Nanoparticles (nano-sized minerals)
Mineral filters milled below 100 nm. EU labels must mark them '(nano)'. US labels usually do not disclose particle size, so 'non-nano' claims come from the brand, not the label.
No law we track restricts Nanoparticles (nano-sized minerals).
Where it’s restricted
No location we track restricts Nanoparticles (nano-sized minerals).
Why it’s regulated
The EU permits nano zinc oxide and nano titanium dioxide at up to 25% in cosmetics, but not in applications that may expose the end-user's lungs to them by inhalation. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 says there is "inadequate information on the risks associated with nanomaterials", requires nano ingredients to be followed by 'nano' in brackets, and requires notification of nano cosmetics six months before sale, though not for nano UV filters. Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/621 added zinc oxide (nano) to Annex VI in 2016.
What the reef research says
Corinaldesi et al. (2018) exposed Acropora spp. corals to uncoated nano zinc oxide and to two modified titanium dioxide forms in laboratory experiments. Uncoated zinc oxide caused severe, fast bleaching by disrupting the symbiosis between the coral and its algae (zooxanthellae). The same zinc oxide also acted directly on the symbiotic algae. The two titanium dioxide forms caused minimal changes to the symbiosis and no bleaching, which the authors judged more eco-compatible than zinc oxide. This entry rests on that one study of one coral genus.
Sources (4)
- Corinaldesi et al. 2018, Science of the Total Environment (DOI 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.108; PubMed 29801220)
- Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (EUR-Lex)
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/621, entries 30 and 30a of Annex VI (EUR-Lex)
- Commission Regulation (EU) 2016/1143, entry 27a of Annex VI (EUR-Lex)
Related ingredients: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide
Last reviewed October 14, 2026.