Nail coloring has been around for centuries and has been practiced by many cultures. But today's nail polish contains dangerous chemicals such as toulene, phthalates, and formaldehyde. Your nails are not impenetrable barriers, like skin, they are sponges that breath. Chemicals painted on your nails can easily be absorbed into your body.
Here are the top 3 toxic ingredients commonly found in nail polish:
- Toulene, a solvent, can cause tiredness, confusion, memory loss, nausea, loss of appetite, and hearing and color vision loss when inhaled.
- Dibutyl phthalate, a plasticizer that prevents nail polish chipping. Also a hormone disruptor that has been linked to reproductive system disorders. This chemical is banned in all personal care products in Europe. In the US, some nail polish manufactures started eliminating it from their formulas. Be sure to check labels for this and other phthalates.
- Formaldehyde, commonly found in nail hardeners and a known carcinogen. The EPA allows no more than 0.1 parts per million in the air of new homes, but nail products can have more than 20,000 times that (0.2%).
