Why does the label [Nano] now appear next to titanium dioxide and zinc oxide in the list of ingredients on your suncare products? 

Since 1 January 2022, the ingredient list on our packaging has included the designation [nano] next to titanium dioxide and zinc oxide (mineral filters that protect against UVB and UVA rays). 

The [nano] label appears due to a change in the technique used to measure mineral filters. 

At present, there is no standardised technique for assessing nanoparticles. Several methods exist, and legislation does not require one to be favoured over another.

Until now, we have used the DLS technique, which measures mineral filters as they naturally occur in finished products and once applied to the skin—that is, coated and agglomerated, forming large aggregates.

However, in France, regulatory bodies use exclusively another technique, SEM (Scanning Electron Microscopy). Yet this technique alters the actual state of the mineral filters. Indeed, prior to measurement, it involves modifying the natural aggregates and selecting the smallest particles. It then measures the smallest dimension of these particles. This technique produces results that directly impact the regulatory status of the substances analysed: particles that were previously measured as ‘non-nano’ are now measured and identified as ‘nano’.

Laboratoires de Biarritz has decided to follow the guidelines issued by regulatory bodies and has therefore made changes to the list of ingredients shown on the packaging of its suncare products.

However, our formulas remain unchanged. This new labelling has absolutely no impact on the safety and reliability of our certified organic suncare products:

- the mineral filters in our sun care products, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, are inert and stable, making them highly tolerable; they cause neither allergies nor skin irritation.

- when applied to the skin, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are completely safe, as has already been demonstrated by numerous studies. 

- We recently commissioned a new scientific study on our suncare products, which once again proves that our mineral filters remain strictly on the skin’s surface. They do not penetrate the skin’s layers and therefore pose no risk of entering the bloodstream or the body. They are therefore completely safe. (Study published in the Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications – Sept 2021).

- Beyond the proven safety of our mineral filters, the formulas of our Sun Care products are certified organic, containing 99.5% to 100% ingredients of natural origin. This guarantees healthy formulas, free from any risky or controversial petrochemical ingredients.