Nanotechnology in cosmetics

[1][2] Titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) minerals are often utilized in sunscreens as inorganic physical sun blockers owing to their absorption of light in the UV range.

As TiO2 is proven to be more effective for blocking UVB and ZnO in the UVA range, the mix of these particles guarantees a broad-band UV shield.

Pat et al., for instance, measured a 0.15 eV blue shift for 4.7 nm TiO2 nanoparticles relative to the bulk material counterpart.

This phenomenon explains the cosmetically undesired opaqueness of inorganic sunscreens and makes the utilization of NPs monetarily appealing.

[8][9] The IARC made these decisions based on studies where rats are exposed to high concentrations of pigment-grade and ultrafine TiO2 dust.

[10] The lung cancers in rats appear similar pathology to those seen in people who are working in a dusty environment, thus the IARC concluded that the same impacts from high concentrations of pigment-grade and ultrafine TiO2 dust are relevant to human health.

However, ZnO is generally considered as safe a substance by the FDA when utilized as an UV filter as indicated by beauty care products directives.

Liposomes are sphere-shaped vesicular structures self-assembled in a solvent composed of a broad type of lipids or other amphiphilic molecules.

Gold nanoparticles usually have colors ranging from red to purple to blue and black depending on the size and aggregation state.

[20] In 2016, a paper published in the Journal of Biomaterials Application, titled "Collagen/gold nanoparticle composites: A potential skin wound healing biomaterial," discussed that in vivo studies of gold nanoparticle and collagen composites demonstrated high wound closure percentage, reduced inflammatory response, increased neovascularization, and granulation tissue formation.

[23] All of these properties and studies have suggested that gold nanoparticles can be beneficial when included in cream, lotion, or mask formulations for topical applications.