{April 23, 2008} What we’re about!
{April 15, 2008} Are there any eco-friendly nail polishes?
I was recently asked the question…
“What kind of nail polishes do you use and are they eco-friendly?”,
and I started thinking…
many people don’t know the question to that answer and need to be better educated.
In my recent addition to Voila’ Mobile Spa I have learned so many things regarding the spa industry.
I have learned that yes, there are eco-friendly nail polishes. There are ones that do not test on
animals and are vegan. How exciting right? According to a recent article on Spafinder.com, Shel Pink,
founder of SpaRitual stated that “in 2004, the EU banned phthalates like dibutyl phthalate…(DBP, the
stuff that keeps lacquers from chipping)…from cosmetics because several studies found that it may
cause birth defects…It has been linked to cancer and reproductive issues, although the evidence isn’t
conclusive.” This is something that the FDA doesn’t limit except in nail hardners. That’s right it’s still
in there! However, Pink states that the “FDA recognizes that these substances may be dangerous if
ingested or used in other ways.” Can you say duh? And we use this stuff over and over, in 4 different
places on our bodies. No wonder our nails turn yellow, crack, and chip. And yes, our nails and
nailbeds can penetrate chemicals. SpaRitual has developed alternatives though. Exciting news! They
have decided to not use animal-derived polishes, so they are totally vegan. Did you know that the
color in your nail polish is made from “synthetic chemicals or from minerals, plants, or animal by-
products like carmine (crushed bugs) and guanine (fish scales).” Makes you think, huh?
