Think about it: Do you know what exactly goes into making your favorite nail polish colors? (Here’s what each nail polish color reveals about you.) If you’ve never taken a close look at the ingredients in your nail polish, you might want to start now. Some of them can pose a significant hazard to your health.A study co-authored by researchers at Duke University and the Environmental Working Group found an endocrine,
disrupting chemical in nail polish was detected in the bodies of every woman who volunteered to paint her nails for the study. The compound called triphenyl phosphate (TPHP)
is used in plastics manufacturing as a fire retardant in foam furniture appears to be absorbed into the body via nail polish. (Some studies use the acronym TPP for this chemical.)
Researchers tested the urine samples of participants both before and after their manicures. (Technically, the researchers tested the women’s urine for a chemical biomarker called diphenyl phosphate or DPHP,
which is created when the body metabolizes TPHP.) Within 10 to 14 hours of getting their nails painted, the participants’ DPHP levels were seven times higher than,
they were before the experiment, on average.The levels continued to rise until they reached a peak about 20 hours later, the study found. Sounds scary, right?
