Thezinc oxide (ZnO) refers to a chemical ingredient that combines a zinc atom with an oxygen atom. It is obtained by oxidizing metallic zinc vapor, and this, at high temperatures. The chemical reaction is written as follows.
2 Zn(solid) + O2 (gaseous) → 2 ZnO(solid)
This results in, on one hand, hexagonal and colorless crystals, or on the other hand, loose white powder, following the refraction of light in the small crystals.
ZnO can also be obtained by incinerating zinc hydroxide, zinc nitrate, or zinc carbonate, according to the following reaction.
Zn (OH)2 (solid) → ZnO(solid) + H2O(liquid)
Zinc oxide is primarily a UV-protective filter. It is used in sunscreens, acting as a shield on the skin's surface. Indeed, it is effective in blocking and deflecting UVA and UVB rays, thus protecting the skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
Beware, in some products, it may be of nanometric size. The health risks are as follows: psuspected percutaneous penetration, suspected reproductive toxicity, suspected genotoxicity, suspected carcinogenicity. Moreover, regarding the environment, there is also suspected aquatic ecotoxicity. Despite this, this UV filter remains bio-compatible according to the COSMOS standard.
At Typology, we adhere to the precautionary principle and exclude nanoparticles from our formulas.
Notably, zinc oxide is also used as a pigment, you can find it on INCI lists under the name CI 77947.