Nano Particles in Skin Care

Nano-sized particles are very, very small. ‘Nano’ means ‘one billionth.’ So one nanometer is one billionth of one meter. A sheet of paper is 100,000 nanometers thick.

Nano particles in skin care have been been around for more than 20 years and extensively tested. For example, Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide are often micronized into nano particle sizes, in the range of 10-100 nm.

Nano-sized particles make a product more cosmetically elegant. It applies more evenly and spreads easily.

But because the particles are extremely small, they travel deeper into skin. And this is what makes them controversial. Nanoparticles of ingredients may penetrate the bloodstream due to their ability to cross cell membranes. The concern over their safety is over their potential to disrupt biological processes.

There is no industry consensus on their safety or danger. But in 2011, the FDA concluded that there are no safety issues with nano-sized zinc oxide and titanium dioxide (in the latest FDA Final Sunscreen Monograph, 2011).