Every beauty enthusiast knows that no look is complete if your digits aren’t color-coordinated to match your makeup and outfit. Painting our nails shows off our mood. It’s an indication of whatever we feel, whether it be feeling sophisticated, dainty, flashy or sassy. However, did you know that the same thing you use to prettify your nails can also cause health problems. Yes, your nail polish can and may contain toxic ingredients.
image via www.greenpacks.org
What makes nail polish toxic?
Your nails may look boring in its natural state, but this is the state you’re sure that it does not contain any toxic ingredients which may harm your health. It’s clean and free from chemicals that may harm you. The moment you paint on conventional nail color is when the problems begin. This is because the fun colors that your nail polish provides also brings along a slew of ingredients, the toxic ones known as the “Toxic Trio”. These chemicals are responsible in making your nail polish colorful and long-lasting – they also depreciate your health. The chemicals that make up the Toxic Trio are formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP).
Yes, you’re right – formaldehyde is used in preserving dead people or animals (remember biology or zoology class?) It is also a well-known carcinogen that, when exposed to humans, causes eye, throat, nose and skin irritations. There are several studies that show that toluene, the second ingredient, may be a possible developmental and reproductive toxin that may cause fatigue, dizziness and headaches when there is prolonged exposure to the chemical. Finally, DBP is already established as a developmental and reproductive toxin.
You may be thinking on how you could get afflicted by the toxicity of nail polish; after all, you don’t ingest it. Did you know that merely placing it on your nail bed is sufficient for it to seep inside your body? The nail bed allows absorption of chemicals which leads to the blood stream, so the toxic chemicals are then transferred to various parts of your body via the blood.
The toxicity of nail polishes doesn’t wreak its havoc on the human body alone. It also serves as a pollutant, thus when you dispose of your polishes, the chemicals that it contains will also leak onto the soil and the water.
Nail polish alternatives
If you just can’t live not seeing bright, flashy colors on your digits, you can look up nail polish brands which do not contain the Toxic Trio. After extensive research on the toxicity of nail polishes, a lot of prominent brands have dropped the use of these chemicals. You just have to be extra diligent in looking for the nail polishes which are free from the Toxic Three. Most nail polishes with non toxic ingredients or those carried by organic or natural brands may be more expensive than conventional polishes, but what is a few extra dollars for your health?
Or, you can also go bare instead. There’s nothing really wrong with bare nails, as long as its shaped and filed well. You can still make your nails look shiny and pretty by buffing it regularly.
By the way, be sure to keep your nail polishes away from children.