Illumin Magazineillumin.usc.edu/assets/submissions/1067/Illumnin.docx · Web viewIn the future,...
Transcript of Illumin Magazineillumin.usc.edu/assets/submissions/1067/Illumnin.docx · Web viewIn the future,...
Nanotechnology – Preserve Women’s Youth
Bingqing Zhong
Abstract
Cosmetics and skin care products have used the most advanced
technologies to help women preserve their youth and beauty.
Nanotechnology has enhanced the effectiveness and user friendliness of
cosmetics and provides a perspective of future of cosmetics.
Introduction
For thousands of years, women have been using cosmetics and skin
care products applied with advanced technologies to preserve their youth
and beauty. In ancient Egypt, women implanted gold fibers under their skin
to preserve their youth; in ancient China, women used face powder
composed of mercury to make their skin white and clear. Nowadays, the
technology is far more advanced and as a result, women’s youth and beauty
can be much better preserved. Nanotechnology can be used to create
extremely small atoms and molecules. Therefore, this technology can make
active ingredient carriers small enough to penetrate skin and make
cosmetics much easier to be absorbed by human skin.
Development of Nanotechnology
Nanotechnology is a technology dealing with small particles, each
about 1 to 100 nanometers. One nanometer is 109 of a meter and a sheet of
newspaper is about 100,000 nanometers thick. This technology was first
conceived by Physicist Richard Feynman, who first proposed a theory that
scientists could manipulate individual molecules and atoms; then Professor
Norio Taniguchi created the term nanotechnology; in 1981, modern
nanotechnology began with the development of the scanning tunneling
microscope and the atomic force microscope, which could "see" individual
atoms.
Fig. 1 Size of the Nanoscale
In only 33 years, nanotechnology has enhanced the properties of
many materials and products by giving them higher strength, lighter
weight, and greater chemical reactivity because scientist and engineers can
tailor the essential structures of materials at the nanoscale to achieve
specific properties. For instance, nano-scale materials in cosmetics provide
greater coverage and clarity.
Implications for Beauty
The nanotechnology has been used in sunscreens, skin cleansers,
complexion treatment, creams and specialized make up. For instance, La
Prairie introduced its 'Platinum Rare' Cellular Cream in which
nanotechnology is used to minimize skin pigmentation and wrinkles in only
six weeks; Olay was designed with nanoemulsion technology in 2005. The 2
main uses for nanotechnology in cosmetics are the use of nanoparticles as
UV filters and delivery agents.
First, best-selling sunscreens often contain titanium dioxide
nanoparticles or zinc oxide nanoparticles. These two kinds of nanoparticles
act as physical blockers to reflect and scatter UV radiations [2]. They are
better for sensitive skin and known for their abilities to protect skin from
UVA and UVB rays. They make sunscreen much clearer, less greasy, much
lighter and much easier to be absorbed by skin – no residue while retaining
ability to block UVA and UVB lights [2]. These nanoparticles can fit into
every nook and cranny of the skin, give more protection and coverage on
the skin’s surface [2]. Particularly, zinc oxide nanoparticles are especially
stable in sunlight, a property making them more appealing than larger zinc
oxide particles [2]. One example of such a sunscreen is “Vinosun Anti-Aging
Suncare” from Caudalie, which relies on “nanomized” UV filters.
Fig.2: Nanoparticles
Second, the nanotechnology is widely used in the delivery of active
ingredients in moisturizers, creams and other skin care products. The
nanoparticles used here include lipid, and dendritic or hyper-branched
polymers, which are much more efficient at delivering active ingredients to
the skin cells than their larger counterparts. Active ingredients are
contained in liposomes (simply bigger lipid nanoparticles); liposomes
combine with cellular membranes when applied to the skin, and then active
ingredients are released into the skin cells.
Fig. 3: Active ingredients encapsulated in both liposomes and
nanoparticles
Lipid nanoparticles also encapsulate active ingredients. However,
lipid nanoparticles are composed of much higher quality phospholipids than
larger liposomes are created from, and some lipid nanoparticles have higher
percentages of phosphatidylcholine, an essential component of cell
membranes. Therefore, lipid nanoparticles can much easily combine with
skin cells, and can even deliver phosphatidylcholine to feed the cells’ own
building block. Moreover, nanoparticles made with various phospholipid
types can contain and release both water soluble and oil soluble materials.
[3] For instance, L’Oreal has used polymer nanocapsules (a type of
nanoparticles) to deliver active ingredients such as Vitamin A to deeper
layers of skin. [4]
Nanoparticles can also be used as antioxidant ingredients in
cosmetics and skin cares. For instance, platinum and silver nanocolloids –
two types of metal nanoparticles, are used as active ingredients in ‘Platinum
Silver Nanocolloid Cream’ from DHC, to minimize the appearance of
wrinkles (Fig. 4).
Fig. 4 DHC Platinum Silver Nanocolloid Cream
Potential Risks
Despite all the benefits nanotechnology brings, there are still some
debates about its applications in cosmetics. Because of their size,
nanoparticles can have significantly different chemical properties from
larger scales of the same materials. Therefore, nanoparticles may introduce
new and potentially heightened risks that remain poorly understood.
Nanotechnology is so new that it is almost entirely untested for
negative health effects, and some argue there aren’t sufficient requirements
for either testing or labeling nanotechnology products to guarantee that
consumers are both safe and well informed of the risks. Moreover, some
animal experiments found that when carbon nanotubes are inhaled, they
may cause mesothelioma – a type of cancer. This finding identified the risks
exposed to workers who manufactured products containing carbon
nanotubes, and to the consumers who bought the final products.
Preliminary scientific research also suggested that since nanoparticles can
penetrate cell walls and they are highly reactive, some nanoparticles can be
toxic to human tissue and cells, resulting in DNA mutation and even cell
death. [5]
In fact, scientists have shown that at least some nanotechnology
products are indeed safe to use. There is no evidence suggesting that zinc
oxide and titanium dioxide nanoparticles can penetrate skin in any
significant amounts. A recent experiment suggested that penetration of zinc
oxide particles of 19 and 110 nanometers on people [6], who applied
sunscreen two times a day for five days, isn’t significant. Less than 0.01 %
of the zinc from either particle size entered the bloodstream. A European
Union study also found that sunscreen users did not show increased blood
zinc levels [5].
Still, there are some measures to prevent these risks and reduce
concerns about nanotechnology used in cosmetics. The Campaign for Safe
Cosmetics asks manufacturers and retailers to: 1) “label all products that
contain nanomaterial ingredients”, 2) request data from suppliers and
manufacturers on the impacts of nanomaterial ingredients, and 3) “prohibit
the unsafe or untested use of nanomaterial ingredients in personal care
products”. Moreover, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics suggests FDA to: 1)
“require the manufacturers of cosmetics and personal care products to
conduct comprehensive pre-market testing of products composed of
nanomaterial ingredients for their impact on public health, worker health
and environmental health”; (2) “prohibit the unsafe or untested use or sale
of nanomaterial ingredients in personal care products”; (3) create a publicly
accessible database on impacts of nanomaterial ingredients; and (4)
“require manufacturers to label all products they manufacture or sell that
contain nanomaterial ingredients”. [7] If the manufacturers, retailers and
FDA act as the proposals suggest, benefits and costs of nanotechnology will
be more accurately understood by all parties, and there will be less
concerns raised towards nanotechnology and its applications.
Futures of Nanotechnology
Every technology has its benefits and costs just like nanotechnology.
In the future, the nanotechnology will be far more advanced than today, so
many concerns will be reduced and many questions will be answered.
In the future, nanotechnology can be commonly used in anti-aging
products. Nanoparticles may be able to topically deliver retinoids and
antioxidants such as botulinum toxin or growth factors to rejuvenate skin.
[8] These active ingredients would not normally penetrate the skin if not
delivered by nanoparticles. For instance, antioxidant vitamin C can help
reduce age-related skin damage, and work bests below the top layer of skin.
Vitamin C of normal particle size is unstable and is hard to penetrate the
skin. Yet, in the future, the stability of vitamin C can be increased and its
ability to penetrate the skin can be enhanced by making vitamin C into
nanoparticles. [8]
Nanotechnology may also help with treatment of melanoma in the
future. Gold nanoshell is very useful to treat for melanoma in animal studies
because it can absorb specific wavelengths of light [9]. Gold nanoshell
particles generate heat when the wavelength of light unique to a type of
gold nanoshell is used on it. In one animal study, gold nanoshells were
joined with a molecule which homes to melanoma, and these particles are
injected into mice harboring melanoma [9]. After, the nanoshells gathered
together in the cancerous tissue. When lights with particular wavelength
illuminated the mice, their tumors, which were surrounded by gold
nanoshells, were heat up and killed. The remaining parts of this tissue,
lacked gold nanoshells, and thus were unharmed [9].
The future of nanotechnology is bright, given all these prospective
benefits. The risks present today exist, but as more research and
experiments are conducted, less questions about nanotechnology will be
raised. After knowing benefits and costs of nanotechnology, people will be
able to utilize this technology to the greatest extent in the right place.
[1] "What is Nanotechnology?". Available: http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-
101/ what/definition
[2] Bray, K, "Sunscreen and nanoparticles". Retrieved July, 2012 Available:
http:// www.choice.com.au/reviews-and-tests/food-and-health/beauty-and-
personal-care/ cosmetics/sunscreen-and-nanoparticles.aspx
[3] "Nanoparticles in Skincares & Cosmetics Is Smaller Better?". Available:
http://www.beautymagonline.com/sample-pages/1190-nanotechnology-2
[4] "Nanotechnology in Cosmetics". 2013 Available:
http://www.nanowerk.com/ nanotechnology-in-cosmetics.php
[5] "Nanotechnology." Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Web. Available: http://
safecosmetics.org/article.php?id=307
[6] "Nanoparticles in Sunscreens". Available:
http://www.ewg.org/2013sunscreen/ nanoparticles-in-sunscreen/
[7] "Position Statement On Nanotechnology". Available:
http://safecosmetics.org/ article.php?id=336
[8] "Sizing Up Nanotechnology: How Nanosized Particles May Affect Skin
Care Products." PRnewswire. Web. http://www.prnewswire.com/news-
releases/sizing-up-nanotechnology-how-nanosized-particles-may-affect-skin-
care-products86378327.html
[9] "Sizing Up Nanotechnology: How Nanosized Particles May Affect Skin
Care Products". Retrieved March, 2010 Available:
http://www.newswise.com/articles/ sizing-up-nanotechnology-how-
nanosized-particles-may-affect-skin-care-products
Fig. 1: "Size of the Nanoscale". Available: http://www.nano.gov/nanotech-
101/what/ nano-size
Fig. 2: Available: http://images.gizmag.com/hero/msnanoparticles.jpg
Fig. 3: Available: http://www.beautymagonline.com/sample-pages/1190-
nanotechnolo gy-2
Fig. 4: Available: http://www.dhccare.com/DHC/ProductDetail.aspx?
ProductID=3002