If you’re ultra concerned about ultra violet rays then you might want to know about exposure in an unexpected and untalked about place – the nail salon. Yep, those trusty dryers of colorful finger paint very often emit UV rays. How can you tell? Pretty simple – if you’re seeing fluorescent light emitted then it’s a UV dryer.
While you’re probably not drying your nails for lengthy amounts of time daily, all of those 10 minute sessions can really add up, especially over the course of a lifetime. To stay UV free and still have some pretty digits you can opt for the dryers sans fluorescents or put some mineral sunscreen (some suggestions) on prior to painting. Signs of aging for women are often most noticeable on our hands so this is a tip to keep your hands both healthy and youthful!
{via}
Also, while we’re on the topic, look for polishes that are free of the three harshest ingredients – formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (ingredients linked to everything from cancer to hormone disruption to neurological issues). Many big brands often used in nail salons are thankfully on board. I’m happy to say that one of the brands is the very popular essie whose polishes are DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde free.
Hannah
/ February 1, 2011Wow, that never occurred to me. I guess for once it’s a good thing that I rarely paint my fingernails and almost never go to the nail salon. :-) It looks like my toenails are the only ones in danger now, so I’ll keep my eyes out for good nail polish.
Diana Mieczan
/ February 1, 2011That is such a good point and I love Essie nailpolish:) Have a lovely Tuesday, darling
Valerie
/ February 1, 2011That’s so scary! Good to know Essie is on board, that’s the brand I use most often. Thanks for all the info, Annie!
xo
Valerie
Katie
/ February 1, 2011Very interesting – good to know about Essie!
Carrie
/ February 1, 2011I’ve only ever seen that UV thing once (I totally go low brow w/the nail salons, but hey they do a good job so who cares, right?). It’s pretty scary when you think about it! Your nails are SO CLOSE to those lights. argh!
xo,
C
isabel
/ February 1, 2011i never realized that those were UV driers! id opt not to use them next time. i have a lot of nail polishes that i bought in korea (yay for $1 polishes) but i bet they have those chemicals in them :S
Isabel @ Walk of Fashion
Sarah Fetchet
/ February 1, 2011so glad that essie is on board. I think OPI is also, right? On most of the nail driers there’s actually a switch that you can turn the UV light on or off…
xo
All Natural Annie
/ February 1, 2011Here are some more polishes that are “3 free”:
Butter London
Priti Polish
Avon
Peacekeeper
China Glaze
Rescue Beauty Lounge
Elizabeth Arden
Revlon
L’Oreal
Rimmel
Lippmann Collection (newer formula)
Sally Hansen
Maybelline Salon Expert
Nars (newer formula)
Spa Ritual
OPI (newer polishes are safe, but some hardeners use formaldehyde)
Zoya
Found here: http://www.bellasugar.com/Formaldehyde-Toluene-DBP-Free-Nail-Polishes-1141927
Dylan
/ February 1, 2011wow, thats some crazy info…can’t believe UV comes outa those things…
PriscilaPetersDecor
/ February 1, 2011Annie,
Another great info. Thank you.
Every time I visit you here I learn something new, which is wonderful.
Krystal/Village
/ February 2, 2011You are such a wealth of information, I love it :)