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New Nanoparticle Sunblock Is Stronger and Safer, Scientists Say

Posted by samzenpus on from the permanent-shade dept.

sciencehabit writes: What's the best sunscreen? It's a question that troubles beachgoers, athletes, and scientists alike. Mark Saltzman, who falls into the last category, was so concerned by the time his third child was born that he wanted to engineer a better sunblock. "The initial goal was to make a sunblock that lasted longer," says Saltzman, a biomedical engineer at Yale University. "But as I read more about sunscreen, I became aware of people's concerns about safety." Now, he and his colleagues have unveiled the results of their research: a nanoparticle-based sunblock, which they say is longer lasting and less likely to leak into the body than traditional sunscreen.

18 of 114 comments (clear)

  1. First sunbeam by SomeoneFromBelgium · · Score: 2

    ... or not (blocked)

  2. Nano Zinc Oxide is not new by YesIAmAScript · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's been around for a while. It has the block power of zinc oxide without being white.

    http://ec.europa.eu/health/sci...

    This article is not clear about which nanoparticles they are using, but we already have effective sunblocks using nanoparticles.

    --
    http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
    1. Re:Nano Zinc Oxide is not new by Kkloe · · Score: 2

      because it "passes" * cough * through alot of vital organs and instead of passing through it gets concentrated up to toxic levels or react with other things inside the body?

    2. Re:Nano Zinc Oxide is not new by sexconker · · Score: 3, Funny

      I live in the worst desert on the planet

      Say hello to the penguins for me!

  3. What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by Ihlosi · · Score: 4, Insightful

    What's wrong with titanium dioxide again?

    1. Re:What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

      Except it is used as white food coloring. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanium_dioxide

    2. Re:What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by Misagon · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Titanium Dioxide is a common additive as white colouring in foodstuffs such as cookies and candy. For instance, it is sometimes used to make sugar glazing on German lebkuchen cookies whiter.
      In Europe it is often in ingredients lists under the number E-171 rather than its full name.

      Titanium Dioxide is one of the pigments that are suspected of leaking into the body, both from food and from its use in sunscreen.
      Therefore, it is something that I look for and avoid.

      --
      "We mustn't be caught by surprise by our own advancing technology" -- Aldous Huxley
    3. Re:What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by Attila+the+Bun · · Score: 2

      Nothing, if you don't mind covering yourself in thick white paint. In nano-particle form it is less unsightly, but there are concerns about the health effects of nano-particles. Their small size gives them a high proportion of broken or strained chemical bonds, which can work as a chemical catalyst. There is concern that nano-sized particles could enter cells, and their reactivity could lead to DNA damage. Given the cumulative nature of such damage, and the long time scale for the effects to become apparent, it will be some time before the safety of nano-particles is properly established.

    4. Re:What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by Muad'Dave · · Score: 2

      Already exists. My wife bought this by accident and looked fabulous while we were on St. Croix.

      --
      Tiller's Rule: Never use a word in written form that you've only heard and never read. You will end up looking foolish.
    5. Re:What's wrong with titanium dioxide? by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Therefore, it is something that I look for and avoid.

      Lots of things leak into the body. Why is it that specifically this one should be avoided if it's considered safe to eat?

  4. Best sunscreen... by glaciator · · Score: 3, Interesting

    ...is plant fiber, twisted into strings and tightly woven. AKA clothes. White cotton or linen, preferably. Ask the desert people their opinion about nanoparticles.

    1. Re:Best sunscreen... by CastrTroy · · Score: 3, Informative

      Works great at the beach.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    2. Re:Best sunscreen... by thegarbz · · Score: 2

      Of course OP is correct. But the whole purpose of sunscreen is that we don't need to wear cloths. Bikinis have been getting smaller for decades, let's not undo all that good work out of fear of a bit of sunlight.

      Me, I wear a rashie, but I do it for protection, ... other people's protection ... me without a shirt on is cruel and unusual punishment. December 31st is coming though so maybe I'll set a goal to have abs next year ... again.

  5. Stay out of the sun, or wear clothing by cerberusss · · Score: 2

    FTFA:

    Mark Saltzman, who falls into the last category, was so concerned by the time his third child was born that he wanted to engineer a better sunblock.

    Little children don't belong in the sun, in my opinion. I dress my two year old such that only her face, hands and feet are exposed by clothing. Every hour or so, I apply sunscreen. During summer, we'll be outside of course but if possible in some sort of shaded place. I've seen small children burned red by the sun, and I'm amazed at the carelessness. Better your child is hot than burned, right?

    That was my pet peeve. Besides that, I applaud this research.

    --
    8 of 13 people found this answer helpful. Did you?
    1. Re:Stay out of the sun, or wear clothing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

      "Little children don't belong in the sun" is just the other side of the "let your kid burn" coin. Both are extremes, and you'd probably be doing your kid better by chilling out a bit. You are likely contributing to chemical imbalances, depression, and/or vitamin D deficiency. You could be making your kid unnaturally paranoid about minor dangers. You could be restricting critical outdoor play time. Please don't take this as insulting your parenting, I know you're doing what you feel is best, it's just that this overprotectiveness is happening more and more lately and in many instances leading to worse problems than they aim to solve (while simultaneously requiring ten times the worry and energy from the parents).

      People need sunlight. On our skin, diffused/reflected into our eyes. It's absolutely necessary. Yeah, too much of it is a bad thing, so don't get too much. But too little is also bad.

  6. Re:Toxic by Chrisq · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Aren't nanoparticles toxic?

    Absolutely, just like chemicals are ;-)

  7. Lab notebook by 6Yankee · · Score: 2

    August 12th: Test Subject 2 appears to have cooked. Another 9-month sabbatical, damn it.

  8. nano zinc oxide is not dangerous by NostalgiaForInfinity · · Score: 2

    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pu...

    Based on the current weight of evidence of all available data, the risk for humans from the use of nano-structured titanium dioxide (TiO(2)) or zinc oxide (ZnO) currently used in cosmetic preparations or sunscreens is considered negligible. [...] Multiple studies have shown that under exaggerated test conditions neither nano-structured TiO(2) nor ZnO penetrates beyond the stratum corneum of skin.