It seems like I’m kinda’ on a roll about fingernail health. It’s probably my obsessive nature that makes me hang on like a bull dog when I want to find a solution to a problem. The problem is how to keep fingernails (and toenails) looking great in a non-toxic way; thus the quest for a safe nail polish.
Here’s the problem. Fingernails are porous therefore what you put on them can penetrate its way into your body. To make matters worse, the fumes from fingernail polish and remover have yet a second entry into your body when you breathe them.
Have you ever visited a salon where the fumes are so strong they almost knock you out? I have and that’s what inspired this post. It was so bad I turned around and marched myself right back out. I knew that those fumes had to be hard on the customers and staff.
The goal then is to have beautiful nails, but do it safely and without those awful toxic fumes. So, I went on a quest for products that contains no dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde or toluene. It appears that the water based enamels are the safest. These include Piggy Paint, Acquarella and Safe Nail Polish. There may be other products out there, but these are the three that I researched for this post.
Ingredients of the top three safe nail polishes
Piggy Paint:
Polish: Water, acrylates copolymer, butoxy diglycol, Neolone 950. May contain mica, red 34 lake, ultramarines, titanium dioxide, iron oxide pigments.
Remover: Corn alcohol, butyl diglycol, Aloe Vera extract, Vitamin E, embittering agent.
Acquarella:
Polish: Acrylic polymer emulsion, Water, Drying Retarder, and Other Ingredients (colorants at 2%)
Remover: “Water, tall oil fatty acids and alcohols (plant based), non-ionic surfactant, organic buffer” Note: tall oil fatty acids are a by product of making wood pulp. They are used in making soaps and lubricants
Safe Nail Polish:
Polish: Water, Acrylic film thickeners and formers (water-miscible), diglycol ethers Note: diglycol ethers are not the same as ethylene glycol.
Remover: Corn alcohol, butyl diglycol, aloe vera extract,
Vitamin E, embittering agent, D&C green #6.
Conclusion
After reading all the information available on all three of these products, I believe Piggy Paint and Safe Nail Polish to be the best choices. Unfortunately, Piggy Paint suggests a base coat and a top coat with their products to avoid chipping. The product I will be using is Safe Nail Polish. Two coats and you’re done. I like that. Another thing worth mentioning is that these products (all three from above) dry in 3 – 5 minutes, but polymers need extra time to actually cure to achieve maximum hardness. In my book this is a tiny price to pay for safety.
The salon I go to fortunately is fumeless, but my manicurist doesn’t use what I consider a safe product. So the next time I go see her, I’m going to take my own polish and remover. Who knows, maybe I can convince them to switch to a nontoxic product.
Related articles:
Save Your Fingernails with Nail-Aid Base Coat
Fingernail Ridges – Make Them Go Away
Three Quick Fixes for Hangnails and Four Ways to Prevent Them
So sorry you’re having problems. I know folks with CMS seem to often be more sensitive to odors. The only way I know to escape the problem you are having is avoid the products. At least, if I suffered with CMS that’s what I would do.
Good luck to you and your wife.
Vic