What is Titanium Dioxide?

Titanium dioxide (TiOx) is obtained from the titanium oxide found in nature. It is used in many products including cosmetics and personal care products after it is processed and purified.

Why is it used in Cosmetics?

Titanium dioxide is used in color cosmetics (i.e. eye shadows, powders, nail polish and lipsticks) and personal care products for adjusting the color, increasing the opaqueness and decreasing the transparency of these products.   Titanium dioxide could also protect from UV rays due to its light absorbing, deflecting and distributing character.    It is used at high concentrations in sunscreens to protect the skin from UV light.
Titanium dioxide is a white chalky looking powder. So sunscreens with high levels of Titanium dioxide could make your face chalky white if you do not distribute the sunscreen evenly.
The new version of titanium dioxide is different than the classic version. The producers decreased the size of Titanium dioxide to very very small particules of 10 or 100 nm. This helps to establish a better and more stable formulation with less whiteness on the face.

Is Titanium Dioxide Safe?

There are so many chemicals in our lives. One cannot help but wonder are these chemicals bad for us?  What about Titanium dioxide? FDA has assessed the safety of Titanium Dioxide and determined it safe to be used in sunscreens . You can read the related regulations from here  Click Here .
European Council also approves the use of Titanium dioxide in sunscreens.

Scientific studies show that Titanium dioxide does not penetrate through the skin and does not have transdermal absorption  [1-2].  Although Titanium dioxide is defined as “not comedogenic”, high levels of  Titanium dioxide (i.e. sunscreen)could be potentially problematic for sensitive or acne-prone skins due to  clogged pores. If your skin is sensitive to TiOx either try to use products with nano-Titanium dioxide or products marked as “hypo-comedogenic or non-comedogenic”, which means that it will be less likely to clog skin pores and contribute to acne.

In February 2006 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggested that there is not sufficient evidence to define Titanium dioxide as an absolute cancer causing agent in humans . Studies showed that TiOx could induce respiratory tract cancer in rats exposed by inhalation and intratracheal instillation. The TiOx particle deposition, impaired lung clearance, fibrosis, and  respiratory tract cancer observed in the animal models have also been seen in people working in TiOx rich environments such as TiOx producing factories. Therefore, IARC  still classified TiOX as s an IARC Group 2B carcinogen, which means ”possibly carcinogen to humans’ (Click here) . EWG states that Titanium dioxide could lead to enhanced cancer risk  in people exposed to high levels of Titanium Dioxide via inhalation (Click here).

Overall, please read the ingredients carefully and listen to your skin. It will tell you what it likes and needs.

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Scientific References

1- The in vitro absorption of microfine zinc oxide and titanium dioxide through porcine skin.Gamer AO, Leibold E, van Ravenzwaay B. Toxicol In Vitro. 2006 Apr;20(3):301-7. Epub 2005 Sep 21.

2- Safety evaluation of sunscreen formulations containing titanium dioxide and zinc oxide nanoparticles in UVB sunburned skin: an in vitro and in vivo study.Monteiro-Riviere NA, Wiench K, Landsiedel R, Schulte S, Inman AO, Riviere JE. Toxicol Sci. 2011 Sep;123(1):264-80. doi: 10.1093/toxsci/kfr148. Epub 2011 Jun 3.

Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.