Titanium dioxide in decorative lip care? Better not! 💋

Lip gloss quickly gives our lips a great shine, making it particularly popular with kids and teens. However, almost all formulations contain titanium dioxide, a mineral pigment hidden behind the name CI 77891. In this blog post, you'll learn what this ingredient is all about and what to look out for when choosing your lip gloss.

What is titanium dioxide, actually?

Titanium dioxide (chemical: TiO₂) is a naturally occurring white mineral in powder form, which is intended to whiten or lighten cosmetic products. The powder is fine, completely white, and significantly smaller than grains of sand. This micropigment is also known as "titanium white." Titanium dioxide has very high opacity and reflects light like a mirror, which enhances other pigments, such as red tones, and gives them more color intensity.

Where is titanium dioxide found?

In the cosmetics industry, titanium dioxide (CI 77891), also called Titanium Dioxide, is primarily used as a UV filter in sunscreens or as a white pigment in products like toothpaste, makeup, and lip gloss. Titanium dioxide can also be found in lipsticks or concealers because the white pigments make the product very opaque, making the skin look more even and brighter.

In the chemical industry, titanium dioxide is used as a white pigment in, for example, paints, plastics, and paper. In the pharmaceutical industry, titanium dioxide serves as a white filler for medicines, such as tablets or suppositories. Broadly speaking, titanium dioxide is always used when a product needs to appear particularly white.

Since August 2022, titanium dioxide has been banned in the EU as a food additive, then as E171, by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), as it could no longer be classified as safe in food. There is concern that small, nanoscale titanium dioxide particles could accumulate in tissues and cause inflammatory processes there.

By the way: In our sunscreen, we only use zinc oxide as a UV filter. From the beginning, we decided against a combination of several mineral UV filters and therefore do not use titanium dioxide in our sunscreens.

How harmful is titanium dioxide?

Since titanium dioxide is not absorbed through the skin according to current knowledge, it is still permitted in the cosmetics industry: in sun products, in eyeshadow, and also in lip care products. However, this has been repeatedly questioned and widely discussed in recent years, especially with regard to lip care products: because lip gloss or lipstick is quickly licked off, reapplied, and then licked off again after a short time, titanium dioxide particles enter the digestive tract. Something that has already been banned in the food industry can thus still enter our bodies through cosmetic products.

What are the risks of titanium dioxide in my lip gloss?

As already mentioned, the use of titanium dioxide as additive E171 is banned in food because oral ingestion poses a risk - but applying it to the skin is (so far) not. In my opinion, it is unfavorable that lip cosmetics naturally come into direct contact with the oral mucous membrane, and individual particles enter the digestive tract. Therefore, especially if the product is also used by children, I would advise against using lip cosmetic products containing titanium dioxide.

Shine on your lips even without titanium dioxide?

Oh yes - and how! Because there are other minerals, above all zinc oxide, which can be well used as an alternative. When you go lip gloss shopping next time, be sure to check the ingredient list (INCI) carefully and see if titanium dioxide, usually listed as "CI 77891" or "Titanium Dioxide," is present. You can get a good idea from statements like "titanium dioxide-free" or "without titanium dioxide," although you won't find these very often yet. But I'm sure: the more awareness there is, the more offerings there will be. :)

Psst 🤫 Have you already discovered our Lip gloss? Without titanium dioxide, has a subtle strawberry scent, isn't sticky and is suitable for the whole family!