Yes, seriously. And what has that got to do with the European Green Deal?
What is the European Green deal?
All 27 EU Member States committed to turning the EU into the first climate neutral continent by 2050. To get there, they pledged to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030, compared to 1990 levels.
Read our previous article about the European Green Deal by clicking here.
The European Green Deal provides a framework for all economic activities.
It is the translation of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals into practical politics. Inter alia, it places great emphasis on the circular economy.[REF01]
We explained what is circular economy in our previous article here.
The world of cosmetics, on the other hand, is by its very nature a linear world.
It might be technically feasible to recycle facial creams, lipsticks, mascara and such like, but in practice that just does not happen.
Facial creams, lipsticks, mascara and such like are bought, used, and discarded.
That does not mean that the world of cosmetics could or should be exempt from greening-up and becoming more circular.
What are nanoparticles?
Size matters. In this case, small sizes.
Nanoparticles are little fragments of any material.
In the broadest definition, they range in size between 1 and 1000 nanometres; in the context of cosmetics, they are typically between 150 - 300 nm.
Why are nanoparticles used in cosmetics?
The reason why nanoparticles (NPs) are employed in cosmetics is that they are more effective than the same material in bigger particle size.
Sun protection
For instance, titanium dioxide (TiO2) and zinc oxide (ZnO) are materials used in sunscreens to filter out harmful UV-radiation before it can reach and damage the skin.
The nano-formulations of these materials have been shown repeatedly to give much better performance than larger particles, reflecting visible light and absorbing UV with very high efficiency.[REF02]
©UltraBee
Other (proposed) applications of nanoparticles in cosmetics include:
Liposomes: for their enhanced absorption by skin.
Nano-emulsions: for their ability to prolong the shelf life of personal care products.
Nano-capsules : for their controlled release.
Nanocapsules
Solid lipid nanoparticles: for their enhanced UV blocking
Nanocrystals: for more effective passage through skin
Nano-silver and nano-gold: for their enhanced antibacterial properties.
Dendrimers: for better delivery of active agents
Cubosomes: for their low cost and potential for controlled release.
Hydrogels: for their prolonged effect on the place of application.
Buckminster fullerene, or buckyballs (for its potential to scavenge free radicals and slow down the aging process).
The smaller, the better?
Achieving the same or better effects with a lower loading of the active ingredient (titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in the example above) is in itself a step towards increased sustainability.
The smaller - the better?... Not sure
In the case of nanoparticles in cosmetics, the 'the smaller, the better' idea is, however, limited.
At sizes below 100 nm, nanoparticles start to permeate the skin and enter the body's circulation systems, either the blood stream or the lymphatic system.
This can lead to an active ingredient intended for one place (say, the skin) ending up somewhere else entirely (say, the liver) and cause deleterious effects.
The Nanopharmaceutical Classification System (NCS)
For this reason, a classification system has been devised.
It is called the Nanopharmaceutical Classification System (NCS) and it is used to assess the toxicity of nano-materials based on:
their size (below or above 100 nm) and
their biodegradability.
According to these two parameters, nanomaterials are classified into four classes (I-IV).
Class I describes the nanomaterials having a particle size between 100 and 1000 nm (limiting access to cells) and are composed of biodegradable materials. These nanomaterials are considered safe and tolerable.
However, nanomaterials having a particle sizes of less than 100 nm (which can penetrate the cells) and consist of non-biodegradable materials are classified as class IV and are considered as a potential risk and toxic.[REF03]
And what has all that got to do with the Green Deal?
This is a text book example of how politics can drive change.
Often we see the reverse, namely that technological development is far ahead of the political field, for instance, in the explosion in communication technology we have seen since the 90s (and continue to see) it took lawmakers years to adapt the laws to new forms of electronic communication such as email.
In the Green Deal, however, it is the political field defining the terms of business to come.
These policies tie in with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals 2030 (SDGs) and they demand that any novel substance or product should be functional, safe, cost-effective, and sustainable to ensure acceptance by consumers and compliance with regulation and guidelines.
It should be noted that neither in the EU nor the US authorities have legal rights to approve of (or prevent) cosmetic products before they enter the market (as opposed to drugs and other medical products).
However, from now on, any novel product has to conform to the sustainability criterion.
Smart materials - the next step?
So-called 'smart-materials' are a hot topic in pharmaceutical research.
These are materials which can timely and reversibly changes certain critical properties during use and activate specific functions upon exposure to one or more external stimuli.
They are also called ‘active’, ‘adaptive’ or ‘stimuli-responsive’ materials.
This is where the worlds of pharmacy and cosmetics overlap, and such products have been called 'cosmeceuticals'.
This term is used widely in the industry, however, it is not legally recognised.
The regulatory bodies of various countries are of course aware of these developments, and they use various terms instead: The Chinese call them 'cosmetics for special use', the Koreans call them 'functional cosmetics', and the Japanese 'quasi-drugs'.
It has been pointed out that active nanostructures challenge the existing risk assessment frameworks because they behave somewhere between a chemical and a living organism.
It will be interesting to see where this development leads to, both in technical and in regulatory respect.
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