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        Cosmetics Science & Research

Cosmetics Nanotechnology Home
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          Cosmetics NanotechnologyCosmetics Science & Research Cosmetics Nanotechnology
  	
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    PrintFDA monitors the use of nanotechnology and the use of nanoscale materials in cosmetics. FDA also conducts and keeps abreast of related research. Consumers and manufacturers are interested in this information as well.

FDA does not have a legal definition for nanotechnology. However, when scientists talk about nanotechnology they are usually referring to the manipulation of material of extremely small size, usually at dimensions between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. For example, the head of a pin is about 1 million nanometers wide. A human hair is about 80,000 nanometers wide.

Although nanoscale materials account for only a very small portion of cosmetic ingredients, their use is growing.

Firms and individuals who market cosmetics have a legal responsibility to make sure their products and ingredients, including nanoscale materials, are safe under labeled or customary conditions of use, and that they are properly labeled. Under U.S. law, cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA approval before they go on the market. The one exception is color additives (other than coloring materials used in coal-tar hair dyes), which must be approved for their intended use.

The following are some resources on nanotechnology, from FDA and elsewhere:

FDA Information on Nanomaterials in Cosmetics

Guidance for Industry: Safety of Nanomaterials in Cosmetic Products
	Fact Sheet: Nanotechnology
	FDA's Nanotechnology Main PageFrom International Cooperation on Cosmetics Regulation (ICCR)

ICCR reports on nanotechnology, trace contaminants, safety assessment, and alternatives to animal testing: By clicking on this link, you will be leaving the FDA.GOV website and going to the ICCR website where you will find the reports on these topics.More Resources

Nanotechnology in Cosmetics, by Linda M. Katz, Kapal Dewan, and Robert L. Bronaugh, in Food and Chemical Toxicology, November 2015
	National Nanotechnology Initiative
	Consumer Product Safety Commission Statement on Nanotechnology (available in PDF) (PDF - 42KB)
	Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
	Nanotechnology at the National Institutes of Health
	Environmental Protection Agency Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials Research

                                                                                  Content current as of:
      03/24/2022
                  
                   
Regulated Product(s)
		 CosmeticsCosmetics Nanotechnology
 
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