In our most recent issue, I wrote about Skin Deep, an online report and database that keeps track of some of the toxic and dangerous ingredients in makeup and cosmetics that most of us probably use regularly (the database and information is online here).
Now, women in the US are pressuring nail polish company OPI to remove the toxic chemicals from their products (you may know OPI colours by their crazy names, such as Blushingham Palace and Miso Happy With This Color).
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a coalition of health and environmental groups, has found that OPI nail polishes contain seriously toxic ingredients that can lead to cancer, birth defects and other health problems.
Skin Deep reports that many OPI nail polishes contain formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate. According to the report, the three ingredients are identified by California’s Proposition 65 a list of chemicals known to the state to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity. In addition, both toluene and formaldehyde are listed by the U.S. National Toxicology Program as “reasonably anticipated” to be human carcinogens. In 2004, the European Union banned the use of DBP, a chemical linked to reproductive harm, from cosmetics, forcing OPI and other companies to remove DBP from nail products sold in 25 European countries. Scary stuff!
If you want to find out more about OPI or other products, or join the action to make nail polish less toxic, you can do so here.
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