Toxic Trio
The Toxic Trio
Let's face it, when a woman arrives at a nail salon, the first thing she thinks about is the color of polish she is choosing or how excited she is to pamper herself. The last thing on her mind are the toxins that are in the actual nail polish. Little does she know, there are plenty of chemical compounds that are in each nail polish bottle, three of which are very toxic. They are formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl pthlate (DBP)-also known as the "toxic trio." These three toxins are in many famous nail polishes including the two leading brands, OPI and Essie. In 2006, a group of young women activists fought to eliminate the toxins, and they did. However, in 2012, the polishes were tested and to their surprise, the three toxins still existed. Why is this so? The Food and Drug Administration does not have any authority over companies to make them prove that products are safe before they are placed on shelves for consumers to buy, neither do they have control to demand a recall. With that said, this project was put together so that daily nail polish users can be more alert when buying or choosing a nail polish at a salon. The "toxic trio" is what makes every nail salon smell the way it does and it can cause many negative health effects.
The compound formaldehyde itself isn't found in nail polishes. In actuality, a resin form of formaldehyde is in nail polish. When formaldehyde becomes a resin, the formaldehyde is no longer present. The resin is called the tosylamide/formaldehyde resin. It is what makes the polish tough and resilient. On the other hand, formaldehyde (chemical formular: CH2O) is in nail hardeners, which is still considered to be nail polish. Besides nail hardeners, formaldehyde can be found in many household products such as latex paint and super glue. Regardless of what product it is, when it is used, a large amount of formaldehyde is released into the air and inhaled. Formaldehyde can also enter the body and be exposed on the skin
Let's face it, when a woman arrives at a nail salon, the first thing she thinks about is the color of polish she is choosing or how excited she is to pamper herself. The last thing on her mind are the toxins that are in the actual nail polish. Little does she know, there are plenty of chemical compounds that are in each nail polish bottle, three of which are very toxic. They are formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl pthlate (DBP)-also known as the "toxic trio." These three toxins are in many famous nail polishes including the two leading brands, OPI and Essie. In 2006, a group of young women activists fought to eliminate the toxins, and they did. However, in 2012, the polishes were tested and to their surprise, the three toxins still existed. Why is this so? The Food and Drug Administration does not have any authority over companies to make them prove that products are safe before they are placed on shelves for consumers to buy, neither do they have control to demand a recall. With that said, this project was put together so that daily nail polish users can be more alert when buying or choosing a nail polish at a salon. The "toxic trio" is what makes every nail salon smell the way it does and it can cause many negative health effects.
The compound formaldehyde itself isn't found in nail polishes. In actuality, a resin form of formaldehyde is in nail polish. When formaldehyde becomes a resin, the formaldehyde is no longer present. The resin is called the tosylamide/formaldehyde resin. It is what makes the polish tough and resilient. On the other hand, formaldehyde (chemical formular: CH2O) is in nail hardeners, which is still considered to be nail polish. Besides nail hardeners, formaldehyde can be found in many household products such as latex paint and super glue. Regardless of what product it is, when it is used, a large amount of formaldehyde is released into the air and inhaled. Formaldehyde can also enter the body and be exposed on the skin