Concerned advocates, companies respond to Calif. "toxic" nail polish report

A manicure during class after a news conference
at the Laney College School of Cosmetology in Oakland, Calif., on April
10, 2012.

(Credit:
AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
(CBS News) - Citizens, advocacy groups, medical professionals and
companies are speaking out after a Calif. state government study found
that many of the "non-toxic" nail polishes officials tested contained
carcinogens or developmental toxins. According to the study, out of the 12 nail product brands the Department of Toxic Substance Control
tested that claimed they didn't have one to three of the "toxic trio"
of chemicals, only two brands were able to stand by their claims. Some
of the whole sample group of 25 brands contained as much as 17.7 percent
of toxic materials.

The "toxic trio" is the nickname for
dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde, three ingredients
that have been known to cause adverse side effects.
"This
report shows that these companies are knowingly peddling tons of toxins
without even an ounce of scruples," Miriam Yeung, executive director of
the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum, part of the National
Health Nail and Beauty Salon Alliance, told HealthPop by email. "Not
only are they including dangerous chemicals in their products, but they
are outright lying about it. More disturbing is that the cosmetics
industry continues to be almost completely unregulated- the FDA still
does not have the power it needs to keep consumers and salon workers
safe. "
Calif. report reveals "non-toxic" nail polishes could cause birth defects
Dibutyl
phthalate (DBP) comes from the family of phthalates, a classification
of compounds known to be disrupt function of the endocrine system, Dr.
Kenneth R. Spaeth, the director of the Occupational and Environmental
Medicine Center's Department of Population Health at North Shore
University Hospital in Manhasset, N.Y., told HealthPop. Phthalates can
alter hormone levels or disrupt the way the body handles its response to
hormones. Although studies about the toxin are relatively recent, it
has been known to cause birth defects, including neurological and
developmental issues in fetuses.
"In a fetus,
there's felt to be greater susceptibility to the effects," Spaeth said.
"Pregnant women would be at particular concern here. Any exposure that
they experience is also going to be experienced by the fetus."

According
to Spaeth, toluene is a neurotoxin that can also irritate the upper
respiratory system. It has been known to harm the nervous system of
people of any age, but it can cross through the placenta and reach the
fetus to cause developmental defects as well.
"A lot of
the mechanisms that we have in the body to protect us from these toxins
are not developed so there's greater susceptibility because of that and
because of their size," he said.
Formaldehyde is a known
carcinogen that is also known to cause respiratory problems and can
exacerbate problems in people with asthma and other breathing issues,
Spaeth commented.
While he said that the problem could be
a concern for people who go to nail salons frequently, it's more of a
bigger problem for people who work with the products. Poor ventilation
and improper equipment - like using the wrong masks - can lead to health
problems. Spaeth says it's fairly common to see nail salon workers with
breathing problems.
Part of the problem lies in the
fact that many nail salon workers are of different ethnicities and may
not have a command of the English language warnings. The report found
that 59 to 80 percent of nail salon workers in California are of
Vietnamese decent, and English was not their primary language.
"Physically,
I can tell after eight or ten hours working, the chemicals give you
very bad headache and affects you mentally. My eyes itch. My nose itch.
But as soon as I walk outside the salon, I feel much better. I hope the
state government think about this and make it by law that if you say
'no' and you have it, they have to have punishment or penalty," Tina
Bui, who has been a manicurist for 17 years in Marin County, Calif, told
the Associated Press.
Spaeth
and Yeung said more needs to be done to protect these workers. Spaeth
urged that people need to be educated about potential dangers in their
native language.
"Immigrants find themselves performing
job tasks that are higher risk and that often exposes them to chemicals
or hazardous situations because of their inability to understand or
speak the language," he said. "They aren't always educated about the
risk."
Nail polish company Zoya, which was tested in the study,
told HealthPop that not only did they strive to be free of the three
chemicals and other toxins. The vegan-friendly brand was one of two
brands whose claims that they were "3 free" were substantiated by the
study. The polish was developed in 1992 by pianist turned cosmetologist,
Zoya Reyzis, and her husband Michael, who had previously worked in the
medical field, to be a healthier alternative nail polish.
"Today,
Zoya Nail Polish and Treatments remains committed to a proactive
approach to developing quality, toxin free products," a Zoya
spokesperson told HealthPop in a statement.
It's
important to note that some of the brands included in the California
study may not be considered to be top nail polish companies.
"(The
Nail Manufacturers Council) condemns any manufacturer misleading
customers about the ingredients in their products," Myra Irizarry,
director of government affairs for the Nail Manufacturers Council, told
the Associated Press. "The public should, however, be aware that nearly
the entire nail polish industry voluntarily took steps years ago to
remove toluene and DBP from their products."
Popular
polish brand OPI told HealthPop that the major salon brands have
improved their formulas to get rid of these chemicals. The study
determined that although they didn't label their products as "3 Free,"
they were in fact devoid of the toxins.
"The lesson of the study is that consumers should ask for, and use, brands they know and trust," OPI told HealthPop.