Are There Heavy Metals In Nail Polish?
Do you ever think about if the paint on your nails can be bad for you? Many people do not stop to think before using beauty or cosmetics products. In today’s world, the pressure to look a certain way is strong. Nail polish may seem safe but it is not as harmless as we might believe.
What Ingredients Are Found in Nail Polish?
Nail polish is made by mixing several chemicals together. These chemicals help make a coating for nails that is both colorful and strong. Here are the main parts:
Film-Forming Agents
Nitrocellulose: This is the main thing in nail polish that helps it make a smooth and hard layer on the nail when it dries.
Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin (or alternatives): This makes the polish stick better and last longer.
Solvents
Ethyl acetate and butyl acetate: These two dry fast and help the polish to set.
Isopropyl alcohol: People sometimes use this to help with putting it on and to help it dry faster.
Plasticizers
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) (now people use it less because there are health worries), camphor, or triphenyl phosphate (TPHP): These help the polish to bend and keep it from cracking.
Pigments and Colorants
Iron oxides, mica, titanium dioxide, ultramarines, etc.: These give color and shine to the product.
Some polishes also have glitter in them. This glitter is made with small pieces of plastic or other stuff like that.
Suspension Agents
Stearalkonium hectorite or bentonite clay: These help the pigments stay mixed in the bottle.
UV Stabilizers
Benzophenone-1: This ingredient helps stop color from fading or turning yellow when it is out in the sunlight.
Optional Additives
Fragrance
Vitamin E, keratin, or calcium can help give your nails extra care benefits.
With this kind of information, we can see that nail polish is not harmless. This is clear, especially when you look at the pigments and colorants. There are metals in them.
Do Nail Polishes Contain Heavy Metals?
Some nail polishes may have small amounts of heavy metals. These metals might be added to give color or could get in by accident. Lead is sometimes found in bright red or yellow nail polishes. This is a problem because lead can harm the brain, especially for children and pregnant women. Cadmium is in some red, orange, and yellow nail polish. It is known to cause cancer and may hurt the kidneys or bones. Green nail polish might have chromium in it. Some types of chromium are safe, but hexavalent chromium is bad and can also cause cancer.
Nickel can get in by accident and is known to cause allergies and skin problems. Cobalt is used in some blue colors and can make skin feel sore or cause allergic reactions. A few other metals—like manganese, iron, aluminum, and titanium—show up in both natural and man-made colors, such as mica or oxides. These are mostly safe if the amount is small. But having too much manganese for a long time might be bad for your brain.
Should You Stop Using Nail Polish?
You do not have to stop buying nail polish. Instead, you can make a better choice when you shop. If you feel worried about the risk from heavy metals, you can get a Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) with us. We can help you check if you have too much metal in your body.