Talc, silicone oil, silicon dioxide - where is the "sacred"?

Can the stone eat? Silicone oil causes cancer? What talcum powder, silica, silicone oil we see in our daily care products, which is the demon? Since the development of the industry, many raw materials are safe and contribute to important functions. I will share this slightly serious science with you today and defile these "honest people"~

talcum powder
Talc is the softest mineral on earth – a finely white powder of talc. As a natural silicate, its main component is magnesium silicate. It is smooth and soft, and has an inert response to the skin (that is, it is non-irritating to the skin) and has stable performance. Consumers' misunderstanding of talcum powder mainly comes from the asbestos or asbestos-like fiber components that may be contained in unfiltered natural talcum powder. The global health authorities have confirmed the talc powder without asbestos impurities by reviewing the existing data. For the safety of personal care products. Currently, talc has been approved for use in many countries and plays an important role in various fields.

In the cosmetic application, talc has the physical and chemical properties such as lubrication, anti-adhesion, softness, good hiding power, good gloss and strong adsorption, which can enhance the blocking effect of infrared rays, so that the cosmetics have protective functions. The smooth and pure mildness of talc fans has made it an important raw material for all kinds of powdery cosmetics such as talcum powder, blush, powder, rouge and so on. Even when caring for baby skin, there is no shortage of it.

In addition to the cosmetic field, pharmaceuticals (such as lubricants for formulation, tablet coatings and sustained release formulations) are also widely used. In addition, talc can also be used in the food field, such as in the processing of candy and fermentation extraction process as a release agent and anti-adhesive agent (used as a thin coating in chewing gum and candy to prevent the candy from sticking to the outer packaging) It is used as an anti-caking agent in the processing of fruit and vegetable foods (the hoarfrost of the food such as plum, dried tangerine peel, dried apricots, etc. is sometimes talcum powder ~ can be safely eaten). After several years of scientific and clinical research, the safety of talc has been further confirmed.

Silicone oil
Silicone oil is called polysiloxane and belongs to high molecular polymer. Silicone oil began to be used in cosmetics in 1950, and it developed rapidly in cosmetics after 1970. Silicone-containing cosmetics have the following characteristics: good lubricity, a uniform water-repellent protective film on the skin, no greasy and sticky feeling, good gloss; good anti-ultraviolet radiation properties, in ultraviolet light It will not cause oxidative deterioration and cause skin irritation; good antistatic performance and dustproof effect; good air permeability, does not affect sweat discharge after film formation; good stability and chemical inertness and matching performance.
Silicone oil has always played its own role in obscurity. The misunderstanding of silicone oil by small partners mainly comes from the promotion of some advertisements. However, Xiaobian here is responsible for telling everyone that there is no evidence that silicone oil is teratogenic and carcinogenic, and silicone oil cannot “clog pores” as some people speculate. For people with dry hair, silicone oil can adhere to the gaps of the scales, making the surface of the hair smooth and supple. It is a gospel and far from a disaster. (Do you think that silicone oil is particularly good, you can't see those products that claim to contain silicone oil)

Silica
Many people mentioned that silica will think of stones. How can stones be used in cosmetics? In fact, in cosmetics, we often contact fumed silica with small particle size and uniform particle size distribution. This nano-scale silica has high activity and wide application. In recent years, with the increasing awareness of fumed silica, it has been increasingly used in personal care products such as skin care products, sunscreens, make-up, antiperspirants, hair care products, shower gels, and facial cleansers. In particular, it better solves the problem of suspension of solid particles in the formulation, and gives the system more excellent characteristics, making it one of the essential raw materials in high-grade skin care products, liquid foundation, mascara and lip gloss.
Specifically, in makeup and eye care, including dense powder, foundation, rouge, eye shadow, eyebrow line and eyeliner, fumed silica is a highly effective anti-caking agent and fluxing agent, which can improve storage stability and powderiness. Product dispersion. In emulsions, silica is particularly suitable for increasing the viscosity of the emulsion, increasing the water resistance of the cream and lotion, and reducing the amount of surfactant. In sunscreen products, silica improves storage stability and also improves the water repellency of the formulation. It also allows the sunscreen in the formulation to be more evenly distributed to increase the sun protection index.
In addition, silica, as a natural mineral, is added to many nutritional supplements such as protein powders and capsules. Its anti-caking effect is to separate the individual powders by wrapping the food particles to keep the food in optimal free flow. At the same time, the silica wrapped around the food particles can effectively absorb the surrounding humid air to prevent moisture from agglomerating during storage. Certainly the little fairies will ask: Is the silicon dioxide in the food harmful to the human body? In fact, silica is an officially recognized food additive ("GB 2760-2014 Food Additive Use Standard"). When used as an anti-caking agent, the amount of silica is very small, so there is no need to worry about side effects.

Conclusion
Whether it is talc, silicone oil or silica, as a basic raw material recognized by the formulation community for many years, their safety is unquestionable under proper use. It is a good thing for the little fairies to start from the ingredients when screening the products, but we must also polish our eyes. For these stigmatized "honest people", we must return them to an innocence.