Why Nanopartocles Are the Most Commonly Used Form of Silver in Cosmetic and Medicinal Products?

Background: Silver is used in cosmetic and medicinal products due to its antibacterial, antifungal, immunostimulating and anti-inflammatory properties.

Aim: The aim of the study was to analyze the composition of cosmetic and medicinal products containing silver available on the Polish market. An attempt was made to find an answer to the question what forms of silver and why are most often used by producers of cosmetics and medicinal products.

Materials and methods: In the period from September 2023 to February 2024, information was collected on available cosmetic and medicinal products containing silver. Drugstores and stationary pharmacies and their websites were visited. When searching for offers on the Internet, the following words were entered: “cosmetics with silver”, “silver”, “colloidal silver”, “nanosilver”.

Results: Information was obtained on 42 cosmetic preparations and 32 medicinal preparations containing silver. The collected cosmetic products containing silver included face masks, body gels, antiperspirant sticks and sprays, shaving gels, aftershave balms, makeup brushes and sponges, combs, toothpastes, nail tincture, tonic, shampoos, gels for washing the face, facial serum, peelings, creams, gels for intimate hygiene, hygienic wipes, soaps, emulsions and body gels, shower gels. Medicinal products containing silver collected included: throat sprays, lozenges, eye drops, solutions, gels, foot sprays, vaginal capsules, spray powder, creams, ointments, emulsions and wart removal sticks, clothing and tourniquets containing silver ions. The forms of silver in cosmetic and medicinal products are most often silver nanoparticles.

Conclusion: Medicinal and cosmetic products most often contain silver in the form of nanoparticles for its antimicrobial properties.