Titanium dioxide in sunscreen products

摘要

The use of sunscreens should also be recommended in order to work against all kind of ultarviolet (UV)-induced skin damage such as photoallergies, skin wrinkles, sunburn or even skin cancer. Sunscreens contain chemical filters (organic; absorb regularly UVB radiation) and physical filters (e.g., TiO2 and ZnO). The second group has been said to reflect and scatter UVB and UVA radiation. TiO2 is also extensively used in sunscreen formulations as active broadband sunscreens that blocks both UVB (290–320 nm) and UVA (320–400 nm). Although titanium dioxide is listed as a safe pigment, with no known adverse effects when it is used in cosmetics, but we should concern about ultrafine or nanoparticle form of titanium dioxide. If titanium dioxide particles used to act as a sunscreen are small enough, they can penetrate the cells, leading to photocatalysis within the cell, and cause DNA damage after exposure to sunlight.