Nanoparticles, the tiny particles used increasingly in skin care products to make them easier to put on and transparent on the skin, need further testing for safety, says U.K consumer watchdog Which?. These particles are also used in electronics, food containers, sunscreens, and a variety of applications including delivering medicines.

The BBC reports that Which? has called for more safety checks and tighter regulation of their use as there are unresolved issues and concerns about their long-term effects on the human body. It has also said that currently consumers can’t tell which cosmetic products contain nanoparticles, as many do not advertise their incorporation.

A new report states that nanotechnology is the creation and using of materials, devices, and systems through the control of matter on the nanometre-length scale, which is one billionth of a metre.

Which? drew particular attention to a type of nanomaterial called “fullerenes” used in anti-aging cream products. Scientists have raised questions on the potential toxicity of fullerenes, if they were able to penetrate the skin.

Anti-aging products are a leading category within skin care markets across the world. Analysts say that the overall skin care market could reach $7 billion by 2010.

In fact, some research has found that nanoparticles can breach the key personal protective barrier- the skin. For instance, the September issue of the journal, Nano Letters, published a paper showing that nanoparticles pass through the skin of a living organism, a type of mouse commonly used as a model to study the damaging effects of sunlight. This has been identified as the strongest evidence so far showing that some nanoparticles are so small that they can actually seep through skin, especially if the skin has been damaged. This research raises concerns that the nanoparticles present within sunscreens could potentially seep through sunburned skin and cause damage.

This article in the BBC quotes Professor Dame Ann Dowling, chairman of the Royal Society working group on nanotechnologies, as saying, “The Royal Society has been calling, for the last four years, for companies to make public the safety testing methods they have been using on their nanoproducts. We are disappointed at continuing lack of transparency in this area.”

Further reading:
The Impact of Nanotechnology on the Consumer Goods Market to 2015

U.S. Baby Boomer Attitudes, Opportunities and Health/Anti-Aging: At Home, At Work and On the Road