Caution! Your weekly visits to the nail salon may be worrisome to your health.

We all want to look and feel polished with a manicure/pedicure, but we do not want the harmful toxins in the nail products. Pay attention and read the ingredients of your favorite brands. There are even some very popular nail polish brands sold in the U.S. that cannot be sold in Europe or Canada because they contain outlawed ingredients.

In the past several years, some, but not all, nail polish manufacturers stopped using toluene, phthalates, tripheryl phosphate, formaldehyde and parabens. These ingredients have benefits in how they help nail polish look and wear. However, they are believed to be toxic or cancer causing and overall harmful to the human body.

Researchers at Duke University tested for signs of chemical toxins in 26 women, and 10 hours after applying nail polish, in each one of the study participants, researchers found heightened levels of:

• Triphenyl phosphate – a toxin that can have an effect on metabolism, hormone regulation and reproductive organs
• Toluene – a toxin that can increase headaches and dizziness
• Dibutyl Phthalate – a toxin that can effect hormones and the reproductive system
• Formaldehyde – a known carcinogen that can effect breathing, throat and burning of the eyes

So why, you may ask, doesn’t the government ban these ingredients as Europe, Canada and other countries have done? That’s a good question. Researching government review processes is a mind-numbing exercise that I don’t need to try. That’s because there are alternative nail polish manufacturers with a better plan. They make exceptional quality nail polish free of these harmful ingredients. So if you can choose to wear nail polish with harmful ingredients or nail polish free of these ingredients, which will you choose?

Best Non-Toxic Nail Polish Brands

Find out what is in your favorite brand of nail polish by checking ingredients, which should be on the label or at least on the nail polish websites. You may be surprised at the big names in nail polish still using toxic ingredients and essentially exposing you to serious health risks. Here are some of the best non-toxic nail polish brands:

• Sundays

Sundays Nail Polish No.25, $18

• Zoya

ZOYA Nail Polish, $10

• butter LONDON

butter LONDON Glazen Nail Lacquer Bubbles, $10

• Jin Soon

Jin Soon Crush Nail Polish, $18

• Cote

Cote Toxin Free Nail Polish, $18

• GIELLA custom blend cosmetics

  • They will also match your favorite nail polish that has been discontinued or can recreate a color in a healthier way!

GIELLA Nail Polish, $22