DISCUSSION: Consumer Product Applications: Benefits and Risks

COMMENT: Cultural attitudes towards nanotechnology

Submitted by Megan Gagnon on 10/23/07 10:13 AM

I have been reading about the emergence of nanotechnology in the Asian cosmetics industry. On a recent trip, I noticed that almost every cosmetics company carries skin-whitening products, some of which, I've read, contain nano particles. And while some of these companies refer to them as "photonics" as we've previously discussed, many others are very open about marketing them as nano, even going so far as to focus their marketing campaigns on the nano aspect. The articles have pointed out that many cosmetics consumers in Asian countries don't seem to be as hesitant as their Western counterparts about the potentially adverse impacts. Does anyone have any thoughts on cultural attitudes towards this issue? Do the cosmetics industries in these countries accurately represent public perception of nanotechnologies?