Zinc oxide, nanotechnology and cosmetics

A recent report on a group of researchers at NTU, Singapore caught my attention and I decided to write something about nanotechnology in the cosmetic industry. The article, titled “Nano-Sized Chemicals in Sunscreens and Cosmetics, Could Cause Cancer, Scientists Say,” was published Nov. 29 on Yahoo News. Some time after that, another group of researchers appeared and said that this is not true and that it is not a cause for concern. So what are we to believe?

Nanotechnology is not new, but it is a term that has recently been brought up over and over again to raise awareness of the general public. People who have never heard of the term before the last few months think that this is a lot in the world of cosmetic research. And indeed it is. But not only in cosmetics and beauty. I find it very ironic that the field of beauty and personal care apparently generates the most speculation and interest in nanotechnology because nanotechnology itself is extremely useful in many other areas of science as well. Cosmetic companies use this term to attract potential customers by making their products sound technologically advanced. What people don’t realize is that nanotechnology is also making waves in the field of biomedical science, such as finding a cure for cancer and treating diseases non-invasively.

In the article mentioned above, a group of scientists tells us that zinc oxide in nano form could be harmful and cause cancer. Now this could scare a lot of people out of beauty products that contain zinc oxide, and while we might ask sales assistants if these oxide particles are nano-sized, they probably don’t know for sure. However, I say that this is not a cause for concern. First, the researchers are still in the early stages of their research. This means that whatever findings they have are not substantial enough to justify zinc oxide being labeled carcinogenic. Second, if you do a little research on your own, you will find that previous scientific research has shown that zinc oxide in nanoparticulate form is an antitumor agent that targets cancer cells 1,2,3. So the real question should be: What is the difference between the various groups of zinc oxide nanoparticles that cause cancer and that target cancer?

Because the investigation is not finished, the experimental procedures cannot be revealed. What I would like to know is why the scientists are announcing their current findings when the research is not yet complete. Here they are, telling the world that zinc oxide could cause cancer and could be harmful. That’s kind of like me telling you that the chocolate cake you are about to eat could be contaminated and cause diarrhea, but that more people would have to eat it for us to know for sure (assuming you ate it and had diarrhea, but could be lactose intolerance). Maybe they’re really excited about their current results, but don’t tell people things that you’re not 100% sure about yet. Why do these oxides cause cells in cell culture to multiply, and why do the oxides in Hanley and Wang’s studies do the exact opposite? Is it the synthesis method? Method of delivery? Variants in shape and size of nanoparticles? Dose? What are the differences in intra and intercellular interactions?

While nanotechnology in beauty products is a very interesting topic, and one that I can possibly write about endlessly, consumers need to be more aware on their part of the properties of these ingredients and their capabilities as far as they are concerned. It can never be a bad thing to know more about the things you’re putting on, be it the latest liquid foundation or eye cream.