Boron nitride applications in the cosmetics industry

Aug 26,2025

　　As consumers become increasingly discerning about skincare and makeup products, the use of powder ingredients in cosmetics is expanding rapidly. High-quality powder ingredients can effectively enhance the texture of cosmetic products, subtly blurring facial features while significantly boosting overall product performance. Hexagonal boron nitride, prized for its smooth, glide-like feel, excellent adhesion, radiant white sheen, heat dissipation, and ease of formulation, is now widely employed in foundations, powders, eyeshadows, lipsticks, and even skincare formulations.

　　Boron nitride particles, due to their electrostatic properties, enhance the adhesion of cosmetic products. Additionally, their excellent slip characteristics help firm the skin while making it easier to remove makeup. Boron nitride contains dangling bonds (-OH) that readily interact with liquid solvents, resulting in a large surface area. This unique feature enables cosmetics formulated with boron nitride to deliver brightening and illuminating base makeup effects, along with long-lasting, smudge-resistant coverage. Moreover, the larger the boron nitride crystals, the more intense the pearlescent sheen becomes—making boron nitride an ideal filler for lipsticks, providing both smooth application and a radiant, glossy finish.

　　According to the study titled "Preparation of Spherical Boron Nitride Composite Powders and Investigation of Their Sunscreen Formulation Properties," composite powders were fabricated using titanium dioxide/mica and boron nitride as initial materials, processed separately through mechanical mixing and spherification techniques. An emulsion was then formulated using linseed oil, and its optical and sunscreen characteristics—including the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) and critical wavelength—were evaluated using a UV-NIR spectrophotometer and a sun protection factor tester. The results revealed that the spherically shaped composite powder exhibited a median particle size of 8.8 µm, demonstrating significantly enhanced absorption intensity in terms of optical properties compared to nano-sized titanium dioxide (~20 nm). Notably, while most commercially available sunscreen products currently rely on titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as their primary powder ingredient, this study highlights the promising potential of boron nitride as an alternative material with substantial growth opportunities in the sunscreen industry.

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The boron nitride industry continues to expand its dynamic application areas.