Titanium dioxide can boost and brighten colors because of how well it absorbs and also scatters light. In food and drugs, this additive is known as E171 and helps define colors clearly and can prevent degradation (cracking and breakdown of materials) from exposure to sunlight.

The integrity of surface skin cells was evaluated with and without solar simulated irradiation. The integrity of the stratum corneum was significantly lower in individuals treated with P25TiO₂NPs under the light in comparison to the ones that received the functionalized nanoparticles. Cell membrane suffering is evident (Fig. 9), and it is in accordance with the ROS levels and macromolecule oxidation found in vitro for the irradiated P25TiO₂NPs. Disruption of the superficial skin layer was observed in all animals treated with no functionalized nanoparticles, under irradiation. This data expands the findings by the group of Professors Fubini and Fenoglio, who showed that P25TiO₂NPs could impact the lipid structure at the top few microns of the stratum corneum [55]. Control skin under irradiation and without any topic formulation did not show changes in cell structure.

Is titanium dioxide (E171) harmful to our health?