What is titanium dioxide?
Titanium dioxide is a fine white powder that occurs naturally. It was first intentionally produced for use as a white pigment in 1923.[2] It is naturally opaque and bright, which makes it useful for use in paper, ceramics, rubber, textiles, paints and cosmetics.[3] It is also UV-resistant, which makes it effective in pigments that are likely to be exposed to considerable light, as well as for sunscreens. It is used in a wide variety of personal care products, including color cosmetics such as eye shadow and blush, loose and pressed powders and in sunscreens.
Titanium dioxide can form several different shapes, which have different properties. Some shapes can be converted to nanomaterials. Micronized titanium dioxide (also called “nano”) was introduced in the early 1990s.[4] Nanotechnology and micronization both refer to the practice of creating very small particles sizes of a given material (usually smaller than 100 nanometers; a nanometer is 1/1 billionth of a meter). At these small sizes, and at low concentrations, titanium dioxide appears transparent, allowing for effective sunscreens that do not appear white.[5]
Nanomaterials may be used in sunscreens and powder-based products, but companies are not required to list ingredient size or structure. For powders, companies are only required to list the ingredients; for sunscreens, since titanium dioxide is an active ingredient, the concentration must also be listed.[6]