Heather Bedard, C.H.E.
Like many women out there, I definitely enjoy a good manicure once in a while. If you’ve researched health products for even a short time, you’ve probably come across articles talking about the toxicity of nail polish. Let’s dig a little deeper to see how much water these claims hold.
When shopping, you may have noticed that there are companies out there that are promoting their products as 3-free, 5-free, 10-free, etc... Those numbers are in reference to chemicals that are typically in nail polish that have been found to be very toxic to the human body. These are chemicals that you definitely don’t want to be putting on your body at all.
When you see a number like 3-free, this means that this nail polish does NOT contain the top three ingredients that are a concern. In my opinion they should not be in any product we put on our bodies. Typically the top 3 chemicals that these nail polishes are free from would be formaldehyde (a human carcinogen)[1], toluene (at very low levels is highly genotoxic and can cause DNA damage and mutation in humans)[2], and dibutyl-phthalate (a reproductive and developmental toxicant)[3],[4].
Before you go crazy buying nail polish that can easily be at least $5 more expensive than the average brand, keep in mind that these ingredients are not regulated by the FDA. Companies often just replace chemicals with other chemicals. No matter which way you look at, the very nature of paint means that you will be putting chemicals on your nails if you paint them with anything.
As with most anything that goes along with being an informed consumer in this day and age, watch for green washing. This means that companies try to make their products seem healthier or more natural than they really are. You can look for wording such as naturally derived, plant based etc… You should also know that some of these toxic chemicals can bioaccumulate.
All of that can sound a bit scary, so here are some questions you can ask to determine the actual risk to your health.
Will using this product increase your mortality (chance of dying)?
If so, are we talking years or minutes?
Will this product make you sick?
Will using this product increase the symptoms of any sickness/disease I already have?
Either way, if you are already sick, reducing exposures to toxins can be helpful. If you are not sick, reducing exposure to toxins can be helpful. This is one area where you can make the choice that feels best to you after you weight the pro’s and con’s.
If you do choose to use nail polish, I don’t see any cumulative harm in enjoying it as a treat and finding the best quality, cleanest brand that you can.
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[1] Boyle, Peter, M.D. IARC Classifies Formaldehyde as Carcinogenic. Oncology Times, July 2004. (https://journals.lww.com/oncology-times/fulltext/2004/07100/IARC_Classifies_Formaldehyde_as_Carcinogenic.27.aspx#:~:text=The%20International%20Agency%20for%20Research,formaldehyde%20as%20carcinogenic%20to%20human)
[2] Moro, Angela M.; Brucker, Natalia; Charao, Mariele, et. al. Evaluation of Genotoxicity and Oxidative Damage in Painters Exposed to Low Levels of Toluene. Mutation Research/Genetic Toxicology and Environmental Mutagenesis, Volume 746, Issue 1, 4 July 2012, Pages 42-48. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1383571812000617)
[3] Foster P. M. D.; Thomas L. V.; Cook M. W.; Gangolli S. D. Study of the Testicular Effects and Changes in Zinc Excretion Produced by Some N-Alkyl Phthalates in the Rat. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 1980, 54 (3), 392–398. 10.1016/0041-008X(80)90165-9.
[4] Shiota K.; Chou M. J.; Nishimura H. Embryotoxic Effects of Di-2-Ethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP) and Di-N-Butyl Phthalate (DBP) in Mice. Environ. Res. 1980, 22 (1), 245–253.