Nail polish. We all love it! I also regularly color my nails, although I also like au naturel 🙂 But is all that nail polish really that healthy? What is most nail polish actually made of. What ingredients are in it and do these substances also end up in our body? And above all, what are the health risks? In this blog, I’ll explain it all to you and give you a few non-toxic options for your favorite nail polish
Every nail polish needs a film-forming polymer. That’s the basics, and most producers use a substance called nitrocellulose. The solvent needed to make the polish stick to the nails is called ethyl acetate or butyl acetate. That’s what gives nail polish its characteristic smell. Most natural non-toxic nail polish brands use such a solvent. Most toxic types of nail polish, the ones we like to avoid, contain the following chemicals: plasticizers. These ensure that the nail polish does not break and that no pieces jump out. These are usually the substances dibutyl phthalate, camphor and triphenyl phosphate.
To make it not too complicated, I’ll give you a list of the top 5 substances that you definitely want to avoid in your nail polish. This way you can check your favorite nail polish for the presence of these chemicals.
Top 5 chemicals you don’t want in your nail polish:
- Dibutyl phthalate, can cause an allergic skin reaction if the skin comes into contact with this substance. It can lead to reduced fertility and abnormalities in the development of the embryo or foetus
- Toluene, can cause an allergic skin reaction, but it can also affect the nervous system and kidneys.
- Formaldehyde , or Formaldehyde resin, is registered as a class 1 carcinogen (carcinogenic when one comes into contact with this substance) and it can also cause an allergic skin reaction.
- Camphor (in a high dose, this can disrupt the nervous system)
- Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), which is also a plasticizer. Until recently, scientists knew little about the toxicity of triphenyl phosphate. But now there is growing evidence that the chemical can affect hormones, metabolism, reproduction, and development.
It is clear that a lot of nail polish is full of toxic chemicals. The question now is can these substances end up in your body when you use nail polish? The answer to this is yes. A joint study by Duke University and the Environmental Working Group has found that the nail polish you put on your nails also ends up in your body. Researchers found a substance called diphenyl phosphate (this is the substance that remains after the body breaks down TPHP) in the bodies of every woman who volunteered to paint her nails for the study. This chemical had increased by a factor of 7 in the urine over a period of about 10-14 hours after they painted their nails.
The chemical is absorbed through the capillaries in the cuticle because the solvents in the nail polish make the nails more permeable. The Environmental Working Group has acknowledged that more research is needed on the effects of TPHP in humans, but studies have shown that TPHP is an endocrine disruptor, which is also of particular concern to girls. “Endocrine disruptors disrupt your body’s natural hormone signaling. Girls and teens in their critical developmental stages should avoid these types of chemicals.”
And the Environmental Work Group also points to new research that may link TPHP to weight gain and obesity.
As far as I’m concerned, the solution is very simple. Check your own nail polish for the aforementioned substances. If these are present, just choose a better quality nail polish, without the aforementioned toxic substances. Especially if your children also use them regularly.
In any case, I have already selected and checked a few fine brands for you. You can find it here . This nail polish is of course also vegan and cruelty free.
You really won’t get a serious condition from painting your nails once. But if you use nail polish regularly, this is really something to think about. My goal is not to scare you, but solely to inform you. So that you can make a conscious choice and keep your toxic load on your body as low as possible.
References:
- https://www.compoundchem.com/2017/04/06/nail-polish/
- https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/a-look-at-the-effects-of-nail-polish-on-nail-health-and-safety-2019112118231#:~:text=Formaldehyde%20resin%2C%20dibutyl%20phthalate%2C%20and,be%20absorbed%20into%20the%20body.
- https://www.ewg.org/research/nailed
