Titanium Dioxide Sunscreen Safety

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) is often used in sunscreens because it blocks both UVA and UVB rays, unlike many other sunscreen ingredients. Although the absorption of titanium dioxide into the skin may cause health issues, studies show that the titanium dioxide found in sunscreen is not actually absorbed into the skin.

Features

• Older sunscreens containing titanium dioxide gave the skin a white appearance. Modern sunscreens avoid this effect by using nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which appear invisible on the skin but still effectively block ultraviolet rays.

Skin Absorption

• If skin cells absorbed titanium dioxide, the chemical could interact with sunlight and increase free radical activity, causing damage to the cells. However, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) in Australia found that titanium dioxide remains on the outer layer dead skin cells rather than being absorbed by viable skin cells.

Significance

• 28 percent of sunscreens in the United States contain titanium dioxide, according to the Environmental Working Group.