Concerned advocates, companies respond to Calif. "toxic" nail polish report
A manicure during class after a news conference at the Laney College School of Cosmetology in Oakland, Calif., on April 10, 2012.
/ AP Photo/Jeff ChiuAccording to the study, out of the 12 nail product brands the Department of Toxic Substance Control tested that claimed they didn't have one to three of the "toxic trio" of chemicals, only two brands were able to stand by their claims. Some of the whole sample group of 25 brands contained as much as 17.7 percent of toxic materials.
The "toxic trio" is the nickname for dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde, three ingredients that have been known to cause adverse side effects.
"This report shows that these companies are knowingly peddling tons of toxins without even an ounce of scruples," Miriam Yeung, executive director of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, part of the National Health Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance, told HealthPop by email. "Not only are they including dangerous chemicals in their products, but they are outright lying about it. More disturbing is that the cosmetics industry continues to be almost completely unregulated- the FDA still does not have the power it needs to keep consumers and salon workers safe. "
Calif. report reveals "non-toxic" nail polishes could cause birth defects
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) comes from the family of phthalates, a classification of compounds known to be disrupt function of the endocrine system, Dr. Kenneth R. Spaeth, the director of the Occupational and Environmental Medicine Center's Department of Population Health at North Shore University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., told HealthPop. Phthalates can alter hormone levels or disrupt the way the body handles its response to hormones. Although studies about the toxin are relatively recent, it has been known to cause birth defects, including neurological and developmental issues in fetuses.
"In a fetus, there's felt to be greater susceptibility to the effects," Spaeth said. "Pregnant women would be at particular concern here. Any exposure that they experience is also going to be experienced by the fetus."
According to Spaeth, toluene is a neurotoxin that can also irritate the upper respiratory system. It has been known to harm the nervous system of people of any age, but it can cross through the placenta and reach the fetus to cause developmental defects as well.
"A lot of the mechanisms that we have in the body to protect us from these toxins are not developed so there's greater susceptibility because of that and because of their size," he said.
Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen that is also known to cause respiratory problems and can exacerbate problems in people with asthma and other breathing issues, Spaeth commented.
While he said that the problem could be a concern for people who go to nail salons frequently, it's more of a bigger problem for people who work with the products. Poor ventilation and improper equipment - like using the wrong masks - can lead to health problems. Spaeth says it's fairly common to see nail salon workers with breathing problems.
Part of the problem lies in the fact that many nail salon workers are of different ethnicities and may not have a command of the English language warnings. The report found that 59 to 80 percent of nail salon workers in California are of Vietnamese decent, and English was not their primary language.
"Physically, I can tell after eight or ten hours working, the chemicals give you very bad headache and affects you mentally. My eyes itch. My nose itch. But as soon as I walk outside the salon, I feel much better. I hope the state government think about this and make it by law that if you say 'no' and you have it, they have to have punishment or penalty," Tina Bui, who has been a manicurist for 17 years in Marin County, Calif, told the Associated Press.
Spaeth and Yeung said more needs to be done to protect these workers. Spaeth urged that people need to be educated about potential dangers in their native language.
"Immigrants find themselves performing job tasks that are higher risk and that often exposes them to chemicals or hazardous situations because of their inability to understand or speak the language," he said. "They aren't always educated about the risk."
Nail polish company Zoya, which was tested in the study, told HealthPop that not only did they strive to be free of the three chemicals and other toxins. The vegan-friendly brand was one of two brands whose claims that they were "3 free" were substantiated by the study. The polish was developed in 1992 by pianist turned cosmetologist, Zoya Reyzis, and her husband Michael, who had previously worked in the medical field, to be a healthier alternative nail polish.
"Today, Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments remains committed to a proactive approach to developing quality, toxin free products," a Zoya spokesperson told HealthPop in a statement.
It's important to note that some of the brands included in the California study may not be considered to be top nail polish companies.
"(The Nail Manufacturers Council) condemns any manufacturer misleading customers about the ingredients in their products," Myra Irizarry, director of government affairs for the Nail Manufacturers Council, told the Associated Press. "The public should, however, be aware that nearly the entire nail polish industry voluntarily took steps years ago to remove toluene and DBP from their products."
Popular polish brand OPI told HealthPop that the major salon brands have improved their formulas to get rid of these chemicals. The study determined that although they didn't label their products as "3 Free," they were in fact devoid of the toxins.
"The lesson of the study is that consumers should ask for, and use, brands they know and trust," OPI told HealthPop.
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I am all for full disclosure. Complete honesty and live life as informed as I can as a consumer and a business owner. I am not so irresponsible to think that it is possible to live in a toxin free world yet still enjoy the many things I love that do have some kind of toxic aspect. Yes, cars can become more eco-friendly but to think that the process of making a car is without toxins is niave. ALL manufacturing creates toxins that impact us everywhere. I am not going to give up driving because the manufacturing creates toxins. Manufacturing bikes creates toxins on the back end too.
That being said, before we continue to jump down the throats of others for something we don't fully understand, think about why you paint your nails? Why do you wear makeup? Why do you eat processed food, or do things that may not be related to cosmetics but have just as dire of consequences? It's a choice. I care, you might care but the solution for you and I is to make an informed decision. THE BURDEN OF EDUCATION IS ON YOU THE CONSUMER. IT IS ON ME, THE CONSUMER. It's time to stop blaming everyone when you find out something was a lie. The world is full of lies, accept it, educate yourself then make different choices.
By blaming and crying for intervention like FDA, you are slowing giving away your own power to make decisions and think for yourself. To make decisions for you and you alone. Look at what is happening in government at this very moment with our rights about to be infringed upon by a forced healthcare system that not everyone supports or uses, and is not burdening.
Please wake up. Simply stop supporting deceptive companies and they will eventually fall by the wayside.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) currently has a research project to examine the effectiveness of different source capture ventilation systems (SCVS) units for use in nail salons, including downdraft vented nail tables and portable SCVS received from developers, manufacturers, distributors, or vendors (see the Federal Register Notice).
Additional information:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/manicure/
http://cleanairmadesimple.com/
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) currently has a research project to examine the effectiveness of different source capture ventilation systems (SCVS) units for use in nail salons, including downdraft vented nail tables and portable SCVS received from developers, manufacturers, distributors, or vendors (see the Federal Register Notice).
Additional information:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/manicure/
http://cleanairmadesimple.com/
"The first thing to understand is that whenever electric file are used they create lots of very fine dust, and this can create the potential for over exposure. Finer dust particles float in the air, while the larger particles quickly fall. Dust can be messy, but these particles aren't likely to be inhaled while sitting on your lap. Whereas suspended dust particles can enter the breathing zone and become inhaled. Everyone has a "breathing zone". It's an invisible sphere about the size of a beach ball placed directly in front of your face. Every breath you take comes from your breathing zone. So, if you minimize the amount of dust or vapors in this area, you will minimize your exposure. That's the goal! The facts are, inhaling exceesive amounts of any type of dust for long periods of time should be avoided, even house dust.Dust can be irritating and may aggravate previously existing breathing problems, such as asthma. One way to minimize dust is to use specially formulated oils designed for application to the nail plate while filing. This can significantly reduce the amount of airborne dust. Manual filing not only creates much less dust, in general the particles created are larger and heavier, so they fall to the tabletop, and are less likely to be inhaled. Ofcourse, lots of nail dust are still created, so the use of proper ventilation is a must for all nail salons.
The very best way to control dust in the salon is with a professional source capture type exhaust system designed to collect and remove dust particles from the air, or ventilating them to the outdoors. Exposure is also reduced by wearing a high quality, properly fitted dust mask. Choose a mask specifically designed for dusts, mists or molds.
These types are vastly superior to the flimsy and inexpensive surgical type masks. You can find a good dust mask on the internet. For example, look for those rated being N-95. They are highly effective, and a great choice for dust.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTlmIsbbFV8
"According to the study, out of the 12 nail product brands the Department of Toxic Substance Control tested that claimed they didn't have one to three of the "toxic trio" of chemicals, only two brands were able to stand by their claims. Some of the whole sample group of 25 brands contained as much as 17.7 percent of toxic materials."
What this means is that the 12 brands they tested all CLAIMED to be free of these three toxic chemicals, yet testing showed that all but two actually DID contain the chemicals that these products were supposedly free of. This has nothing to do with English being anyone's second language, and everything to do with companies lying about the contents of their product.