At Back To Nature we always strive to deliver the facts about any so-called ‘controversial ingredients’ and nano-particles used in various mainstream skin care products, such as sun creams, is one of the latest substances to go under the microscope!
So what are nano-particles?
• Titanium dioxide nanoparticles are tiny particles between 20 nm and 80 nm in size
• They work to absorb UV light and provide an excellent natural sun protection barrier
• They also absorb and scatter visible light, rendering sun creams invisible on the skin
• They work to absorb UV light and provide an excellent natural sun protection barrier
• They also absorb and scatter visible light, rendering sun creams invisible on the skin
Are nano-particles safe?
The first concern to address about nanoparticles is that because they are so small, it was thought that they may be able to penetrate the skin’s outer layer (or epidermis), reaching the living cells beneath (basel layer) and then pass into the bloodstream.
All studies show that when combined with creams or lotions which contain emulsifiers or binding agents, nanoparticles not only retain their UV light-absorbing capacity, but they ‘clump’ together. This creates much larger, extremely stable molecules that are far too large to penetrate the skin - think of it as trying to fit a football in a snooker pocket! As a result of this discovery, Ecocert has approved the use of nanoparticles as a sun-filter in certified organic products at a concentration of up to a 25%.
There was also the concern that the nanoparticles in sun creams would become reactive with oxygen, spawning free radicals, because by making the particles smaller they had an increased ratio of surface area to density. To solve this problem, titanium dioxide nanoparticles are manufactured with an extremely thin coating of silicates (basically sand or glass) to encase them in a protective layer to ensure that they are completely non-reactive and safe to use even on the most sensitive skin.
Why use nano particles?
The use of titanium dioxide nano particles in organic Sun Lotions was not a decision that was taken lightly by many organic companies but after extensive research most companies are completely confident that they are safe to use. They bring fantastic natural UV protection to many sun products, which otherwise would only be achievable by using synthetic chemical filters, which real organic companies would never use.
The claim that nanoparticles in sun creams can enter the bloodstream and affect living tissue has been totally disproven by every known scientific test conducted. Various open scholar articles are available on the internet for further research.
To doubly ensure the safety of using nanoparticles in sun creams, opt for companies who never combine them with any active ingredient that specialises in penetrating the skin (e.g deep moisturisation products, extra moisture and hydration). This guarantees that they won’t be transported beneath the top layer of dead skin cells by any other skin penetrating substances. Sun screen products should be of a drier spray-type to avoid this for maximum health results as well as efficiency in protecting your skin.
No comments:
Post a Comment