In a world of beauty and thousands of products at our fingertips making healthy choices can be difficult. Do I love going for a mani-pedi, who doesn’t? It’s a great relaxing treat to sit and soak your feet while getting a semi-massage from a vibrating chair. But do you know what ingredients are hidden in your polish? The Pretty Truth About Nail Polish.
The Pretty Truth About Nail Polish
Endocrine inhibitors or The “Toxic Trio” are found in most of the 3,000 nail polishes on the market today. What is the toxic trio? And why should we care?
1. Toluene
Toluene is a solvent and is used as an additive in gas, used in cosmetics, a preservative in foods. Toluene is toxic to breathe in. Exposure over time can lead to nausea and vomiting, skin irritation, and light-headedness. Toluene is known to cause birth defects, developmental problems, and neurological, and respiratory problems. Toluene is used to give polish the smooth finish. Who wants clumps?
2. Formaldehyde
Is a known carcinogen and used for embalming and taxidermy. It can be found in many household items we use every day as well as nail polish. Exposure over time can lead to nausea, headaches, dizziness, throat irritation and even cancers. It is not a banned substance even though it comes with a warning. The use of formaldehyde in consumer products is labeled but is still widely used. Formaldehyde is the hardener that is used to set the polish.
3. DBP (Dibutyl Phthalate)
Phthalates are chemicals that mimic hormones in the body causing reproductive problems, menstrual problems as well as early onset of menstruation. DBP is another endocrine inhibitor and is banned in many other countries. Manufacturers add DBP to nail polish to add strength, helping polish to last longer.
The cosmetic industry is mostly unregulated. Almost 13,000 chemicals are found in the cosmetics we use every day, but only 10% are reviewed. That is a staggering number.
According to a new study from Duke University and the Environmental Working Group (EWG), painting your nails doesn’t just give it a nice coat of color— it also may release an endocrine-disrupting chemical into the body.
The study found that women who painted their nails with nail products including triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) had a metabolite of the chemical in their bodies 10 to 14 hours later. Their levels of diphenyl phosphate (DPHP), which forms when the body metabolizes TPHP, increased by nearly sevenfold, according to a news release.
“It is very troubling that nail polish being marketed to women and teenage girls contains a suspected endocrine disruptor,” study co-author Johanna Congleton, Ph.D., MSPH, a senior scientist at EWG, said in a news release. “It is even more troubling to learn that their bodies absorb this chemical relatively quickly after they apply a coat of polish.”
Are there safer options?
I love having pretty toes and let’s face it it’s not easy to get the same salon look at home. So what can you do?
Take your own polish. Yes, it might be embarrassing the first time, I think the manicurist looked at me a bit weird but don’t worry I set the trend for you.
Non-Toxic polish choices include:
- Scotch Naturals
All of these polishes are a bit more expensive than your traditional drug store polishes. But all of these non-toxic brands are just that toxic free. A healthier, safer option for you and your family.
Live Well, Be Well!
