Why Do Parks Care What Sunscreen We Use?

flamingos

Earlier this year I went to Mexico for spring break. During my trip I visited sinkholes (called cenotes) and Xcaret, an eco-archeological park. Xcaret is a combination of an ecological park (open spaces for plants and animals that have built in modifications for human activities) and a cultural park (areas where visitors can observe traditional …

How Perceived Fears May Influence Companies’ Labeling of Nanoparticles

A few weeks ago I stumbled across an article about THINX, a new company that is innovating women’s underwear. They are using existing technologies to improve women’s underwear; specifically a special “silver treatment” for its anti-microbial properties. I was very excited about this because I have read about the antibacterial properties of silver, especially silver …

Nanoparticles & Food Part 1: Vitamins

For decades, Americans have spent billions of dollars on vitamin and mineral supplements,1 and despite concerns about effectiveness and safety,2 a 2013 Gallup poll found that half of Americans take a supplement regularly.3 As nanoparticles have made their way into medicine and pharmaceuticals, they have also moved  into the health supplement industry. In this post, I will …

Personal Care Products, Nano, and You

Here is a picture of the REU (Research Experiences for Undergraduate) students and I sailing in Lake Michigan earlier this summer. It was slightly cold that day at 59℉ with 15 mph winds but also surprisingly sunny, which meant we needed to whip out the sunscreen. Did you know many sunscreens contain nanoparticles? Well, they …