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Topical Exposure 

105°C volatile matter, %

Titanium dioxide is an inert earth mineral used as a thickening, opacifying, and sunscreen ingredient in cosmetics. It protects skin from UVA and UVB radiation and is considered non-risky in terms of of skin sensitivity. Because it is gentle, titanium dioxide is a great sunscreen active for sensitive, redness-prone skin. It’s great for use around the eyes, as it is highly unlikely to cause stinging.

In a study published in 2022 in the journal Particle and Fibre Technology, researchers examined the impact of maternal exposure to titanium dioxide nanoparticles in newborn offspring mice. They found that “a chronic exposure to TiO2 NPs during pregnancy alters the respiratory activity of offspring, characterized by an abnormally elevated rate of breathing.” Breathing was also shown to be “significantly and abnormally accelerated,” and the ability for neural circuitry to effectively adjust breathing rates was impaired. The researchers concluded: “Our findings thus demonstrate that a maternal exposure to TiO2 NPs during pregnancy affects the normal development and operation of the respiratory centers in progeny.”

For a mini-review published in the journal Particle and Fibre Technology in 2021, scientists wanted to evaluate whether Ti02 particles contributed to the development and/or exacerbation of irritable bowel disease, and whether they altered the four elements of intestinal barrier function: the intestinal microbiota, the immune system, the mucus layer, and the epithelium. The breakdown of these four elements can contribute to autoimmune, neurological, inflammatory, infectious, and metabolic diseases. Following their review, the researchers concluded: “Data indicate that TiO2 is able to alter the four compartments of IBF and to induce a low-grade intestinal inflammation associated or not with pre-neoplastic lesions.” 

Following a request for assessment in 2020 by the EU, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) assessed E171, particularly for its genotoxicity. In 2022, the agency deemed the food additive no longer safe for use.  

It's also used in sunscreens as a UV filtering ingredient, helping to protect a person's skin by blocking absorption the ultraviolet light that can cause sunburn and cancer.

Having thus described the origin and uses of the pigment, we now come to the question, what is lithopone? It is, in short, a chemical compound usually consisting of 30.5 per cent zinc sulphide, 1.5 per cent zinc oxide and 68 per cent barium sulphate, but these proportions vary slightly in the different makes. Lithopone of this composition is sold as the highest grade, either as red seal or green seal, as it best suits the idea of the manufacturer. Many manufacturers, especially in Europe, sell and also export other brands under other seals, containing 24, 20, 18 and as little as 12 per cent of zinc sulphide with very small percentages of zinc oxide, the balance being usually barium sulphate, but sometimes certain portions of China clay or gypsum (calcium sulphate) or whiting (calcium carbonate). Such brands are not a chemical compound, but mechanical mixtures of the chemically compounded lithopone and the admixtures referred to.

If you want to avoid titanium dioxide, Stoiber and Faber urge consumers to try and avoid processed foods as best as you can.

Manufacturers use titanium dioxide in some packaging to protect food from exposure to sunlight. Lab studies show it may also help stop bacteria from growing, and break down a gas that makes many fruits and vegetables ripen faster. That can keep products fresher and give them a longer shelf life.   

Is titanium dioxide illegal in other countries?