Ylang Ylang Protective Cream – Reef Safe!

Certified organic Costa Rican aloe gel, almond oil, certified organic Costa Rican cocoa butter, soy oil, vegetable glycerin, vegetable emulsifying wax, micronized titanium dioxide, coffee extract, vitamin E oil, vegetable glycerin, 100% natural essence oils of ylang-ylang, lavender and peppermint, preservative.

Interested in learning more about the ingredients we use? Click here for a complete list!

Micronized Titanium dioxide is a natural mineral as old as the earth itself. It is also the subject of much controversy, yet it is one of the top fifty “chemicals” produced worldwide. To clarify, a naturally occurring oxide of the element titanium. Also referred to as titanium (IV) oxide or titania, this substance also occurs naturally as three mineral compounds known as anatase, brookite, and rutile. However, it is most commonly extracted from titanium tetrachloride by carbon reduction and re-oxidization.

Titanium Dioxide has very high refraction properties. In fact, titanium dioxide is one of the whitest materials known to exist on Earth, which has earned it the nickname “titanium white.” In cosmetic preparations it reflects light away from the skin, and is a major component of sun block, deterring the absorption of ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun. The concentration of which determines the product’s Sun Protection Factor, or SPF.

Recently, consumer fear has arisen due to studies that have pointed to titanium dioxide as a carcinogen and photocatalyst. But are these fears valid?

A carcinogen is a substance that causes a cellular malfunction, the cell then becomes cancerous and potentially lethal to the surrounding tissues and ultimately these rapidly growing mutated cells take over.

We all want to live in the healthiest way possible, however, with any health issue, relevant studies must be examined closely to reach balanced conclusions about its impact on our health and well-being.

We do not want to be placing ourselves and our family in harms way, yet we also need to be aware that these studies are often not accurate, and do more harm than help.

In 1985, the NIOSH declaration of carcinogenicity based a study by Lee, Trochimowicz & Reinhardt, on “Pulmonary Response of Rats Exposed to Titanium Dioxide by Inhalation over Two Years”. The authors of this study found that rats chronically exposed to excessive dust loading of 250 mg/m cubed and impaired clearance mechanisms for six hours per day, five days per week over 2 years, developed slight lung tumors. They also noted that the biological relevance of this data to lung tumors in humans is negligible. However, several studies and study reviews have been used to compile the safety disclaimers for the regulations on the permitted use of titanium dioxide. One such study review took place in Rome, 1969 between the World Health Organization and the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The conference concluded that titanium dioxide at varying diet percentages and over long periods of time did not cause absorption of this mineral in humans. Titanium dioxide particulates were not detected in the blood, liver, kidney or urine and no adverse effects were noted from its ingestion.

In 2002 the U.S. Food & Drug Administration allowed for its ingestion, external application including the eye area, and considers it a safe substance for public health. Titanium dioxide is listed as a safe pigment, with no known adverse effects when used in cosmetics, and approved by the FDA when 99% pure. It is not listed as a carcinogen, mutagen, teratogen, comedogen, toxin or as a trigger for contact dermatitis in any other safety regulatory publications.

It seems safe to conclude that titanium dioxide is not a cancer-causing substance unless exposure is beyond safe limits during manufacturing using this substance.

At Raw Botanicals we have chosen to use a combination of “micro-fine” or micronized fine and coarse particle sized titanium dioxide as our mineral pigments sunscreen option.

With so many cosmetic choices out there, it is truly hard to be informed, we have tried to make things easier for our clients and put your best interest, health and wellbeing in the forefront of everything we do.

4 oz or 118 ml

Shake well. Apply liberally to body & face frequently, and as needed. (See Molly’s Tips Tab for more details.)