Titanium dioxide as a safe additive to sunscreen emulsions

Titanium dioxide with its ability to be a UV light blocker is commonly used as a physical sunscreen in the cosmetic industry. However, the safety issues of TiO2 application should be considered more in-depth, e.g., UV light-induced generation of reactive oxygen species which can cause DNA damage within skin cells. The proper modification of titanium dioxide to significantly limit its photocatalytic properties can contribute to the safety enhancement. The modification strategies including the process conditions and intrinsic properties of titanium dioxide were discussed. The selected examples of commercially available TiO2 materials as potential components of cosmetic emulsions dedicated for sunscreens were compared in this study. Only rutile samples modified with Al2O3 and/or SiO2 showed inhibition of photocatalytic activity.