Typically I opt for a polish-free nail. Mainly out of laziness, but also because nail polish, remover, cotton balls, and all the related accouterments is a lot of stuff to have on hand and I don’t especially like increasing my knick-knack count. Nevertheless, I do from time to time swipe on a coat of pale pink Essie (Blushing Bride to be exact) to up my shine factor. Last night, however, I hit the streets with a friend to get a professional manicure… okay as professional as it gets for $13.
I didn’t think much of it at first, after all this was a birthday treat for my friend and I wouldn’t even have thought to go on my own without such an occasion to celebrate. But with one look at the wall of possible colors – from sparkling golds to deep purples and everything in between – I was sold. I want to do this every two weeks! No, every week! How else will I make my way through all of the bottles I so desperately want to try?
Ok, so I got over my initial excitement but I do plan on going for manicure more often in the future. Even so, I could’t help but start to wonder just how bad the whole process is for the environment and the people. We’ve all smelled a nail salon before, and even at a distance it doesn’t take a scientist to know that fume-y scent can’t be good news. I consoled myself slightly by rationalizing…. It wasn’t like I was getting some crazy gel treatment or having acrylics put on (which have to be filed down by the likes of an electric drill, casting clouds of acrylic nail dust directly into the face of a masked nail technician), that’s far worse than a humble once over with a nail file and a couple layers of polish, right?
Not exactly. According to one article on Women’s Rights, “Many nail polishes still contain what is known as the “toxic trio”: toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate, which have been linked to cancers as well as reproductive health issues and developmental disabilities”. Hmm, so has the pretty, glistening effect happening on my polished digits been brought to me by the toxic trio? According to the OPI nail polish website, no, no, and no. I can feel slightly better, but it’s hard to know if the chemical concoction used to make the color I selected is really so much better than those known carcinogens – or if they just haven’t been around long enough for us to say otherwise.
So is my only option to go mani-less? I could tote my own polish to the Salon, but even the more “natural” polishes I’ve found – check out Zoya and Butter London – while pretty, don’t seem all that natural after all. If I had a taste for Barbie-inspired hues, or had a little girl in my life, I would definitely give Piggy Paint a try – it boasts a shot list of non-toxic ingredients. In the mean time I guess I’ll enjoy my sparkly pink nails while they last. Anybody have suggestions for a good, truly natural polish?
