WOMEN these days are making style statements with their nails as pampering and beautifying sessions equal that which they give their skin.
But is it healthy to be constantly exposed to the chemicals in nail products?
Some women often end up with dry, brittle, yellow-stained nails and even suffer from allergies caused by the substances in such products.
NAIL IT
Now there is a safer approach to beautiful nails and two Malaysian women are showing the way.
Nature Inspired Asia was started in 2014 by Tam Chia Li and Elle Chin who both share the same vision for advocating healthier nail care and beauty products.
Tam has a background in biotechnology and was involved in the health and pharmaceutical industry for over seven years.
During her first pregnancy, she developed a heightened sensitivity to certain cosmetics, skincare and nail polishes and realised that she needed to be more careful in choosing such products.
Chin, on the other hand, was the head of department for a listed company before she took the step of venturing into nail artistry.
As a trained manicurist, workingwith nail products, she too became concerned that conventional nail polish and gel polishes were laden with many harmful chemicals that could further damage nails.
The two women, who have known each other for more than 20 years, decided to look into brands offering chemical-free nail products and make them available to Malaysian consumers, professional nail stylists and manicurists.
“We saw a gap in the market, there were very few safe nail products being offered and people didn’t really know about the hazards of using conventional nail products. We wanted to educate and inspire consumers and salon owners to make informed choices when selecting nail products,” says Tam.
POLISH UP
They started by offering only one brand of nail polish namely Sheswai Lacquer, a 5-Free nail polish from the United States.
The term 5-Free means the product is free of the five harmful chemicals usually found in conventional nail polish and this includes formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) or solvents.
As they met more nail spa owners and got to know their needs, Tam and Chin decided to bring in more brands and products including Bio Seaweed Gel, a gel polish from Canada that’s also 5-Free and LACC Lacquer from Canada, a 10-free formula that’s water and air permeable.
Also available is Voesh New York, a range of innovative, convenient and hygienic spa products that are easy to use at home or at the spa while Bio Sculpture from Australia has a range of natural nail treatment products that nourish, strengthen and address dry brittle nails.
Essential nutrients in this natural range are perfect for both salon and personal use to promote healthy nails.
Chin says they are very particular about the ingredients contained in the brands and products that they bring in.
“We usually test the products on ourselves to make sure of its quality and efficacy before introducing it.”
Nature Inspired Asia products are generally safe for use by women of all ages including pregnant women.
CHEMICAL-FREE
One of the ingredients used in conventional nail products is toluene.It has the smell of paint thinner and one can be exposed to it either through inhalation or by getting it on the skin, resulting in skin irritation.
Inhaling high levels of toluene is said to be harmful to our nervous system and can cause light-headedness and nausea.
Toluene is a toxin that may also cause birth defects and developmental problems in children of pregnant women who have had prolonged exposure to it.
DBP is a commonly used plasticiser in nail polish and has been linked to cancer.
It has also been connected to birth defects in studies involving lab animals.
Formaldehyde is a commonly used chemical to preserve and embalm dead animals (and humans).
It was classified in 1987 as a potential human carcinogen under high or prolonged exposure by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Tam says most consumers are very aware about organic skincare but not as exposed to the idea of using natural and/or organic nail polish and products.
She adds that toxic-free nail options are just as long-lasting and offer high shine like conventional salon brands.
“However, we would like to stress that toxic-free does not mean non-toxic and certainly not completely organic. Nail polish is still a product that is formulated to make it function like one and toxic free simply means it’s free from chemicals that can be potentially harmful to a person’s health.”
The harmful chemicals present in conventional nail and gel polishes on the other hand may seep through the nails and skin and get absorbed into the body.
Fumes from these harmful chemicals may also be unknowingly inhaled and cause unwanted side effects, especially to nail technicians or manicurists who are exposed to them for long hours each day.
Tam explains that these concerns have led to a change in countries like the US and Canada, where there’s a growing trend of eco-friendly nail spas that offer services with safer products in an ecochic environment.
Nature Inspired Asia products can be purchased online and are offered as part of nail services at a variety of nail salons as well. For more information, go to www.natureinspired.my.