Nanotechnology in cosmetics analysed

It is therefore the technology of the very small. To put this size into context, the diameter of a red blood cell is c.7000 nm, the average thickness of a human hair is of the order of 80,000 to 100,000 nm and human nails grow at a rate of 1 to 10 nm per second. The use of nanotechnology stretches across many areas of science from electronics to biology and has applications in many product sectors. Nanomaterials are those that have at least one dimension of size in the range 1 nm to 100 nm and they can be considered under the following three headings:

• Natural.
• Anthropogenic.
• Engineered.

Natural nanomaterials are created independently of man, and include a wide range of materials such as sea salt resulting from the evaporation of water from sea spray, soil dust and volcanic dust. Anthropogenic nanomaterials are created as a result of action by man with the main example of this type of nanomaterial being soot produced from the combustion of fossil fuels. The final group comprises engineered nanomaterials which have been designed and manufactured specifically by man. While there have been many such nanomaterials produced for many applications including carbon black in tyres, cerium oxide in combustion catalysts and carbon nanotubes in sports goods, there have been examples developed and manufactured specifically for use in cosmetics. Engineered nanomaterials used in cosmetics are in the form of nanoparticles and nanoemulsions. Nanomaterials can be found in sunscreens with efficient UV protection, long-lasting make-up, anti-ageing creams with an increased intake of vitamins or enzymes, toothpaste, nail treatments and hair colouring products. In 2007, BCC Research forecast that the global market for cosmetics using nanotechnology will grow by 16.6% per year reaching $155.8 million in 2012.