I love my nail-polish, all 40+ bottles of happy, simple, fun color variation. I’ve applied them lovingly, and have organized them by color for easy access. I love sifting through them to pick out a color before heading to the salon.
I love them all, and I’m throwing them out.
Why? The story starts during my pregnancy, about two years ago. While pregnant, I did everything in my power to ensure that my baby was given a healthy environment in which to thrive. I gave up caffeine, discontinued coloring my hair, and stopped using any topical product that seemed sketchy. I wasn’t certain if nail-polish was safe, so I did some research. My research unearthed that a common ingredient in polish, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), is linked to birth defects. Temporarily, I decided to pass on my manicures, too.
Turns out, there are a minimum of three ingredients in many nail polishes that are harmful to both you and your unborn child; DBP, Formaldehyde, and Toluene. According to articles I’ve read on the subject, these three chemicals statistically increase birth defects, reproductive issues, and cancer risk. DBP is in fact banned from cosmetics in the EU, due to its dangers.
This post has completely ruined your relaxing manicure and pedicure ritual, right? Well, just when all hope was lost, I contacted someone at OPI. Thao Nguyen, a technical support person from OPI Products, Inc. gave me more information on OPI’s nail-polish formula. In response to customer demand, Thao said "OPI has began [sic] transitioning out of Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP early last year and we expect that transition will be completed by year end." Thao also said currently the only OPI products that contain Formaldehyde and/or DBP are OPI’s nail strengtheners (all "Nail Envy" products), Start-to-Finish base/top coat and RapiDry Top Coat.
The news keeps getting better. The new OPI Formaldehyde, Toluene and DBP formula will be available worldwide. So, regardless of where you buy it, you can be certain your OPI polish does not contain these ingredients.
My 40+ faithful Polish soldiers will become casualties of war. I’m going 100% DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde free. On a positive note, it gives me a fantastic excuse to purchase the entire Australia collection. It’s already DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde-free.
