Beware: Non-toxic nail polish may contain harmful chemicals

Although nail polish manufacturers have begun removing some toxic ingredients, their labels are not always accurate and the reformulated products aren't necessarily safer, suggests a new study.
"We were trying to learn more about what ingredients were in nail polish, and the more we dug deep into the labels, the more confused I was about the health claims, which I knew would be confusing for consumers and nail salon workers, too," said lead author Anna Young of the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.
In the 2000s, nail polish manufacturers started phasing out three particularly toxic chemicals: formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DnBP). They would label these formulations as "3-free." However, many of these products replaced those chemicals with another plasticiser, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP), which has since been shown to be potentially toxic as well.
The European Union banned DnBP in cosmetics in 2004, Young's team notes in Environmental Science and Technology.
The US Food and Drug Administration requires ingredient labels on nail polishes but doesn't require products to be tested for safety before entering the market, the researchers add. In addition, certain chemicals such as phthalates can be listed as "fragrance" due to trade secret concerns.
"It's a chemical Whack-a-Mole," Young said in a phone interview. "That's especially important for nail salon workers because some of these toxins are linked to complications with fertility, thyroid issues, obesity and cancer."
Young and colleagues measured the concentrations of 22 plasticizers in 40 nail polish samples to compare the label to actual ingredients.
The samples included different colours, finishes and top coats, and the researchers analyzed them for 12 phthalate and 10 organophosphate plasticizers.
Among the samples were 11 different "n-free" labels, ranging from "3-free" to "13-free." All of the samples included significant levels of at least one plasticizer, and most contained at least five of the 22 ingredients studied. The "5-free" to "13-free" samples had lower levels in general than unlabeled or "3-free" samples, the study team notes.
The US Food and Drug Administration requires ingredient labels on nail polishes but doesn't require products to be tested for safety before entering the market, the researchers add. In addition, certain chemicals such as phthalates can be listed as "fragrance" due to trade secret concerns.
"It's a chemical Whack-a-Mole," Young said in a phone interview. "That's especially important for nail salon workers because some of these toxins are linked to complications with fertility, thyroid issues, obesity and cancer."
Young and colleagues measured the concentrations of 22 plasticisers in 40 nail polish samples to compare the label to actual ingredients.
The samples included different colours, finishes and top coats, and the researchers analyzed them for 12 phthalate and 10 organophosphate plasticisers.
Among the samples were 11 different "n-free" labels, ranging from "3-free" to "13-free." All of the samples included significant levels of at least one plasticizer, and most contained at least five of the 22 ingredients studied. The "5-free" to "13-free" samples had lower levels in general than unlabeled or "3-free" samples, the study team notes.