Titanium dioxide

Titanium dioxide – is it harmful in sunscreen?

Definitely not, and the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) says so too. Because titanium dioxide is not absorbed through the skin. We go a step further and avoid titanium dioxide in nanoparticle size, since these can be taken in through the breath (e.g. in sunscreen sprays). Here you'll find the statement from the BfR.

The North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre also explicitly recommends using sunscreen with titanium dioxide and zinc oxide: “If you have to use sunscreen because other protective measures such as skin-covering clothing aren't possible, we advise using sunscreen with natural cosmetics seals like NATRUE or BDIH/COSMOS. These products only allow mineral filters such as Titanium dioxide (the INCI name for titanium dioxide) or Zinc Oxide (the INCI name for zinc oxide). These are chemically stable, so you can keep using the sunscreen as long as it doesn't smell different or change in texture. If you want to avoid intentionally manufactured nanoparticles, make sure the word "Nano" doesn't appear in the ingredients list, so that it only says Titanium dioxide, for example, and not Titanium Dioxide nano.”

Why do we rely on the combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide?

We rely on the combination of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide because it lets us achieve the highest UV-A and UV-B protection. Here's why: zinc oxide works more efficiently in the UV-A range, and titanium dioxide in the UV-B range. By combining the two, we can reach a high SPF and at the same time protect efficiently against both types of radiation. How we know this.