Makeup

There’ve been a lot of dubious scientific claims about skin care over the years but could nanotechnology be the skin care revolution we’ve all been waiting for?

What is Nanotechnology?

Nano just means very small – technically anything smaller than 0.25 millimeters and nanotechnology is an emerging science that focuses on manipulating individual molecules. The unit of measurement is a nanometer (nm) and each is about 100 000 times smaller than the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology is being heralded as a possible cure for a host of diseases, including cancer but has also sprouted another branch of research, often branded as ‘nano-emulsion technology’ or ‘Nano Chem’ conducted by Cosmeceutical Chemists.

How nanotechnology could really work.

The epidermis (top layer of skin) on your face is about 0.2 millimeters thick. It doesn’t sound like much but to the active ingredients in most skin care products, it may as well be a mile thick. Many products on the market are considered “scientifically unlikely to make significant improvements” because they don’t penetrate the epidermis, they simply create a nutrient rich barrier between the environment and your skin.
The cure for this has been more invasive technologies that tear at the skin or are injected under the skin. The surface of your skin has dead skin cells but also a lipid (fat) layer that contains very, very small gaps. These gaps are so small that nothing could get between them, until nanotechnology came along. Nanotechnology allows scientists to develop skin care products that deliver active ingredients right to the (aging) heart of your skin.

But is it safe?

There are some concerns that any substance which penetrates skin may make it into the blood stream and increase risk of disease and reactions. Nanotechnology is used (both labeled and unlabeled) in hundreds of skin care, make up and other beauty products and opposition groups such as Friends of the Earth have expressed concern about their physical properties and their potential risk to cells and organs.

The technology can potentially turn otherwise safe materials harmful. According to a 2009 study by Friends of The Earth, their tiny size means that they are able to penetrate not just skin but other organs. Some animal studies have found that they can pass through organs, into the blood stream and potentially cause brain damage, pre-cancerous lesions, birth defects, lung and heart disease. There has not however, been any large scale tests into individual products although there have been calls to introduce such tests.

With more and more “nano products” on the market, and greater claims with every product, it’s no wonder it’s a billion dollar industry. Whether it works long term and whether it is completely safe, well, just like everything about your skin, it will become obvious with time.

***About the Author: Susan Long helps people keep the worry lines at bay both in her relentless pursuit of the fountain of youth and through her work at Sell Property Quickly.