MG Naturals · Evidence-based resource
Founder notes: what I'm seeing, questioning and standing by
Quick answer
This is a living page — written and updated by Kailah Shannon, founder and cosmetic formulator of MG Naturals — capturing reflections, regulatory updates and clarifications on the titanium dioxide conversation as it evolves. It exists because the science doesn't sit still, and neither does the marketing around it. New "non-nano" claims. New brands quietly using TiO₂ while calling themselves clean. New regulatory shifts. I'd rather keep this page alive than freeze a statement in time.
This is where I write the things that don't fit on a product page.
June 2026
The titanium dioxide + hairline question (FFA)
I keep getting asked about this one, so here's where I've landed.
There's a type of scarring hair loss called frontal fibrosing alopecia — FFA — that's been climbing since the 90s, mostly in women around menopause. It pulls the hairline back and thins the eyebrows. Researchers have been hunting for what changed, and one of the threads they keep pulling on is titanium dioxide in leave-on face products. Particles of it have turned up lodged in the hair follicles of FFA patients, and most dermatologists now suggest affected patients reduce or avoid it while the science catches up. One of the people who has been chasing this question for years is Rodney Sinclair, a dermatologist here in Australia.
Here's the part I won't skip: it isn't proven. The particles show up in people without FFA too.
But "some people were fine" has never been the same thing as "it's safe." We all know someone who smoked their whole life and never got cancer. The tobacco companies leaned on exactly that for decades.
Why it matters for what I do: titanium dioxide is one of the hardest ingredients to spot on a label, and it's in most foundations, powders and BB creams. Everything I make is without it — always has been. I'm not here to tell you that treats anything; that's a conversation for you and your dermatologist. But if you've been told to get it off your shelf, I've made that part easy.
I've written the full version — every study, every quote, every caveat.
FFA & titanium dioxide — the full version →What you'll find here
- Reflections when industry talking points shift
- Clarification when claims start circulating
- Updates on regulation, evidence, or formulation thinking
- Things I've stopped letting slide
- Things I'm still working on
What this isn't
It's not trend-chasing. It's not fear-bait. It's not marketing dressed as concern.
It's the founder of a brand saying: here is what I'm seeing, and here is where I still stand.
A note from Kailah
I didn't build MG Naturals to follow the beauty industry. I built it because I couldn't ignore what I was learning about it.
That has meant more work. More reformulation. More explaining. More standing apart from brands with thirty times my marketing budget.
I'd rather build slowly with conviction than quickly with compromises I can't defend to my own daughters.
— Kailah Shannon, Founder & Cosmetic Formulator since 2013
Knowing the science behind titanium dioxide is only half of it. Finding products without it is the other half. The Titanium Dioxide–Free Directory is our running list of products that didn't list titanium dioxide at the time of review, sorted by category — so you're not decoding labels on your own.
Browse the DirectoryFrequently asked questions
