By Liz Thompson •
April 22, 2009
Just in time for Earth Day, Zoya has launched their exchange program to help eliminate more toxic nail polish and save your beauty dollars. Starting now through June, you can trade in any bottles of polish you may have around the house (any brand other than Zoya) and choose from one of the over 300 color choices at Zoya. Zoya will take your old polishes and dispose of them according to EPA safety guidelines. All Zoya polishes are free from formaldehyde, toluene, camphor and dibutyl phthalate.
By Liz Thompson •
January 24, 2009
Although nail polish is not a necessity, many girls love it and miss it when trying to cut down on toxic exposure. But most conventional nail polishes contain extremely hazardous chemical ingredients and since nail polish is left on for relatively long periods (unlike soap or shampoo, which are rinsed off immediately) these toxins have a nice long time to soak into our system.
Listed below are the three main ingredients we look to avoid in nail polish and why*:
- Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) – neurotoxin, reproductive/developmental toxin, endocrine disruptor.
- Formaldehyde – human carcinogen, developmental/reproductive toxin, neurotoxin.
- Toluene – developmental/reproductive toxin, neurotoxin.
So what is an eco girl who likes a good mani to do? That is where Acquarella comes in. Acquarella water based nail polishes are free of the top three offenders, virtually odorless and come in a variety of gorgeous colors.
By Lucille Chi •
January 20, 2009
I’ve always loved pink nailpolish! Now Zoya (one of our faavorite eco polish brands) makes a green girl yearning for pink shine blush with their astonishing array of color selections that are formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate free.
By Jessica Gottlieb •
November 12, 2008
Okay ladies and gents. I’ve got a list of ingredients along with a teeny tiny blurb from reputable sources.
You pick the product. Yes, I want you to look at the chemicals and try to guess what product they come from.
Butyl Acetate: Oxford University recommends the use of safety glasses
Propyl Acetate: OSHA and the CDC recommend breathing support with this chemical
Ethyl Acetate: From OSHA;
* Signs and symptoms of exposure
1. Acute exposure: Ethyl acetate causes irritation, redness, and tearing of the eyes and irritation of the nose and throat. It is a defatting agent and may cause skin dryness after acute exposure. Sensitization of the lining of the nose may occur with symptoms of inflammation (swelling, runny nose, redness of lining).
2. Chronic exposure: Chronic exposure of the skin to ethyl acetate may cause dermatitis; no other systemic effects have been reported from chronic exposure to ethyl acetate.
Nitrocellulose: OSHA gives it a low toxicity rating but with Gun Cotton being it’s synonym it’s no surprise to find it’s rather explosive.
Isopropyl Alcohol: common, perhaps benign
Polyester Resin: Limited information available, but you can laminate your surfboard with it.
Camphor
Steralkonium Hectorite
Benzaphenone 1
Titanium Dioxide
Red #6
Iron Oxide
Ferric Ammonium
Ferrocyanide Red #7
Are you ready to guess? Do you think you know? After the jump is the big reveal.
By Andrew Williams •
October 5, 2008
An Australian scientist has developed a new method of manufacturing solar cells using nothing more than some nail polish remover, a pizza oven and a standard inkjet printer.
The iJET technique is so easy and cheap to carry out that it could revolutionize access to solar technology in the developing world.
In a recent radio interview (audio), Nicole Kuepper, a 23 year-old PhD student at the University of New South Wales, explained the process.
When my nails are freshly manicured, it somehow makes me feel more, well, polished. I hate walking out of poorly ventilated shops with a headache though. We all know that the ingredients in traditional polish is not good to inhale on a regular basis, but we slather it on anyway - guilty! I am totally guilty…
Until recently when I discovered the SpaRitual line at a little body shop, called Mountain Body, in Park City, Utah. With flavors like, Strawberry Fields Forever and Paradigm Shift (which I am currently admiring as I type!), you not only feel good about wearing the nail lacquer but empowered.
By Amy Stodghill •
May 9, 2007
Sandal wearing season is just around the corner and the toes will come out to play. If you're using a splash of color on your little piggies, make sure your nail polish is phthalate-free.
