National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance

National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance, founded in 2007 by Women’s Voices for the Earth (WVE), National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) and the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, is a network of some 35 organizations, scientific researchers, advocates and government agencies. The goal of the Alliance is to protect and improve the health and welfare of women working in the nation’s nail salons.

Nail Salons and Chemical Exposure

Nail products like nail polish, polish removers and artificial nail products contain a host of toxic chemicals known or suspected to cause cancer, reproductive harm, occupational asthma and other negative health effects.

Nail salon workers are particularly at risk for exposure, as they work with these products all day every day, often in poorly ventilated spaces. The good news is that certain nail polish manufacturers are beginning to reformulate their products to remove some of the toxic chemicals like dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde and toluene. Nail salon workers can also take steps to lessen their exposure to chemicals from nail care products.

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What You Can Do

Learn more about chemicals in nail products by reading the fact sheets and reports listed below. You may want to avoid nail products if you are pregnant or trying to get pregnant
Talk with your manicurist. Let them know there are resources available to better inform them of the risks they face.
Find out what's in the nail polish or other products you use. You can look them up on the Skin Deep database available at: http://www.safecosmetics.org/

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Take Action

Sign the Petition for Safe Nail Products, asking companies to replace chemicals linked to cancer and reproductive harm with safe alternatives.
Download the wallet Nail Polish Guide to take with you to the salon - ask for polishes that are "three-free" (don't contain the toxic trio of dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and toluene).
Call or email the three companies who ignored our nail survey request for Phasing Out the Toxic Trio, and tell them you want to know if their products contain the toxic trio. You have a right to know if the products you're putting on your body contain toxic chemicals.

- American Manicure: 800-782-3555 or Information@americanmanicure.com

- Miss Professional Nail Products (maker of Sation): info@misspn.com

- Yves Saint Laurent: 212-832-7100 or www.yslbeautyus.com/i22/contact-us/information.html

Use this script as a guide:
I’m concerned that [NAME OF COMPANY]’s nail care products might
contain the “toxic trio” because they chose not to respond to the National
Healthy Nail Salon Alliance survey. Does [NAME OF COMPANY] use
toluene (pronounced tall-you-ene), formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate
(pronounced dye-byut-ill tha-late) in its products?

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Reports

toxic trio cvr

Wondering if your favorite nail polish contains toxic chemicals?Check out the new report by WVE and the National Healthy Nail Salon Alliance to find out how your favorite brand rates.

Full report(English)
Fact sheet(English)
Wallet card(English)
Full report (Vietnamese)
Fact sheet(Vietnamese)