![]() ![]() ![]() dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which has limited evidence for negative effects in humans, but has been linked to reproductive and developmental harm in animals.formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that may also cause reproductive harm.toluene, a neurotoxin and skin irritant.Roughly 15 years ago, manufacturers launched splashy campaigns promoting the fact that they were no longer using three specific solvents and plasticizers in their formulas: Now that you’re side-eyeing your manicure, let’s talk about the world of “3-Free” polishes. That means it all comes down to conscientiousness on the part of the consumer. The upshot? The nail polish industry has very little regulation or enforcement. “Certain ingredients, like ‘fragrance,’ can hide up to 3,000 different chemicals under that label, many of which are questionable for humans and can be lethal for aquatic life,” Blum says. That’s because some ingredients, like phthalates, can be hidden under catch-all terms like “ fragrance” in the interest of protecting trade secrets. “Even those who take the time to research products and their ingredients may not be able to find what is actually in the bottle they are researching,” explains Autumn Blum, a cosmetic chemist and the formulator and CEO of Stream2Sea, a personal care company committed to eco-friendly products. Still, if you have a hard time pronouncing the ingredients on your polish, let alone understanding what they are, you aren’t the only one. That means the way the ingredients are used don’t cause the finished product to be “adulterated or misbranded” according to the laws the FDA enforces. The ingredients are used appropriately.However, polishes available in nail salons only aren’t required to have ingredient lists. This includes having ingredient labels on polishes sold to consumers. The FDA doesn’t require any particular safety testing. However, it’s up to manufacturers to determine whether their products are safe. The product is safe when used as labeled.Otherwise, manufacturers can use any ingredient as long as: The only exception that requires FDA approval is color additives. This means nail polish companies are essentially free to say what they want.Īdditionally, it’s important to know that neither the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) nor the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approves nail polishes before they come to market. Worse, vague references to being “clean,” “non-toxic,” or free of 3, 5, 7, 10, or even 15 worrisome ingredients are largely unregulated. “Nail polish formulation is tricky, and, sometimes, the packaging or marketing around a formula can be misleading,” says Olivia Van Iderstine, the vice president of content and creative at Olive & June. Then there are the issues of labeling and marketing claims. “If you think of it in terms of household waste, all paints (liquid or dried) are classified as toxic substances and cannot be safely put in public landfills - regardless of being labeled ‘non-toxic,’” Shade continues.Īnd for the record, while many nail polish manufacturers tend to keep their formulas top secret, the ingredients in just about every bottle of polish can be broadly categorized into: Let’s be clear that “nail polish is essentially paint,” says Suzanne Shade, the founder of Bare Hands, a polish-free method of natural nail care. The landscape of nail polish can be challenging to navigate at best.
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