Happy Nails

There's nothing quite like getting a manicure. Whether you have a standing appointment every Saturday or reserve it for a special occasion, it leaves you feeling beautiful and totally together (until you decide not to wait those last two minutes under the dryer and go for your keys, smudging at least two nails in the process).

When I get a manicure and the color I've chosen is absolutely spot on, the coating is perfectly even and not a smudge to be found, I leave the salon on top of the world. I've actually caught myself in meetings, completely oblivious to my surroundings, holding my hand out and admiring my own manicure....the way the light makes the nail shimmer, my sublime choice of color....please tell me I'm not the only one!

But, what I didn't know until recently, is that beautiful color just might be the bearer of much evil! As is the theme with most of my posts, you can imagine how upset I was when I started reading about what was actually in that beautiful, glossy coat bejeweling my digits! Of course I never pretended to assume nail polish was a health product, but what I didn't know is that it potentially contained a cocktail of very harmful chemicals! And, like your skin, your nail bed absorbs anything that's on it directly into your blood stream.

When I started to really think about it, I realized how many times in one month I was wearing nail polish and wondered just what kind of chemicals we were talking about. I did a little research and found out. Let me start with some of the biggest offenders:

Toluene: This is a nervous system toxin that helps nail polish go on smoothly. It's also used as an octane booster in gasoline. It can cause eye irritation, headaches, dizziness, nausea and, in high exposure situations, liver and kidney damage and possibly birth defects.
Formaldehyde: I think we all have a pretty healthy negative association with this chemical...but if for some reason it doesn't conjure images of pickled animals in jars.....it's a known carcinogen and in low doses can irritate the nose, throat and skin.
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): A phthalate which adds flexibility and a moisturizing sheen to the polish, and helps dissolve other cosmetic ingredients. DBP is a reproductive and developmental toxin that has been linked to feminizing effects in baby boys.

It turns out the industry has acted responsibly and most major brands have removed many of these harmful ingredients. A few years back OPI nail polish was identified as being one of the most toxic brands on the market and was pressured by The Campaign For Safer Cosmetics to remove DBP and reformulate their product to use safer chemicals. OPI was already making safer products for the European market in compliance with EU law (which had banned DBP years before), but was resistant to making the change for the US. After enough pressure though, they announced they were removing DBP from their products.

The great news is today OPI offers polish free of DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. Almost all major brands now offer polishes that are free of the 'toxic trio'. But you should always check the label to make sure.

There are also brands on the market which are not only free of the 'toxic trio' but are also water based, which means they are made up primarily of water instead of other chemicals. That means when the nail polish dries there are way less chemical vapors let out into the air. Some good brands are: Suncoat, Zoya, Priti NYC, Acquarella and Safe Nail Polish.

Honestly, once I started researching this topic, I found there is no easy solution. Although most products are free of the 'toxic trio', and some are water based and try to use less chemicals, it seems the general consensus is that nail polish, any way you paint it, is not the best thing to be wearing. No matter what, there are going to be some chemicals in it that will either absorb into your skin, or evaporate into the air. We've all noticed the overwhelmingly chemical smell in the air at our favorite nail salon, and there definitely is a reason for that. But, what we can do is always make sure we buy polish that is free of the 'toxic trio' and try and support brands that are taking steps to provide cosmetics without a cost to our health.

There are also a number of salons popping up that offer not only less toxic nail polish options, but organic and chemical free nail polish removers, cuticle treatments, lotions, and waxes. Here are some quick links to salons in a city near you:
LA
http://www.ecovian.com/s/losangeles/nail-salons

San Francisco
http://www.ecovian.com/s/sanfrancisco/nail-salons

New York
http://www.ecovian.com/s/newyork/nail-salons

San Jose
http://www.ecovian.com/s/sanjose/nail-salons

Portland
http://www.ecovian.com/s/portland-or/nail-salons

Unfortunately the FDA is pretty lax at regulating what chemicals go into our cosmetics. The European Union has outlawed many chemicals that the U.S. currently allows. You can participate in urging the FDA to get more serious about the safety of our cosmetics by signing this petition at The Campaign For Safer Cosmetics. Another great site is Skin Deep, where you can get information and health safety ratings on almost all beauty products.

In the end, it's not easy, but it seems the best solution is to take a little time and research the products you are buying. Change is possible, as seen by the positive steps OPI took and the result of the rest of the industry following suit.

Here's to happy, polished and safe nails for all of us!