What is titanium dioxide and what is all the hub bub about?
Titanium dioxide is a type of mineral that is bright white in color. In nature it is always bound to other metals, thus it must be purified in a lab. In skin care, titanium dioxide is used as a pigment and a thickener, but cosmetic companies love it for its ability to adhere to the skin better than most cosmetic powders (e.g. eye shadows, face powders, etc..). It is also an effective physical sunscreen agent. Titanium Dioxide is available is several different particle sizes; coarse (< 10 microns), fine(<2.5 microns), and ultrafine (<0.1 microns or 100 nanometers). Ultrafine particles (also called micronized or nano) are used in most sunscreen products because they are do not leave a white tint on the skin surface like the larger particles do. The controversy with titanium dioxide begins with its photoreactive properties. When titanium dioxide is exposed to sunlight it induces the formation of free radicals. If unchecked, free radicals can cause pre-mature aging and even cancer. To be f
