The chemical is also found in common household and industrial products such as paints, coatings, adhesives, paper, plastics and rubber, printing inks, coated fabrics and textiles, as well as ceramics.
Titanium dioxide can be both safe and unsafe, depending on its use. When inhaled, titanium dioxide is considered possibly carcinogenic to humans. This means that in products that contain powdered titanium dioxide like loose powders, pressed powders, eyeshadows, and blushes in which the makeup is in powder form, titanium dioxide can be inhaled. Titanium dioxide is also an occupational chemical of concern, as workers might inhale titanium dioxide when manufacturing products.
Due to its low binder requirement, lithopone provides paints with good flow and application properties. In the plastic processing industry, it is added to plastics to increase the plastic product’s UV tolerance, thus increasing its outdoor life. In the leather industry, it is one of the sulfide-based white pigments. It is also used in the production of linoleum floorings.
But a chemical’s safety when it’s used externally is not always the same as when it’s ingested. Different uses of the same ingredient may cause very different health outcomes.

Titanium dioxide (TiO2). Titanium dioxide is the most common white pigment used today. As a pigment, titanium dioxide is unique because it combines both high colouring and high opacifying capacity. This is mainly due to its high refractive index (2.7). Furthermore, titanium dioxide is an excellent UV absorber (it is used in sun protective creams). Some typical properties are: density 3.3-4.25 g/cm3; pH of water suspension 3.5-10.5; particle size 8–300 nm; oil absorption 10–45 g/100 g; specific surface area 7–160 m2/g. Most titanium dioxide is produced from the rutile (TiO2) or ilmenite (titanate of ferrous iron). Titanium dioxide can be obtained using different processes.