In producing titanium oxide containing rutile-type crystals by adding hydrochloric acid to an aqueous dispersion of an alkali metal titanate, sulfurous acid, disulfurous acid, sulfuric acid or a salt thereof is added. Thus, there is provided a titanium oxide powder which is doped with bivalent sulfur atoms (S.sup.2) and in which a ratio (I.sub.A/I.sub.R) of a peak intensity (I.sub.A) of anatase-type crystals to a peak intensity (I.sub.R) of rutile-type crystals as measured by X-ray diffractometry is 0.1 or less. Moreover, a cosmetic is provided by dispersing the titanium oxide powder in a dispersion medium. Thus, bluish color derived from Rayleigh scattering is negated, providing a dispersion, particularly a cosmetic, with excellent transparency and color tone.