Research conducted by Tatsiana Mironava, PhD, from Stony Brook University concluded that the size, concentration and frequency of application plays a major part in determining if the material is toxic.
Research studies are being conducted to find out the benefits of using gold nanoparticles in cosmetic products and creams.
Some of the products that claim to use gold in their formulations include the L'Oreal L'Core Paris 24k Collection.
The cancer researcher Professor Debabrata Mukhopadhya at the Mayo Clinic said in 2010 that while gold nano particles showed promise for skin care, they were still toxic when injected in high doses in mice.
Cosmetics Estee Lauder and L'Core Paris have entered the Nanomarket, with a range of products that make use of "Nanoparticles".