Nanocosmetics - Nanotechnologies and manufacturing with nanomaterials are enabling a huge evolution in all areas of science and technology. And among them, how could it be otherwise, new technologies have been applied to the cosmetics sector, The pharmaceutical industry, that branch of the perfumery, hygiene and beauty products industry, which moves an enormous amount of capital around the world.
Approaching the manufacturing of a cosmetic product from the nanometre scale, can be created nanomaterials -based on the original ingredients, but with different properties - and to develop the necessary modifications so that the active substances in the formula can easily pass through the natural filter of the epidermis and penetrate the body.
What is nanocosmetics? Introduction to nanotechnologies applied to cosmetics
In the traditional cosmetic industry, it is taken for granted that most of the active substances used in the formulation of a cosmetic product will never penetrate our skin.. At least, this maxim applies to a large number of items such as creams, gels, lotions, balms, and all kinds of cosmetic presentations that are used directly on the skin. But not all of them: for example, the toothpaste or the nutricosmetic products, The substances, when consumed orally, are not exposed to the filters of the skin.
The epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin, which is specially designed to ‘protect our insides from the outside’.’, acts as a filter against any external substance that tries to penetrate our organism through the skin. And traditional cosmetics does not allow the active ingredients of a cosmetic formulation to overcome this first barrier and enter our body, as the molecules of a cosmetic product and its ingredients are too large. And therefore, the expected effects of these cosmetic products will mainly affect the outer layer of our body.
With the development of nanotechnologies and nanomaterials, it seems that scientists have already found a way to overcome the natural wall of the epidermis. And it is through the use of particles or capsules of a very small size - a thousand times smaller than a hair, that they can penetrate our organism without problems. This confluence, which is generated by the use of nanotechnologies y nanomaterials for the production of new-generation cosmetic products already has a name, which resonates at all industry meetings: nanocosmetics.
To date, innovations in nanocosmetics allow you to design microcapsules that are able to overcome the filter of the epidermis and transport active ingredients into the body.. There are several types of microcapsules, depending on their intended use. The most frequently used in nanocosmetics are those known as liposomes, which are defined as an «active substance carrier capsule».
However, the nanotechnology applications in cosmetics are not limited to the possibility of overcoming the filter of the epidermis. For example, when designing a cosmetic product at the nano-scale, In addition, some very interesting changes can be made in the colour creams - making them almost transparent - as well as on the texture. And the forecast is that, in the immediate future, this range of applications in nanocosmetics will continue to grow by leaps and bounds.
However, we hope that this growth will also be accompanied by the corresponding control and monitoring measures by the European health authorities (as they have been doing so far). The nanocosmetics products still generate misgivings among some groups of scientists and consumers, and their doubts are reasonable. As of today, the scientific community still does not agree on the level of security offered by using the nanometre scale in a wide range of industries and engineering. Nor does it have any hard evidence of how they will affect us in the long term in terms of health and the environment.
On the one hand, it is not known - although it is suspected - that the residues of these nanomaterials could accumulate in our bodies - as would be the case, for example, with metals. On the other hand, it has also not been possible to assess the long-term effects of impact that these laboratory-developed particles can have on our ecosystem.
Main advantages of nanocosmetics over traditional cosmetics
The use of nanoparticles in cosmetic products has a couple of decades of tradition. Since the beginning of the 21st century, nanotechnologies have made it possible to design and produce protectores solares that, thanks to the use of microparticles of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, are as effective as or more effective than a conventional one, and at the same time are practically invisible to the eye. And today there is a wide range of sun protection products on the market, which have been engineered or modified through nanocosmetics.
Research continues today - in parallel with nanotechnology developments in other scientific areas - to find new applications of nanomaterials and nanotechnology for the cosmetics industry. And every year there are new revelations in this field, and the range of articles redesigned through nanocosmetics is expanding. And the fact is that the nanotechnology offers a number of advantages that large laboratories have been able to exploit to develop products and find applications for nanomaterials in the cosmetics sector.
The nanocosmetics, among other things:
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- They allow to improve the stability of some of the ingredients. (antioxidant vitamins, fatty acids, fragrances...) contained in cosmetics.
- Increase the photosensitivity, efficacy and tolerance of various UV filters. in sunscreens.
- They contribute to the application of cosmetics is easier, offering new and improved textures.
- They allow us to create products almost transparent.
What are the main uses of nanotechnologies in the cosmetics sector?
Nanoparticles are tiny particles that have been engineered in a laboratory and, in the case of cosmetics, are used in sun creams, anti-wrinkle creams, moisturising creams, toothpaste, nail polishes...
The nanocosmetics may be in the form of nanoemulsions, liposomes, nanocapsules or micronised powders.
Through these microcapsules, In this way, a large number of substances can be transported into our organism, passing through the filters of the epidermis. active ingredients:
- Vitamins A, C and E
- Resveratrol
- Hyaluronic Acid low molecular weight
- Salicylic acid
- Glycolic Acid
- Mandelic
- Sorganic silicon, among others.
Use of nanotechnologies in dermo-cosmetics
In the case of the dermocosmetics, are being used, the formulas are being used with nanocosmetics to treat a wide range of dermatological problems and situations. And they are used precisely because of this property of nanocosmetics which consists of facilitating the absorption of ingredients.
Based on the assumption that we will have a better absorption of the active ingredients, we can design cosmetics specially designed to treat different types of skin conditions. dermatological problems. Nowadays, we can find in any pharmacy a large number of different types of nanocosmetics that allow you to act in:
- Loss of elasticity.
- Dehydration.
- Premature ageing.
- Overweight and cellulite.
- Expression wrinkles.
- Appearance of spots.
- Hair loss.
- Aneic tendency.
- Intoxicated skin.
- Skin tone.
Legislation on naocosmetics and Product Safety
The nanocosmetics are cosmetic products, manufactured or modified through the use of nanotechnologies. Among the ingredients of a nanocosmetic, there will always be one - or some - that has been created or modified in a laboratory. As this is a completely new type of product, the result of a technological evolution, its use raises some doubts among the scientific community.
For some years now, we have been able to find nanocosmetics products on the market, in articles of dermocosmetics y sun protection. And therefore, cosmetics legislation has already taken into account its existence. In fact, their use is regulated in the Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 of the European Parliament and from Council from 30 from November from 2009 about the products cosmetics. And it specifies that, in the Security Dossier of any nanocosmetic product must contain a File Nanosecurity, with some basic facts about the nanoscale modification that has been made to the product.
Whether you want to offer a new experience in sun tanning, or you want your cosmetic product to have a very striking colour, you can resort to the nanocosmetics product design. In fact, major laboratories are currently studying multiple ways to apply nanotechnology and the use of nanomaterials in the cosmetics sector. And it should come as no surprise that the nanocosmetics, as a type of product, are undergoing major growth and evolution.
However, we should find ways to use nanotechnology in such a way that:
- Not dangerous to our health
- Let's respect the environment and find ways to manage nano-waste., The aim is to prevent them from accumulating in our rivers, seas and oceans, as is currently the case with plastic.
A new challenge: nanocosmetics waste management
In this respect, the European Commission is already assessing the risks of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies through the Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR), more commonly known by its acronym in English SCENIHR.
Although the studies so far available from the Scientific Committee are not yet able to determine the exact risk of this new technology for human health and for the environment, the SCENIHR has warned that nanomaterials can accumulate inside the human body (the same as metals or very small particles such as microplastics) .
And the SCENIHR has also been able to demonstrate that by releasing technology-modified nanoparticles into the environment, waste is generated that it is not yet clear how they can be eliminated. So far, it has only been found that these nanomaterials are not always destroyed after the use of a nanocosmetic, and that they could be accumulating in our environment.
It is precisely these doubts about the supposed safety of nanomaterials and nanotechnologies that are at the centre of the scientific debate today. And in this sense, we should be able to reach a minimum consensus: «Tntil we are able to establish what the real risks of nanocosmetics are for our bodies and for the environment, we will not be able to develop effective policies on environmental sustainability».».