Why is nail polish bad for you

Instead, the staff of Bright Side simply wants to list the negative effects its ingredients may have on your body. The dangers of nail polish lie in its toxicity. Some modern nail care cosmetics contain the following components, capable of seriously damaging your health:. Scientists conducted a study with a group of 24 women. In recent years, the nail polish industry has been transformed by the development of longer-lasting polish techniques.

As dermatologists, we are often asked about the effects of these various products on nails. Here we review the main types of polish, and consider the pros and cons of each with an eye toward nail health and safety. Classic nail polish is painted onto the nail plate, usually in multiple coats, and then air-dried. Conventional nail polish is a polymer dissolved in a solvent. During the drying process, the solvent evaporates, and the polymer hardens.

The verdict: Dermatologist approved. We do recommend taking intermittent breaks from polish, and keeping nails and cuticles well-moisturized between manicures. Always remove polish before an appointment with your dermatologist so he or she can examine your nails.

There are also brands that market themselves as being free of more substances, such as 7-free or free. Formaldehyde is a preservative that has been recognized by the National Cancer Institute as a potential cancer-causing substance.

It is also among the most common substances that cause allergic contact dermatitis. Formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene can also cause allergic contact dermatitis.

Camphor is an oil that has been long used as a topical remedy for various conditions, but can be toxic if consumed by mouth. Studies have shown that chemicals in nail polish can be absorbed into the body. But the exact amount of absorption, and whether it is enough to have negative health effects, are not well established. The verdict: This may be a good alternative to conventional polish for those wishing to avoid those particular chemicals, although the health benefits are uncertain.

Curing of nail polish means photopolymerization, which is a process during which a liquid absorbs energy from UV or visible light and undergoes cross-linking to become a solid. Also, try to stay informed and avoid products with potentially toxic compounds.

However, this can be quite difficult because due to the lack of strict regulation, labels are often misleading. Alexandra is a naturalist who is firmly in love with our planet and the environment. When she's not writing about climate or animal rights, you can usually find her doing field research or reading the latest nutritional studies. Home Other Feature Post. Your nail polish might be toxic. This is considered a very low toxic score!

At this time, there is no rating for this polish in the EWG database. This polish scored a 2! It took some digging and you should know that safer nail polish removers can be very different in experience than traditional polish remover!

Some are gel-like, some are oil-based, some require what feels like way more product, and some don't feel any different at all. Here are a few of the brands we recommend:. This is a great option for remover because it easily removes polish without that overwhelming obnoxious remover smell.

In fact, it actually smells like Lavender! It also has nutrients in it that help condition and protects the nail. The pros of Cote nail polish remover are that it comes in a very handy top-press dispenser, but I've found that it has an offensive odor and evaporates very quickly, causing me to use a lot of product to get my polish removed.

Though this polish remover only makes sense if you're using it to remove Sophie nail polish, it does work well! It's actually a gel and you will apply it to sit on top of your nails for several minutes. It's pretty neat! This one is my personal favorite! It doesn't have an offensive odor, is oil-like, and removes the polish beautifully. It is chemical-free, low odor, and comes in fun colors!

This polish is water-based and is free of harsh chemicals. We love this set because of the fun color options and because it comes with a top coat! This is another great option for kids! Although it is free of several harsh chemicals, it does tend to have a stronger smell than other non-toxic polishes. Many salons use OPI and other brands that are less than ideal.

Be bold and bring your safer nail polish to the salon with you, though! Many salons are more than happy to accommodate you by using your polish if you just ask. Through all of our testing, we found that the Dazzle Dry system far and away outlasted the rest! In fact, it stayed on for a solid days.

We totally understand! If you want to take one small step towards safer, consider first painting your nail with a safer polish base coat this is my favorite safer polish base coat. Let that dry forming a barrier and then apply your favorite conventional nail polish color on top. Don't stress! There are better options available to us now, but we don't think it's anything to lose sleep over. Your email address will not be published. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This is so helpful! Thanks for doing this! I did want to let you know that not all of your beautycounter product links worked for me. Only the skincare lines did. Wow, this is amazing! So thorough, thank you for putting it together. From a polish addict and clean beauty advocate thank you soooo much for this article. Nail polish and clean beauty can co-exists! You ladies are a trusted source of info for me. Excited to try Sophi and Aila! This was such a great post! Goes on beautifully, lasts for days, and the remover makes my nails and cuticles feel so healthy.

Thank you!! Have you noticed any either improvement or deterioration in the health of your nails? Buying a gift for my daughter in-law Thanks for the great run down! Very useful. Now to try and find them!! Thanks again. Your article is amazing Nail polish boxes learn a lot from this article. Thank you for such an informative and honest review.

Truly helps in my decision making! Would love to get your take on those! Thank you for all this useful info! How do you feel about Eternal Cosmetics nail polish? I recently discovered this brand and they claim to be 12 free.