Sunscreen Ingredient Linked to Diabetes

With the summer sun shining, more and more people are reading the ingredients lists on their sunscreen containers. Handily, the Environmental Working Group (EWG) has compiled a list of chemicals in sunscreens to be on the lookout for.  However, the information listed doesn’t include a recent study on the potential toxicity of titanium dioxide (TiO₂).

Pure TiO₂ is a fine, white powder with light-scattering properties, and is added to foods (cheeses, milks and yogurts), wall paint, lotions and, of course, sunscreen because it reflects ultraviolet light, and also yields a bright white pigment. The Food and Drug Administration claims TiO2 can be used safely as a color additive in quantities up to 1% by weight of the food. However, with the advent of nanotechnology, and new studies emerging, these limits may need revisiting.