It may look pretty, but the unmistakable odour of nail polish
betrays a cocktail of toxic ingredients.
That shiny red colour flaunting all of its shiny glory on
your painted nails might add a flash of style to your fingers, but it's
wreaking havoc on the environment -- and your health.
You're no eco-dummy. You don't need to do a lick of
research to know that a product that comes in every hue of the rainbow -- and
then some -- is anything but natural. What makes that glossy nail polish so
eye-catching, shiny and
able to stick to your nails for days? A slew of chemicals, of course. We know
you're pretty eco-savvy, but do you know just how much bad stuff that one teeny
nail polish bottle holds?
Up until recently, most conventional nail polishes found
on store shelves offered up a noxious ingredient list of substances including
the "toxic trio," formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP.
Formaldehyde, yes the same stuff used to preserve dead things, is a known human
carcinogen and can also cause eye, throat, nose and skin irritation. DBP is a
known reproductive and developmental toxin, while toluene is a possible reproductive and
developmental toxin and can also cause headaches, dizziness and fatigue. All of
these chemicals can be absorbed into the body through the nail bed. Feel like
swiping on a coat of polish now?
Unlike the European Union, which banned companies from
using DBP in 2005, the United States doesn't restrict this chemical in beauty
products. Tip Top imports all its raw materials from the EU countries and thus
from 2005 Tip Top, phased out all of those three nasty chemicals from their
formulas, Tip Top also removed Camphor which has toxic effects on the human
body. Camphor has been found to irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. It is
associated with dizziness, confusion, nausea and twitching muscles. All the
above-mentioned toxins are readily absorbed through body tissues. These toxic
substances may be more limited than in the past, but they still sneak into main
stream nail polishes -- so check your labels!
The harmful compounds in nail polishes put more than your
health at risk. When tossed into the trash they can leech their toxicity into
the soil and groundwater. That's quite an environmental price for stylish
nails. Think about it. You wouldn't throw house paint into the garbage. And
conventional nail polishes are just paint after all. Many cities' household
hazardous waste departments list nail polishes as one of the, well, hazardous
waste products accepted at their facilities. That means nail polishes sit right
up there on the same unfriendly scale as car batteries and insecticides. Pretty
scary,huh?
So, what's an eco-beauty queen with a love for colourful
digits to do? Look for companies that offer nail polishes formulated without
harmful chemicals by checking their labels! Tip Top nail polishes offer BEAUTY
without the BEASTS!!
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