Description
Source: organic creations
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making your own homemade sunscreens, then titanium dioxide is a must have. This powder has the ability to filter UVA as well as UVB light – giving it broader protection over others that are on the market. When using this product in combination with zinc oxide you will achieve an even more UVA and UVB sunscreen aide. Titanium dioxide is a natural mineral that is taken from rutile (a mineral found within the earth) … it is not a lab produced item.
There has been a lot of written debate on the internet about the safety of this ingredient. You can find articles written about micronized, and nano particle sizes. When selecting products to stock at Organic Creations we tend to do a lot of research. One of our favorite places to visit online is the Environmental Working Group. They tend to put research and science behind their articles whereas other websites, seem to use the copy and paste funtion a lot – which can render misinformation spinning on forever. A great article by the EWG was created for just the topic of nanomaterials … http://www.ewg.org/2014sunscreen/nanoparticles-in-sunscreen. I believe it to be an excellent article, and suggest if you have any questions on titanium and zinc oxides – and their various sizes, give that link a read through.
There are so little sunscreen aides that are available to the general public for formulation purposes. When I weigh in the alleged “risks” of using titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide on my skin vs. the effects that sunburns DO to my skin, I personally select titanium and zinc in my formulations.
I”m often asked, “how much of these two ingredients do I need to make an SPF 30 sunscreen.” Heres the thing … only a lab test of your finished product can give you that information, which is not an unachievable goal. There is a cost associated with it, but if you intend to sell your product to the public, you have to adhere to FDA guidelines for sunscreens sales and will need that lab result. The FDA sees sunscreens as a drug, and so these sales falls well within their control. Here is some links that will shed light on this topic for you:
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm258416.htm
http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/UnderstandingOver-the-CounterMedicines/ucm258468.htm
If your plans are just to make a homemade sunscreen and not sell it, my advice to you is either to follow a recipe that you found online (though most websites won’t post them for the reasons mentioned above), or do as I did with trial and error. I kept adding zinc and titanium to my pre-made lotion base, and once I achieved that “white surfer look” on my skin, I played outside. I suppose for each person this type of trial will be different, but eventually you will get it.
Titanium dioxide is also widely used as a natural whitener in bath products, soap making, face powders, hand lotions, shave creams, etc. No known toxicity – and perfectly safe to use in lip care recipes as well. Adding a bit to your mineral make-up recipes will also pass a certain degree of sunscreen into your finished product.
This version is water soluble. For cold process soap add it to the lye phase before incorporating it into your oils – and blend very well (careful not to splash that lye water around). For melt & pour soap making, blend with glycerin then add drop by drop until your soap has reached the base color you desire.
The manfuacture who makes this product states that its neither nano or micronized.
INCI: Titanium Dioxide
