Titanium dioxide as colorant and sunscreen agent

Titanium dioxide, also known as titanium (IV) oxide or titania, is the naturally occurring oxide of titanium, chemical formula TiO₂.

Titanium dioxide is used as a colorant in the following products: Rejuvenating Face Mask Titanium dioxide is used as a sun screen agent in the following products: Rejuvenating Day Cream

General

In cosmetic and skin care products, titanium dioxide is used both as a pigment and a thickener and most importantly as a sunscreen agent and ultraviolet (UVA & UVB) absorber.

When used in cosmetics as a colorant – for instance in our Rejuvenating Face Mask – it is listed as CI 77891 – but as soon as it is used in quantities to form a sun protection, it is listed as Titanium Dioxide, as in our Rejuvenating Day Cream.

Sunscreen

Although most of us know titanium dioxide as a brilliant white agent often used by cricketers to form a sunscreen, in cosmetics it is further advanced - giving the same protection from the sun, but without turning the skin white.

One disadvantage of the older types of titanium dioxide sunscreens is that they are visible, turning the skin white.

This effect is however overcome by reducing the particle size of the titanium dioxide. When used in this 'nanoparticle' form (less than 100 nanometers, or one millionth of a millimeter), they can't be seen on the skin but still retain the sun screening properties of the coarser material. It is a safe sunscreen and even the nonaparticles do not interact with the skin, as they remain on the surface of the skin.