Is Your Nail Polish Toxic? by Kimberly Snider

Today, I woke up, checked my emails as I was doing so, this great article from Celebrity Nutritionist & Leading Health Expert & Best Selling Author of The Beauty Detox Solution, Kimberly Snyder. The article I was reading is called Is Your Nail Polish Toxic?

I like many other women enjoy getting my nails painted. I do like having pretty nails, hence my pale, sparkly pink nails I am wearing right now. This particular article is very interesting and worth reading.

Here is the article:

Toxins in Nail Polish

Nail polish frequently has three ingredients that are highly toxic, often called the “toxic trio.” In fact, a recent California investigation found that even some salon brands labeled “non-toxic” had these three ingredients, even though they weren’t listed on the label. What?! Sneaky! And super annoying, given the care many of us take to keep toxins out of our bodies and off our fingernails. The three dangerous chemicals found in nail polish include:

Toluene

This is an industrial solvent. It’s used to manufacture many things including paints, rubber, and other chemicals, as well as gasoline, airplane glue, and shoe polish. I’m pretty sure people wouldn’t smear this sweet smelling chemical all over their skin, but when you apply it to your finger and toenails as an ingredient in finger polish, that’s exactly what you’re doing! Your nails are part of your skin and very porous, so ingredients in beauty products can make their way into your system. According to Medscape, toluene has central nervous system effects. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and interacts with important neurotransmitters like GABA and dopamine. CNS effects include vertigo, seizures, coma, cerebral and cerebellar degeneration, seizures, decreased cognition, blindness, and many others. Likewise, toluene affects other body systems as well, including your heart and lungs with symptoms ranging from acute (asphyxiation) to chronic (acute lung injury.) It also affects your liver, kidneys, and musculoskeletal systems, among others. Affects of toluene include:

Contact dermatitis

    Chemical burns

    Skin necrosis

    Inhibition of bone formation

    Aplastic anemia

    Hepatitis

Formaldehyde

This colorless gas is a chemical compound commonly used as a preservative. When formaldehyde comes in contact with skin (which is what your nails consist of), it can cause contact dermatitis, blistering, and chemical burns. Exposure to low amounts of formaldehyde may lead to eye, skin and respiratory tract irritation. High levels can cause irregular heartbeat, pulmonary swelling, and even death. Not something you’d really want on or in your body, yet it is a common ingredient in nail polish.

Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

This ingredient, which also is called benzenedicarboxylic acid, dibutyl ester, and other names, is a common additive in fragrances, plastics, and solvents. According to the Environmental Work Group the European Union has banned this ingredient for use in cosmetics. Unfortunately, it is used in cosmetics in the United States. Among the many concerns with DBP in humans are:

    Reproductive toxicity

    Nervous system toxicity

    Developmental delays

    Endocrine (hormone) disruption

    Neurotoxicity

    Lung irritant

A Better Choice

So what’s a girl to do if she wants pretty hands and feet? There are better brands of polishes out there. Try Acquarella Polish. Its water based polish that comes in a wide array of choices. It is Eco natural and harbors no toxic chemicals. Sante Nail Polish is free of toxic chemicals,  Suncoat Nail Polish is amazing Eco natural nail polish is completely water based. It contains absolutely no harmful chemicals. Piggy Paint is all natural and great for your little girl to use! All of these are free of the big 3.

For more on Kimberly Snider, please visit her remarkable, very informative website: www.kimberlysnider.net