Some say http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerium(IV)_oxide Cerium Dioxide will be revolutionary. Does anyone know much about this metal and its use in cosmetics, as well as its safety profile?

Sounds like the greatest advance by the Cosmetic Cartel since injecting nerve and brain toxins to reduce wrinkles.

The problem is toxicity. Cerium dioxide is also called cerium oxide. A further problem is that skin acids can break down the cerium oxide an release cerium ions which are skin irritants.

From Science Lad

Material Safety Data Sheet

Potential Acute Health Effects: Slightly hazardous in case of skin contact (irritant), of eye contact (irritant), of ingestion, of inhalation

One or more animal studies show broad systemic effects at moderate doses (low dose studies may be unavailable for this ingredient. Cerium dioxide tends to collect and remain in the body both in in wildlife and humans.

Environ Sci Technol. 2009 Apr 1;43(7):2634-40.Links
Direct combination of nanoparticle fabrication and exposure to lung cell cultures in a closed setup as a method to simulate accidental nanoparticle exposure of humans.
Rothen-Rutishauser B, Grass RN, Blank F, Limbach LK, Mühlfeld C, Brandenberger C, Raemy DO, Gehr P, Stark WJ.

Institute of Anatomy, Division of Histology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. barbara.rothen@ana.unibe.ch

The tremendous application potential of nanosized materials stays in sharp contrast to a growing number of critical reports of their potential toxicity. Applications of in vitro methods to assess nanoparticles are severely limited through difficulties in exposing cells of the respiratory tract directly to airborne engineered nanoparticles. We present a completely new approach to expose lung cells to particles generated in situ by flame spray synthesis. Cerium oxide nanoparticles from a single run were produced and simultaneously exposed to the surface of cultured lung cells inside a glovebox. Separately collected samples were used to measure hydrodynamic particle size distribution, shape, and agglomerate morphology. Cell viability was not impaired by the conditions of the glovebox exposure. The tightness of the lung cell monolayer, the mean total lamellar body volume, and the generation of oxidative DNA damage revealed a dose-dependent cellular response to the airborne engineered nanoparticles. The direct combination of production and exposure allows studying particle toxicity in a simple and reproducible way under environmental conditions.

Toxicol Lett. 2009 Jun 1;187(2):77-83. Epub 2009 Feb 4.Click here to read Links
Oxidative stress of CeO2 nanoparticles via p38-Nrf-2 signaling pathway in human bronchial epithelial cell, Beas-2B.
Eom HJ, Choi J.

Faculty of Environmental Engineering, College of Urban Science, University of Seoul, 90 Jeonnong-dong, Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul 130-743, Republic of Korea.

To understand the molecular mechanism of previously observed cerium oxide (CeO(2)) nanoparticles-induced oxidative stress, an in vitro toxicity assay was conducted using human bronchial epithelial cell, Beas-2B, focusing on the involvement of the oxidative stress responding signal transduction pathway and transcription factors in the toxicity of CeO(2) nanoparticles. Extracellular signal-regulating kinase (ERK), p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways, along with nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) and nuclear factor-E2-related factor-2 (Nrf-2), were investigated as the upstream events of oxidative stress from exposure to CeO(2) nanoparticles. The overall results suggest that CeO(2) nanoparticles may exert their toxicity through oxidative stress, as they cause significant increases in the cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) concentrations, subsequently leading to the strong induction of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) via the p38-Nrf-2 signaling pathway. Further studies on the mechanism by which CeO(2) nanoparticles induce the p38-Nrf-2 signaling pathway are warranted for a better understanding of the CeO(2) nanoparticles-induced oxidative stress; studies with other signaling pathways, with concentration-response and time course experiments would also be justified.

Toxicology. 2008 Mar 12;245(1-2):90-100. Epub 2008 Jan 3.Click here to read Links
Oxidative stress induced by cerium oxide nanoparticles in cultured BEAS-2B cells.
Park EJ, Choi J, Park YK, Park K.

College of Pharmacy, Dongduk Women's University, 23-1, Wolgok-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 136-714, Republic of Korea.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles of different sizes (15, 25, 30, 45 nm) were prepared by the supercritical synthesis method, and cytotoxicity was evaluated using cultured human lung epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Exposure of the cultured cells to nanoparticles (5, 10, 20, 40 microg/ml) led to cell death, ROS increase, GSH decrease, and the inductions of oxidative stress-related genes such as heme oxygenase-1, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and thioredoxin reductase. The increased ROS by cerium oxide nanoparticles triggered the activation of cytosolic caspase-3 and chromatin condensation, which means that cerium oxide nanoparticles exert cytotoxicity by an apoptotic process. Uptake of the nanoparticles to the cultured cells was also tested. It was observed that cerium oxide nanoparticles penetrated into the cytoplasm and located in the peri-region of the nucleus as aggregated particles, which may induce the direct interaction between nanoparticles and cellular molecules to cause adverse cellular responses.

Contact Dermatitis. 1982 Jul;8(4):282-3.Links
Depigmentation with cerium oxide.
Rapaport MJ.
No Abstract
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For cerium alone

The element also reacts with water, and it has been known to cause itchy skin, lesions, and heat sensitivity.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Dr. Pickart,

Yikes ,

I will definitely stick to my Day Cover & Titanium Dioxide in my Minerals.

I also like SB Sun Tanning Lotion for the body, I add Lavender Calypso's Oil to mine. I have found that it gives me enough protection allowing me to get some nice color without the burn. I hate looking like a ghost.

If I had a "red carpet affair" to attend, I would definitely go to the spray booth...

Sounds like another garbage breakthrough, blah. I got excited for a moment there too! Sigh

Stoney, if you had a red carpet affair just show off all that copper has done for your skin, hehe. No need for the spray booth. Tans are so demode now anyway.

Ya, You a right Juventus...

Besides, the only spray booth I have access to is the one my husband has set up in the basement & knowing him, I may turn out multi-colored... ...

I think I'll stick with the eternal look from copper & DHEA...

Haha, the spraying would be good for sculpting i guess, right? Everybody wants to enhance what they've got a little. No sense in wasting a spray booth set up! Just don't come out looking like some orange foreign creature!

Actually Juventus, I'd ONLY even consider if it was a "red carpet affair" at the beach...

Cerium oxide is used as a diminishing abrasive in Menzerna's top-of-the-range (ceramic clearcoat) car polishes.

Might work on hard scars.