Titanium Dioxide, popularly known as Titania, is a white opaque naturally occurring mineral. It exists in multiple crystalline forms and can be mined to serve as commercial Titanium. This most popular oxide of Titanium is naturally occurring, odourless, and absorbent. It is a valuable element in manufacturing industries such as cosmetics, soaps, paints etc. Its most important function is to be used as a pigment as it provides whiteness and opacity.
For the longest time, Titanium dioxide has been used as a bleaching agent. Today, Titanium dioxide is used in medicines and also cosmetics as it has an anti-blemishing property. Due to its good absorption of UV rays is used in sunscreen lotions and creams for a good SPF.
Why is Titanium Dioxide Used in Soaps?
Titanium Dioxide is a white pigment that provides maximum brightness and opacity. In addition, it has good hiding power, meaning that it can hide any substance underneath. The Titanium Dioxide pigment does the hiding job more effectively than any other white pigment. One of the reasons why Titanium Dioxide manufacturer uses pigments in the soap making process is because they are non-bleeding and do not morph in a high pH environment.
This natural white opaque pigment Titanium Dioxide is used in soap making because it can lighten the colour of the soap. It not only lightens its colour but also provides crisp and excellent looking features to the soaps. Light coloured soaps are more appealing to people than dark colours. The job of Titanium Dioxide is to hide the dark colours underneath and outshine the soft colours in the appearance of soaps. It is generally suggested to use only one teaspoon of titanium dioxide when preparing soaps.
Is TiO2 Safe To Use in Soaps?
Titanium Dioxide is a safe pigment and FDA approved to be used in cosmetic manufacturing. It has shown no adverse effect in cosmetic applications and has been in use for many years. However, even after so many years of manufacturing and using TiO2 in industries, its name is still controversial. The controversy is about Titanium dioxide being a possible carcinogen. The debate came to light in 1985 when a research lab exposed rats to Titanium dioxide dust for two years, which resulted in cancerous tumours in them.
Anyways, it has been published that the adverse effects of Titanium Dioxide on human skin are harmless. The very reason for Titanium Dioxide being used in cosmetics is that it prevents absorption into the skin. However, some recent studies have shown that TiO2 is broken into tiny particles called nanoparticles. During the manufacturing process, these nanoparticles can penetrate the skin. But not every product containing TiO2 contains these nanoparticles, and not every product containing nanoparticles is considered harmful. Thus, it is crucial to look into the ingredients before using any cosmetics.
Titanium Dioxide in Soaps: The Process
Before starting the process of soap making, it is essential to know if Titanium Dioxide is water-soluble or oil soluble. Generally, TiO2 does not dissolve in water but just test it and move further if unsure.
While the soaps are manufactured with the cold process, it is still necessary to follow some steps and measurements for an accurate result.
In the cold process, soap TiO2 should be dispersed in a lightweight liquid oil at the rate of 1 tsp colourant to 1 tbsp oil.
Just make sure there are no clumps or tightness in the mixture. A mini blender or mixer might help to remove the clumps. When glycerine is used in soap, clusters of glycerine can be found.
This could happen during the overheating of soap. So, to prevent congealing of glycerine, reduce the temperatures of soap by 10 degrees.
Mixing is easy for melt and pouring soaps as the Titanium Dioxide colour block mixes into the soap very easily.