringence](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birefringence)? ---
**Author:** ![Ionizer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/5daacb/32.png) [@Ionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ionizer)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/68 "2010-08-12T01:12:44Z")
I’m just noticing this thread, but can say that I have noticed ‘sparkles’ on dark, dark ‘black’ skin sometimes (‘rarely’ as I only noticed 'em by happenstance and with a strong light-source upon skin, too) Very, very tiny and barely noticeable unless looking closely, but certainly present upon (within?) the skin. In actuality, the more ‘black’ the skin, the more noticeable they were, and maybe a density of one ‘sparkle’ per 6"/sq of skin area at most (probably much less per sq/in?). I use the word ‘sparkle’ to mean a ~shiny speck that seems to reflect incidental light only when viewed at certain angles, not hugely apparent, and much smaller than a fraction of a millimeter (in same way that a distant star’s twinkle is seen but is not easily able to be measured in width, I guess. Certainly much smaller than the mica ‘sparkles’ mentioned previously in which the pieces doing the reflecting can be seen when searched out) Anyways, I just want to say that I have seen such ‘sparkles’ and definitely not from a foreign substance upon skin - alcohol ‘wipes’ did not remove the ‘sparkles’ when applied multiple times prior to me starting an IV upon the arm displaying said sparkles 😉 Even the patient was curious why his skin sparkled a bit under the lamp - his mom’s skin was apparently even more sparkly if the person was to be believed (and his skin was the ‘blackest’ I’d ever seen, fwiw). At first I thought it was sweat pores glistening, but nope…appeared to be just under skin’s surface and not related to any visible structures of normal skin. ---
**Author:** ![Dotalot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3e96dc/32.png) [@Dotalot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dotalot)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/69 "2012-05-18T12:47:22Z")
I’ve noticed this same thing myself and every time I look it up there’s always some twilight reference. I know this is an old post but I’d like to know WHY I have all these tiny sparkles on my skin. I noticed it a couple weeks ago when I woke up on the most annoying beam of sunlight. I rolled over, ready to cover my eyes with my forearm and I caught a glimpse of glitter, which I DO NOT wear. In my just-waking-up haze I was ready to curse my boyfriend out for having some cheap woman in our house… Then logic crept in and I figured it to be the lotion I used. I swiped my finger across the surface of my skin (mahogany brown with red undertones) yet they did not move. I shrugged it off, got up & showered. As I was getting out the shower I noticed the sparkles again. Upon closer examination, I realized it was my skin! Its beautiful! There seems to be one tiny sparkle per pore. Im sure its more apparent magnified. But I am curious as to why there isnt any documentation of this? ---
**Author:** ![al27052](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/41988e/32.png) [@al27052](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/al27052)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/70 "2012-05-19T23:53:02Z")
I’ve seen the sparkles on my own skin. I’m more or less olive-skinned, and I’ve noticed it on my forearms when in bright sunlight. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2012, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/71 "2012-05-20T00:25:46Z")
Sure it isn’t sweat? Or in the bath case, water? ---
**Author:** ![Fefee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e99b99/32.png) [@Fefee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fefee)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/72 "2013-02-28T23:24:25Z")
> [@rabbi101](#): > > Hi. I’m a white person who’s been a lot of places, but every where I go where there are black people, a small percentage of them have–for lack of a better description–tiny sparkles in their skin! I don’t mean a tan, or glistening sweat, or any kind of sun radiation. It’s hard to describe, but it is a FACT. Some darker skinned (and some golden skinned) black people have sparkles in their melanin. I looked under a magnifying glass. And it’s just some, and usually they have dark skin. I tried to study up on this, and found a bit, but not much. I was just curious … It’s quite pretty, but you have to look for it to notice it; does it have something to do with trace metals in the system? Just trying to figure it out … Is it prismatic, reflective eye tricks, what? > > Related questions, casting a wide net looking to answer this question for someone myself as a mini-Cecil: > Is melanin resistant to radiation? I was reading about the mushrooms at Chernobyl (a good number of articles): they exist and thrive, but nothing else does–but they sucked up the black and brown melanin from the ground to do it. Thriving, but radioactive, black mushrooms. Are they as edible as Beyonce? 🙂 The white mushrooms died. There was another article on using these ‘melanized mushroom’ particles to make a UV-protective space suit, or a synthetic variant of this for coating a space suit in the future (Russians …). Know anything about it? It’s organic, right? Is this why George Clinton is always talking about the ‘Mother Ship’? 🙂 Mainly, though, I want to know what causes the sparkles, which are noticeable mostly after the skin is activated by the sun. I know melanin migrates and is an active molecule, and I know it is spectrally-based and responds to ‘energies’ just like photosynthesis. As a matter of fact, the mushrooms took on the earth-melanin (and God made man from the mud; from dust thou art …) as away to survive, as a form of nutritional energy. And I DO know black people feel weaker in cloudy climates that other people do … Any answers AT all? I know it sound sci-fi but it’s a fact, I just don’t understand the science enough, and this was the only place I think I’ll find a real answer, Cecil. Maybe a dermatologist in Senegal or something? > > Rabbi101 Hi Nice Person…You are very kind to admit your findings on people of color or Melanin. Everyone has Melanin or you wouldnt be living, just some have more than others. I am half Black half Native American. And I always seem to have sparkles on me. In fact my daughter is looking at the ones on me right now trying to figure it out. I use to dye my hair alot but stopped, got tried of the cost and mess. I’m 54 now and my hair is white like snow with silver streaks not grey but shiny silver, My daughter said mom how do you grow tinsel out of your scalp—good question. I came across this site because I wantd to know if anyone else had the sparkles, and what it ment. I live in West Virginia so I don’t know if it’s a certain area thang. Something tells me it isn’t it’s just the person. I’m going to keep studying this I first noticed the sparkles when I was 16 they come more often now. God Bless… PS Mr husband said he has seen the tinsel in my hair glow at night, Something else to study ---
**Author:** ![handsomeharry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9c0ed/32.png) [@handsomeharry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handsomeharry)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/73 "2013-03-01T13:45:09Z")
> [@rabbi101](#): > > I knew this would get some funny replies! Well, let’s not overdo it. ---
**Author:** ![Shean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b38774/32.png) [@Shean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shean)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/74 "2018-07-07T13:41:07Z")
I realize this is an old thread. Still, this might be helpful for others interested in this sparkling skin phenomenon: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-J9SDX2yU8](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-J9SDX2yU8) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiEfl4keYEM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiEfl4keYEM) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LKxfyLgzh4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LKxfyLgzh4) Google words like: Escarchas Glory dust Shekinah Glory Dust ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/75 "2018-07-07T15:41:34Z")
> [@Shean](#): > > Shekinah Glory Dust Stripper name? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [July 7, 2018, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/76 "2018-07-07T15:44:59Z")
I see that the OP hasn’t posted in a while–that’s too bad; I wanted to hear more about Chernobyl being overrun with black mushrooms that suck melanin from the ground. ---
**Author:** ![Iaruahai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/96bed5/32.png) [@Iaruahai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iaruahai)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/77 "2019-10-06T22:10:58Z")
My ancestry is deep and can trace it from Blackfoot, Creek, Cherokee, to the Ullie people whom are Olmec’s “The Mayans”. My skin is Reddish brown when I tan it’s like Dark red Burgundy and my skin shimmers like a diamond specially when I get too much sun. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/78 "2019-10-06T22:53:50Z")
I wanna shimmer. Why I can’t shimmer:( ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2019, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/79 "2019-10-06T23:40:09Z")
Simply slather on some bodybuilder’s posing oil. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [October 7, 2019, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693/80 "2019-10-07T11:32:39Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > I wanna shimmer. Why I can’t shimmer:( But you can shimmy, right? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/skin-sparkles-and-not-on-edward-cullen-how/545693.md?page=5)