Nail Salon Horrors: Are You Killing Your Manicurist?

You know nail polish is full of horrible chemicals, right? Well, cosmetics companies are pushing to rid our favorite lacquers of toulene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dangerous, carcinogenic substances. Surely, you notice that smell when painting your nails at home? Yeah, that one, the one that makes you feel dizzy if you don't open the windows. Well, imagine how your manicurist feels.

According to a recent article in The NY Times, salon manicurists suffer from "poor performance on tests of attention, mental processing speed, memory and verbal learning." What's worse, they're not only putting themselves at risk, but also the lives of their unborn children, who when prenatally exposed "performed worse on tests for cognitive function, language and behavior." According to another article in The International Herald Tribune, such workers also suffer from allergic reactions, breathing problems and rashes.

That should tell you something about the hazards of nail polish, just one of the many products to which women suffering from DFS (Debilitating Fashion Syndrome) subject their bodies. OPI has committed to removing toulene from their collection of polishes, while brands like Goldie Nail Lacquers, No Miss Nail Polish, Maybelline Wet Shine Nail Polish, Sante Nail Polish and Peacekeeper Cause-metics, already avoid harmful chemicals. Some of our favorites, like Lancome and Essie, still have not said anything about cleaning up their acts.

Thanks to Jezebel for spotting the story.