Report exposes toxic chemicals in supposedly toxin-free nail polishes

Mislabeled nail products put customers and
workers at risk, California investigators say.

A California report raises concerns about some nail polishes in California salons that are advertised as being free of toxic chemicals such as formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) as being mislabeled.

According to the Department of Toxic Substances Control report, these products could put customers and workers at risk, since these chemicals have been linked to birth defects, asthma and other health problems.

The mislabeled nail products can be found in more than 48,000 nail salons in California.

Use of the three chemicals is legal if the product is properly labeled. The companies may face fines and legal requirements to change product labels.

Investigators found significant levels of chemicals

Out of the 12 products that claimed to be free of toluene, 10 actually contained the chemical, and four products contained dangerously high levels.

The investigators also found that five out of seven products claiming to be “free of the toxic three” had one or more of the chemicals in significant levels.

The mislabeled products include:

• Sation 99 basecoat.
• Sation 53 red-pink nail color.
• Dare to Wear nail lacquer.
• Chelsea 650 Baby's Breath Nail Lacquer.
• New York Summer Nail Color.
• Paris Spicy 298 nail lacquer.
• Sunshine nail lacquer.
• Cacie Light Free Gel Basecoat.
• Cacie Sun Protection Topcoat.
• Golden Girl Topcoat.
• Nail Art Top-N-Seal.
• High Gloss Topcoat.

These nail polishes are only available in salons, not in stores.

Inhaling the chemicals can be a significant occupational health and safety risk for the more than 121,000 licensed nail care technicians working in salons, especially when they are of childbearing age.

Poor ventilation is a common concern in nail salons, which adds to the potential exposure.

Source: CBC News

Source capture air cleaners for nail salons and spas

Spa and salon air cleaners with
source capture attachments.

The air in nail salons and spas can be full of toxic chemicals, odors and other types of pollutants, and general ventilation systems are often unable to provide a healthy indoor environment.

Electrocorp has developed air cleaners for nail salons, hair salons and spas that can remove toxins from the ambient air.

Their multistage filtration system with activated carbon and HEPA protect from the widest range of pollutants and special source capture attachments can remove toxins at the source before they have a chance to spread.

For more information, contact Electrocorp: 1-866-667-0297.