Zinc oxide that has the photocatalytic activity is used as a white pigment for cosmetics. A certain degree of sebum on the skin is decomposed by the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight. In this work, zinc phosphates were prepared from zinc nitrate and phosphoric acid at pH 5 and 7 with and without the addition of sodium lactate and ultrasonic treatment as a novel white pigment for use in cosmetics. The chemical composition, powder properties, photocatalytic activity, colour phase, moisture retention and smoothness of the zinc phosphates were studied. The obtained materials had a Zn/P ratio of about 1.5, which corresponds to zinc orthophosphate Zn3 (PO4 )2 . Samples prepared with ultrasonic treatment indicated the high ratios of large particles in scanning electron microscopy images and particle-size distributions. The photocatalytic activity of these zinc phosphate particles was too less to protect the sebum on the skin. The materials obtained and their thermal products at 100°C showed a high reflectance within the range of visible light. The slipping resistance and roughness of the powder were enough low for use in cosmetics.
Keywords: particle shape; photocatalytic activity; water retention; white pigment; zinc phosphates.
© 2014 Society of Cosmetic Scientists and the Société Française de Cosmétologie.