If you’re anything like me, you’ll be taking measures to prevent your body from absorbing as many nasty chemicals as possible. Maybe you’re making healthy choices by eating organic food, using natural body creams and cleaning your home with environmentally friendly products. But I bet you haven’t considered nail polish!
A recent shocking study found the suspected endocrine disruptor triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) had been absorbed into the bodies of every woman on the study who painted their nails.
Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with our hormones. Our hormones work together like a finely tuned orchestra, so a slight disruption to any one of them can cause havoc.
Unhealthy changes in our hormonal levels can cause a huge number of health issues from emotional swings, headaches, poor sleep patterns and depression to infertility and cancer.
The study was co-authored by The Environmental Working Group (EWG) and researchers at Duke University. The study found that when women applied nail polish which contained TPHP directly to their nails, the levels of a biomarker of that chemical in their urine increased nearly sevenfold compared to when participants wore gloves and applied the polish to synthetic nails.
Unfortunately not all manufacturers of nail polish disclose whether they use TPHP in their products. So here’s a link to the EWG summary and report where you can also sign a petition to urge companies to remove TPHP from their products now. You’ll also be able to access EWG’s Skin Deep database to find a nail polish brand that doesn’t contain this nasty chemical.
Are you changing your nail polish now?
Please comment below – I would love to hear your thoughts.
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