Nail polish cannot be natural by default. But sometimes it is not only unnatural, but also harmful to your nails, if not poisonous. If you think that your nails are safe because you only buy polishes over 100 rubles... No, that's not true. The price here is not always indicative. Therefore, we take a box of varnishes and begin to look through the compositions and throw out those that contain at least 1 of the 5 special components...
I think everyone has encountered the fact that after applying some varnishes, the nail plate acquired a yellowish color and could begin to flake or even become deformed. I encountered such an unpleasant moment not so long ago and immediately realized that I didn’t like it.
The change in the nail plate is determined by the color of the varnish, the intensity of the pigment contained, and the action of other components included in the composition.
In order not to spoil my nails in the future, I decided to look into the composition of the varnishes.
Very often it’s blue and green polishes that turn out to be bad, here’s an honestly stolen photo from irecommend from a review about Sally Hansen polish
5 dangerous components in varnishes
So, what did I find out? There are 5 main dangerous components that may be present in nail polishes: formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resins and camphor.
- Although some manufacturers consider the last 2 components to be conditionally harmful and do not exclude them from the composition.
- What are these components for, and what dangers do they pose?
- Toluene is used in varnishes to improve consistency so that the varnish glides smoothly over the nail and is applied evenly. Doctors and chemists say that this is a highly toxic substance. Dibutyl phthalate protects the varnish from chipping. Yes, it’s unpleasant that the varnish can chip, which reduces its wear life, but even more unpleasant is the cancer and birth defects that this component can provoke. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde resins.
- : Carcinogens used in embalming. Formaldehyde resin is a derivative of formaldehyde and is less toxic, but can cause
What's so scary, you ask? After all, we are not going to eat the varnish, and the nail is dead tissue, the horny plate of which is difficult to damage. The main danger is not the varnish itself, but the fumes generated during the drying process. Even if you paint your nails in a well-ventilated area, you still get a fair dose of varnish fumes.
Also harmful substances may cause a decrease in the local immunity of the nail, which in turn may cause a fungal infection.
How can I recognize harmful components before they ruin my nails?
Of course, you need to look at the composition. Then you won’t be able to deceive us, everything will be visible. The percentage of content of a particular component depends on the ordinal place in the list. The closer to the beginning, the greater the component. Unfortunately, strengthening or at least non-harmful components are in last place.
By the way, I didn’t immediately find where the composition was hidden on bottles of varnish. The labels are glued almost tightly (I barely peeled them off), but the ingredients are almost always hidden underneath them.
But sometimes studying the composition may not be necessary.
If there is an inscription on the bottle "3-free", "4-free" or "5-free" this means that this varnish does not contain 3, 4 or 5 harmful components from the above. Many brands use this as a marketing ploy.
The first group does not contain toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin or camphor was also removed from the second group, and all 5 components were excluded from the third.
Examples of varnishes from the “Big 3 free” group: China Glaze And Divage– contain camphor and formaldehyde resin.
Brands that have excluded all components: Chanel, Dior, Dance Legend. Surprisingly in new Color Expert I didn’t find anything dangerous from Golden Rose either, well done.
As you can see, varnishes from both the expensive and cheap segments of the market can be dangerous, or vice versa.
Love yourself, and remember: beauty does not require sacrifice!
Despite this, representatives of the fair sex continue to be tormented by the question of the safety of using such a manicure. Formaldehyde is found quite often in nail polish. It would be more accurate to say that it is almost always present in them. In addition, it can be found in nail medicinal products, positioned as growth stimulants. Indeed, the effect of their use should not be overlooked - nails begin to grow faster, thicken, harden and become stronger. If it is believed that formaldehyde only causes harm, how is this possible?
Opponents of this treatment believe that the local toxic effect of formaldehyde causes the nail plate to dry out and become thicker. There is another version, according to which the harmful effects are so great that the body begins to grow nails of harmful substances entering the blood.
Nails, despite their dense structure, are ideally impenetrable to various substances in the body. In the blood from 10 to 80% of the active ingredients, applied to the nails. If we talk about formaldehyde, it tends to accumulate, collect under the nail plate, and it will appear there.
How is formaldehyde harmful?
In high concentrations, this substance is very dangerous and toxic, it leads to depression of the nervous and respiratory systems, causing headaches, blood damage and asthma. In severe poisoning, it can even lead to death. But don't worry too much. In varnish, its concentration is so negligible that it is not capable of causing any of these diseases, and especially not leading to death.
Formaldehyde is widely used not only in lipsticks, but also in many other cosmetic products. For example, it can often be seen in shampoos. However, the maximum concentration is only 0.2%, while many unscrupulous manufacturers increase it to 2-4%, which is completely unacceptable.
The fact is that the market value of formaldehyde is very small. This allows significant savings on the production of various tools. In European countries and America, this ingredient has long been banned for use in cosmetics. There it is replaced by palm acids. Some domestic manufacturers have also started to follow this technology.
Apart from paints and cosmetics, we encounter formaldehyde on a daily basis, since it is used in the production of plastic products and furniture, which contains much higher concentrations. So what are the harms of varnishes containing formaldehyde?
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We all know that you shouldn't use nail polish too often, as your nails will start to weaken and turn yellow. But in fact, this cosmetic product causes much more harm to our health than is commonly believed.
We will not encourage you to give up manicure. website will only tell you about the negative impact nail polish has on our body.
What is the main health hazard?
The danger of varnish lies in its toxicity. Some modern cosmetics nail polish contains the following components that can destroy your health:
- Toluene (Toluene) - a solvent that creates a smooth coating on the nails and preserves pigment. It is known that toluene can affect the central nervous system and cause reproductive problems. Headaches, weakness, fainting, nausea - these are not all the consequences of using low-quality varnish.
- Formaldehyde - colorless gas, thanks to which varnishes last longer. Allergy sufferers may experience dermatitis and chemical burns upon contact with formaldehyde. In more severe cases, abnormal heart rhythms, seizures, and cancer may occur.
- Dibutyl Phthalate used as a flavoring agent. Because of this dangerous component, endocrine disorders, gynecological diseases, and respiratory tract diseases may occur.
Scientists conducted a study in which 24 women took part. Six hours after the participants painted their nails, most of them had elevated levels of diphenyl phosphate, a substance that is a derivative of triphenyl phosphate and is formed during metabolism. And 10 hours after applying the varnish, the level of diphenyl phosphate in the body of all participants was already 7 times higher than the norm. This is alarming.
How to choose a varnish that is safe for health?
Some varnishes have special marks:
- "5-Free" - The mark means that the cloud does not contain formaldehyde, its derivative resins, toluene, dibutyl phthalates and camphor.
- "3-Free" - means that the varnish contains only 3 components: formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate and toluene.
Therefore, before you buy nail polish, first of all pay attention to the composition, because your health is in your hands.
What do you look for when buying nail polish? Many will answer that the choice falls on color scheme offered products. However, if there are expectant mothers among our readers, they will say that their choice is based on the safety of varnishes. In particular, such buyers are interested in the question of whether nail polish contains formaldehyde. After all, it is this component that can harm a woman’s health. We will tell you more about how dangerous formaldehyde is in nail polish below.
Is it really that scary?
Formaldehyde in nail polish plays the role of a preservative, extending the shelf life of the product. It would seem that what’s wrong with preservatives? But these substances are different. Formaldehyde is a poison that, in addition to extending the shelf life of cosmetics, also has a negative impact on our health. Therefore, it is considered very harmful. The percentage of danger of nail polish depends on the concentration of this substance. Even a slight excess of its norm can lead to serious consequences.
Why is this preservative so attractive to manufacturers? Of course, cheap! Therefore, products of dubious quality can be recognized only by the presence of formaldehyde in them. It is not without reason that leading companies involved in the production and sale of nail polishes have abandoned the use of this preservative in their products.
Let us note that in Europe the attitude towards formaldehyde is quite serious. The permissible level of this preservative in nail polish should not exceed 0.2%. Unfortunately, Russian manufacturers do not adhere to these rules, so on the shelves of our stores you can find a huge number of varnishes, shampoos and other cosmetics with a formaldehyde concentration of 0.5 and even 1.0%. Moreover, in the case of detergents the use of this preservative is acceptable, because shampoo does not come into contact with human skin for long, and formaldehyde itself in an aqueous solution gradually reduces its concentration. However, in nail products, exceeding the permissible dosage of this toxin threatens the development of various pathologies for people. After all, the poison is very for a long time is in prolonged contact with nails and is not washed off with ordinary water.
How does it work?
When applying varnish to your nails, you may not even realize what danger you are exposing your health to. After about 12 hours, formaldehyde absorption reaches its peak. From 10 to 80% of the poison enters the human blood. Moreover, this substance tends to be absorbed under the nail plate, so it is very difficult to get rid of it in the future. And if we take into account the fact that most domestically produced nail polishes exceed the permissible concentration of formaldehyde tens of times, the consequences for human health can be disastrous.
It should be noted that the main reason for the delamination of the nail plates, their thinning and discoloration is the use of varnish, which contains the preservative in question. Despite this, some unscrupulous manufacturers sell products for restoring damaged nails based on the same formaldehyde. That is why experts recommend that all women study the composition of cosmetics before purchasing any hand care products.
Is there an alternative?
Today, a large number of nail polish manufacturers have abandoned the use of formaldehyde and replaced it with useful ingredients that are no worse than a preservative for storing cosmetic products. For example, palm acid, which is of natural origin, has become an alternative. So you can safely buy and use nail polishes with such a preservative even during pregnancy.
Choosing a safe varnish
In fact, such varnishes exist; they can be recognized by the “5-free” mark on the label. This means that these products do not contain formaldehyde, formaldehyde resins, toluene, camphor and dibutyl phthalate - quite dangerous toxins. Another category of safe varnishes is marked “3-free”. You will also not find formaldehyde, toluene or dibutyl phthalate in their composition. If you are really concerned about your health, then it is better to pay a little more and purchase these safe analogues. By the way, such varnishes stay on the nails longer than cheap ones.
Now you know what formaldehyde is, so you can make a decision for yourself: continue to use varnishes containing it or give preference to more expensive, but completely safe analogues that will highlight the beauty of your nails and protect your health.