Following the opinion of the SCCS (Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety), the European Commission published a fact sheet about the safety of sunscreens with titanium dioxide as nanoparticles. A document purporting to be informative… but also reassuring.
Text of the fact sheet Sunscreens with titanium dioxide as nanoparticles : Health risks?
The increasing use of nanomaterials in a wide range of consumer products has prompted a re-evaluation of the safety of a number of substances, including titanium dioxide (TiO2). Titanium dioxide, in the form of nanoparticles used to render creams and lotions transparent, is currently approved as a UV-filter in sunscreens. Are sunscreens with titanium dioxide nano-particles safe? Do these nanoparticles behave differently than other particles of titanium dioxide? How are the risks of nanoparticles evaluated? This fact sheet tells you all about it.
What are ‘nanomaterials’? What are Titanium dioxide nanoparticles?
Titanium dioxide is used as a UV filter in sunscreen products to protect the skin from harmful UV rays when exposed to sunlight. Particles in nano form (also named ‘nanomaterials’, ‘nanoparticles’ or ‘micronized materials’) refer to very small sized materials and components that have a particle size range of 1 to 100 nanometre (one nanometre is one millionth of a millimetre, e.g. human hair is about 80 000 nanometres wide). Very small particles may, however, also be harmful (see further).
Is the use of Titanium Dioxide nanoparticles in sunscreens safe?
On the basis of the …
