Toxic nail varnish at salons raises concerns

By Dr. Ananya Mandal, MDApr 12 2012

It has been long seen that workers at nail salons suffer health problems. Workers have more headaches, respiratory problems and skin irritations than the general population and are exposed to chemicals at higher than recommended levels, according to research in scientific journals.

The state Department of Toxic Substances Control has issued a report showing that investigators found toxic chemicals in several nail products that had claimed to be toxic-free. The study, based on a small sample of products from Bay Area distributors, focused on three chemicals known as the “toxic trio”;

• formaldehyde
• toluene
• dibutyl phthalate.

Investigators randomly chose 25 brands of polishes that are available only at nail salons, including a number of products claiming to be free of the chemicals. Regulators said exposure to large amounts of the chemicals has been linked to developmental problems, asthma and other illnesses. Investigators found that 10 of 12 products that claimed to be free of toluene actually contained it, with four of the products having dangerously high levels. The report also found that five of seven products that claimed to be “free of the toxic three” included one or more of the agents in significant levels. The agency said it did not have enough data to accurately estimate how many people were being exposed to the chemicals through the products.

Exposure to the chemicals has been linked to cancer and birth defects, according to the state.

“It is just disheartening, distressing and disturbing as a consumer and a regulator,” said Debbie Raphael, director of the department. Raphael said the results were surprising and showed that the state needs to work more closely with manufacturers to ensure that labels are accurate, and with regulators to determine whether there are safer alternatives for consumers and workers. “The question that we want to engage industry in is, ‘is it necessary to use these chemicals?’” she said.

“We know there are exposures at salons, both to workers and customers, and we're concerned about potential harm,” said Karl Palmer, the DTSC's pollution prevention performance manager who oversaw the report. “Our strategy first and foremost is to shed light on the reality of what's in these products and put this information out to everyone.”

There is little regulation of nail product manufacturers, said Thu Quach, a research scientist with the Cancer Prevention Institute of California who has studied the nail salon industry. Any amount of toxic chemicals in nail products can be dangerous to workers, she said, especially if the salons lack adequate ventilation. “Low levels in the products really add up when you are using them constantly,” she said.

Boston health officials approved regulations last year requiring salons to get health permits and establishing more protections for workers. And this summer, San Francisco will begin formally recognizing salons that use toxic-free products. The ordinance was supported by the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, which organizes and educates workers and pushes for policy changes to make salons safer.

The new state report is alarming and could undermine the efforts of owners trying to do the right thing to protect their workers, said Julia Liou, co-founder of the collaborative and public health administrator at Asian Health Services in Oakland. “This is a major public health issue and it really interferes with workers' right to a healthy work environment,” she said. “Workers shouldn't have to suffer health impacts because a manufacturer is making false claims.”

Nail companies counter that health officials should focus on ventilation and protective gear rather than products, said Doug Schoon, scientist and co-chairman of the Nail Manufacturers Council. Schoon said no manufacturers should label their products incorrectly but that the advocates are missing the point. “Instead of saying throw all the chemicals out, we should be teaching people how to use them in a safe fashion,” he said. “Nail polish has been used safely for decades.” Mike Vo, vice president of Miss Professional Nail Products Inc., the maker of the Sation products and others on the list, said he disputed DTSC's findings. “We will look at the report and challenge it,” he said.

Among the products tested that the state says were mislabeled were: Sation 99 basecoat, Sation 53 red-pink nail color, Dare to Wear nail lacquer, Chelsea 650 Baby's Breath Nail Lacquer, New York Summer Nail Color, Paris Spicy 298 nail lacquer, Sunshine nail lacquer, Cacie Light Free Gel Basecoat, Cacie Sun Protection Topcoat, Golden Girl Topcoat, Nail Art Top-N-Seal and High Gloss Topcoat. The polishes are not sold in retail stores.

A legal expert on environmental law, Thomas J.P. McHenry, said that if the state attorney general decides to act on the report and nail polish makers are unsuccessful at fighting it, then “the retailers and manufacturers of these products may be subject to litigation and liability exposure.”