How Toxic Is Your Nail Polish?

I think every girl has a soft spot for pretty nails. From all kinds of shapes and colors, we can get seriously creative with our nail designs. There are literally hundreds of video tutorials dedicated to doing your nails like a pro.

photo from weheartit.com

Sad thing is, I've stopped painting my nails over a year ago and most of you will think I am crazy. I can't say I blame you but you'll see why I refuse to wear any nail polish. Let me start off by asking you this -- did you know that nail polishes contain toxic chemicals that are irritating and carcinogenic? A chemical that is most consistent in all nail polish brands is n-butyl acetate a chemical that is known to irritate the lungs, throat, and skin. These chemicals in large amounts can affect the environment which I don't understand why some brands claim their product to be vegan. So when they say it's vegan-friendly they're either saying it's free of animal products or that it's cruelty-free. I feel like this is misleading because when a consistent ingredient in nail polish such as n-butyl acetate is exposed to the environment it can contaminate soil and surface or ground water. This is considered toxic is aquatic organisms. The high vapor pressure and insolubility in water of n-butyl acetate accumulate in the air which can cause respiratory problems.   {   Click here for the source   }
Therefore, the exposure to the environment does not constitute it being cruelty-free. This gives a false sense of a safer or healthier product but obviously it's not.

A lot of companies have taken one, two, or all three of the MAJOR toxic chemicals that are known to be carcinogenic.

Formaldehyde     //      Toluene      //      DBP {aka Di-butyl Phthalate}

These are known as the toxic trio or the toxic three. I think they should call it the "dirty three."

Up until recently, most conventional nail polishes found on store shelves offered up a noxious ingredient list of substances including the "toxic trio," formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate, or DBP. Formaldehyde, yes the same stuff used to preserve dead things, is a known human carcinogen and can also cause eye, throat, nose and skin irritation. DBP is a known reproductive and developmental toxin, while toluene is a possible reproductive and developmental toxin and can also cause headaches, dizziness and fatigue. All of these chemicals can be absorbed into the body through the nail bed. Feel like swiping on a coat of polish now? - Kirsten Hudson, huffingtonpost.com

No I don't!!!! O_O

Beware of various marketing:

NAIL POLISHES WITHOUT TOXIC THREE
Just because many companies have gone without these toxic chemicals doesn't mean they aren't just as harmful without it. Read your ingredients and do research on each one. You'll find all kinds of side effects. IT IS SCARY!

NAIL POLISHES WITHOUT TOXIC FIVE
Some companies have gone even further for example like ZOYA(and many others) to claim they don't have the toxic five chemicals:  formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, camphor, di-butyl phthalate free (vegan friendly nail color). I dislike the fact that they repeat the first one as if they are two different ones when they are the same. Formaldehyde resin is a derivative of formaldehyde.
























NAIL POLISHES 7-FREE
You didn't think they could go even further than 5. Well, they did. Avril French cosmetics line has nail polishes too and they claim 7-free of no parabens, no formeldehyde, no pthalate, no toluene (except parme), no xylene (except sabre dore nacre), and no rosin. Still contains harmful irritants listed below:

 BUTYL ACETATE, ETHYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, PHTHALIC ANHYDRIDE / TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE / GLYCOLS COPOLYMER, ACETYL TRIBUTYL CITRATE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, CI 77891, STEARALKONIUM HECTORITE, ADIPIC ACID / FUMARIC ACID / PHTHALIC ACID / TRICYCLODECANE DIMETHANOL COPOLYMER, CITRIC ACID.

Even if they go as far as 10 or 20 which I believe they will do or might already be doing doesn't validate the safety of any nail polish.

NAIL POLISHES WITH HERBAL INGREDIENTS

No Miss Vegan Nail Polish is free of the toxic-trio. I guess the only plus side on these is that they this brand contains natural herbal ingredients such as dill seeds, carageenan, coffee arabica seeds, ginseng root, rose canina fruit extract, cucumber fruit extract, hyemale plant extract. I've never heard of nail polishes going this route but the additional ingredients below are still harmful such as ethylacetate and n. butyl acetate. 

Just because they contain natural ingredients dosen't mean that they won't contain toxic chemicals:

Nitrocellulose-a fiber used for viscosity. Ethylacetate, N. Butyl Acetate, Isopropyl Alcohol-solvents used to dissolve Nitrocellulose. also may contain: Mica, made from sand, cosmetic titanium dioxide, (white),cosmetic iron oxide blue, (indian paint pot grey/blue), iron oxides, earth born colors made from rocks, zinc oxide, from the earth, used to promote drying and to deflect harmful UV rays from the sun. --alternative outfitters.com  

We absorb everything

All around I'm glad that companies are changing their formulas to make it safer for the consumer. However, I'm still against wearing nail polish just because our nails, nail beds, and skin all absorb these  unnatural foreign chemicals. There is no such thing as a safer or non-toxic nail polish, folks. It's as easy as that. It doesn't take a scientist or a tree hugger to realize that nail polish is "not" natural. Remember that anything you apply to your skin will be absorbed into your body. From your cosmetics, nail polishes, and perfumes all irritate your lungs and skin.

So what's the solution??

You're probably not going to like this but the best thing to do it not wear nail polish. I know this is hard ladies and gents but it is worth your health and your life. Now, just because you can't use nail polish doesn't mean you can't have purrty hand and feet. Click on the link below for an au naturale pedicure.

 {   Click here for DIY 5 step Natural Pedicure  on Organic Authority   }

Oil for Oily Skin???

You may think oil for dry skin makes sense but for oily skin? That would be a complete nightmare! Trust me on this one though I have oily skin and acne and jojoba oil does NOT break my skin out. I've had olive oil and grapeseed oil on my skin and I would break out. Now, that doesn't mean that it wouldn't work out for somebody else. I list the benefits and uses of jojoba oil (pronounced hohoba. I love saying this name) down below.

BENEFITS OF JOJOBA OIL

• SUPER SAFE - It is non-comedogenic, non-allergic, and non-toxic

• All Natural - extracted from seeds of a jojoba plant

• Has high shelf life - It doesn't oxidize easily because it doesn't contain triglycerides

• Won't clog pores and easily absorbed into the skin. No greasy feeling.

• Contains vitamin E and antioxidants - this will eliminate free radicals and the vitamin will promote clear and healthy skin

• Anti-bacterial and anti-fungal

• Versatile and can be added to existing products or used as a base oil

USES

• Makeup Remover

• Body lotion

• Cuticle oil

• Hot oil hair treatment

• Massage oil

• Face moisturizer

Desert Essence   //    Certified Organic 100% Pure Jojoba Oil   //   $15.29

I got mine for this price with free super saver shipping on amazon.com

{   click on photo for the link   }

I love using this oil as I have an oil T zone and breakouts constantly and this stuff doesn't break me out. I use it as a massage oil for my face for my morning routine, 

Better H2O

I went to Natural Grocers a couple of weeks ago and I forgot to share with you guys one product that I absolutely love love LOVE! I picked up several items that day because I was going to make more homemade cosmetic and hair products at home. Out of curiosity and thirst I picked up this interesting purple bottle. Why I chose this one out of all the rest I could not tell you but I did. This venture has made a interesting one as I drank the water on my way home and I was in complete shock. This water was amazing! I've never had this kind of water before as commercial bottled water like Ozarka, Nestle, and Smart water (which are companies you shouldn't support anyways) have never tasted like this magical oasis. I used to hate drinking water because they didn't taste good as there was always a chalky and metal after-taste. YUCK! So I would always replace it with tea all the time. I'm so glad by accident I found this water because all I do is drink water and nothing else. [Well, I do drink fruit juices and smoothies] I would drink like 4 huge (one liter each) of these a day. I would drink more but they are kind of expensive. It's like 2.75 a bottle. I buy the whole pack of 12 large (one liter) bottles for about 32 US dollars on Amazon.com. You can find 24 smaller (half the size) bottles. I wish it wasn't so expensive but that's the price you pay for really good pure water. You can check out their official website here:

http://www.pentawater.com/_pw/index.php

"Penta's revolutionary, patented 13-step, 11-hour filtration and purification process includes spinning our water under high speed and pressure (cavitation). This extra step produces smaller, more readily absorbed water clusters, providing advanced hydration. Penta is the only bottled water that uses patented physics, not chemicals, to produce the purest water available, helping to keep your body healthy and functioning at peak performance. Penta is Advanced Hydration!" - Pentawater.com

I researched more about this company since I like the water so much and found out that they were founded in 1999 in San Diego, CA. I thought this water was from Europe or something lol. I've been recommending this to my family and friends and they seem to enjoy the water too! Don't take my word for it try it out yourselves.

Have any favorite waters or brands or thoughts on this water? Share with us~

Not All Vitamin E Are Created Equal

I'm thinking I'm not the only one who is wondering about which vitamin E to get. I get so confused when I go to the store because they have so many brands, forms, and kinds of vitamin E. It's so hard to choose. This doesn't help me since I am very indecisive. I've been reading and watching a lot of ads and videos on beauty that pretty much say, "Contains vitamin E! IT'S SO GOOD FOR YOU OHMERGERD!!" Okay, well maybe that not straight forward but you get what I mean. :) It's pretty much everywhere like lip balms, cosmetics, food, lotions, shampoos, facial cleansers and the list goes on! I could see why because vitamin E has so many benefits.

• Protect your skin from ultraviolet light (your natural sunscreen!)
• Prevent cell damage from free radicals (helps prevents cancer!)
• Allow your cells to communicate effectively
• Help protect against prostate cancer and Alzheimer's disease

So it makes sense to have it in beauty products! But you have to be careful and always read the label and make sure you're getting the right vitamin E. Wait, what?! There are different kinds?! Yes, just like you I didn't know there were different kinds. To save you guys some headache I researched for hours about different kinds of vitamin E I found one that is only found in nature which is the d-alpha tocopherol. All the others are synthetics with the exception of mixed tocopherol which are used in food and feed products. They contain a mixture of d-alpha, beta, gamma, and delta tocopherols. Starting to sound too scientific, what's going on?! 

Don't worry! Just remember to get the d-alpha tocopherol which is better retained in our bodies so try to get this one if possible. Our bodies only recognize the D form and not the synthetics. Based on the Food and Nutrition Board Expert Panel report on Vitamin E, d-alpha-tocopherol has twice the activity of synthetic forms which is 100%. Watch out for similar name dl-alpha tocopherol is not naturally derived and is synthetic.

Synthetic names to watch for:

dl-alpha tocopherol
tocopherol acetate
dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate

*Note: I'm not saying to not buy the synthetic ones because they're bad for you or anything. I wrote this blog because I'm sure there were a lot of people like me wondering about which one is better to get. Not one is better than the other but for this post it is focusing on preference. I prefer nature-derived material and products which actually work. I hope this was helpful in your search of vitamin E. =D

Always remember though the BEST way is to get it through your dietary intake, folks. It's as easy as that. I'm trying to incorporate more vegetables in my diet. If you find this list to hectic then start off with one and then build on top of it. I have spinach and almonds in my list which are easy to incorporate into my meals. I put spinach in almost everything! 

I'm so glad I researched this because I have been using a synthetic version of vitamin E which was the tocopherol acetate which I'm going to stop using. I rather get the natural vitamin and can't wait to order mine after I use up all of the one I have at the house. If you're looking for liquid form Mountain Rose Herbs has it but they're sold out at the moment but you can sign up for their email and get notified when it comes in. If you want supplements you can look around Amazon or Google. There are tons I know. I'm going to try this one out and let you guys know what I think of it in another blog.

I don't take supplements as I try to get my vitamins and minerals through my diet but I am going to use this for my homemade lip balm and moisturizer at home.

Try these great sites

MountainRoseHerbs.com (my number one choice)

BulkApothecary.com

Voyageursoapandcandle.com

May 26th 2013 Update:

I found a great brand of natural vitamin E.

It was a bit pricey. I bought mine for about 13 or 14 US dollars at Natural Grocers. You can find this online like amazon for like 10 dollars (w/o tax and shipping) or at your natural grocery store. I've tested it out and it's amber colored and thick. It is quickly absorbed into my skin and works wonders. It's helped with my acne and acne scars. I completely recommend this product. Share your favorite brands below.

Your Very Own Housemaid: Plants

Did you know that plants can clean, humidify, dust-filter your home or office air? They're your inexpensive house maid!! Plants can save you hundreds of dollars every year by you spending less money on air filters, humidifiers, allergy medications, dusters, cleaning agents, etc... That's more money in your pocket. Not only that but they also remove those harmful toxins from air you breathe. This is especially important because there are higher levels of toxins inside your home than the outside. Crazy! As you'll read on, you'll see why getting a couple of plants is the better solution in cost, maintenance, for your health, and for the environment.

Photo Source: Colourbox.com

The leaves of plants emit negative ions. Oh no, that doesn't sound safe?! Don't worry it just means that the negative ions (produced similarly from air purifying machines) bind to dust, mold spores, bacteria, and allergens. Cool, huh? They actually help clean up the source of your allergies and actually eliminate the problem. You can spend less on allergy medication which only help the symptoms anyways and not actually address the source. So that means you don't have to spend all your money on a fancy air filter either. I remember when I used to have a small air filter it was loud which was mildly annoying. I would keep it on all day and everyday. I'm sure this didn't help my energy bill and on top of that I had to replace the filters from time to time. More money! Plants cut down on costs on your energy bill and since don't require that much energy that means they're definitely more environmentally friendly. Plants don't require maintenance cost like if an air filter goes broke you might have someone fix it or replace it. Do I need to go on? ^^

They also help maintain humidity levels by releasing water vapor during transpiration. I've posted a picture to the right showing you what that it looks like. They help you stay moist during those dry days. No need for a humifier! 

As you already may know pollution is on the rise and toxins are everywhere. You have toxic chemicals like formedehyde, benzene, toluene, carbon dioxide  and countless others outside and inside your home. As stated in the CDC (Center of Disease Control) "[i]ndoor air generally contains levels of benzene higher than those in outdoor air." How could it worse inside?! "The benzene in indoor air comes from products that contain benzene such as glues, paints, furniture wax, and detergents." Ohmergerd! Additionally in gas emissions, crude oil, lubricant, tobacco smoke, industrial and plant emissions.  If that doesn't already scare you, here's more:

"Formaldehyde is found virtually everywhere, indoors and out, naturally occurring and man-made. It is a combustion product found in cigarette and wood smoke, natural gas, kerosene, exhaust from automobiles, incinerators and power plants. It is also widely used in building materials especially glue, Urea-formaldehyde foam insulation and pressed-wood products such as plywood, particle board, paneling and wood finishes. Many floor coverings contain formaldehyde such as carpet, padding and adhesives. Also used in furniture, paper products, cosmetics, deodorants, shampoos, fabric dyes and permanent-press fabrics, inks, disinfectants, air deodorizers and carpet deodorizers. Mobile homes, motor homes, and travel trailers are known for high amounts of formaldehyde since so many of their components may be made from particle board or pressed-wood products."- Prohousedr.com

Need I say more? It's freakin' everywhere! Most plants will eliminate carbon dioxide through an amazing process called photosynthesis. Certain plants can also eliminate those nasty toxins I mentioned earlier. Why should you care about toxins? Well toxins are bad for your body. They can be carcinogenic which means they may cause cancer and diseases. Yikes! There are good plants that will help clean some of the air out inside your home and no worries they very low maintenance. I will list two common house plants below:

Common House Plants: Golden Pothos & Snake Plant

Name: Golden Pothos

Other names: Devil's Ivy

Price: 12 to 15 US dollars (Walmart)

Caution: KEEP THIS AWAY FROM CHILDREN AND PETS AS IT IS POISONOUS WHEN INGESTED

Name: Snake Plant

Other names: Mother-In-Law's Tongue

These guys don't need very much light and water. (Once weekly/biweekly)These plants are amazing because they are low maintenance and they filter out toxic compounds known as formaldehyde and benzene. They're not expensive to get and you can purchase these at your local nursery or garden center.

So come on guys and get with the program and start making your house look like a jungle. Just kidding! Place a few plants in your room or house. Obviously, this isn't the complete and final solution to cleaner air but it's a start! Every little bit helps, right? 

Breakouts and Avocados...

I seriously think I made a correlation between my breakouts and this vegetable(fruit) and I don't mean in a good way. I applied fresh avocado I bought from the market on my face and after a couple minutes and BOY I had a fiery reaction! I started having millions of red bumps on my face and I completely freaked out!!! It was nothing but avocado. I might be mildly allergic to avocado but that makes me really sad. I just want to cry! I love love love it so much! Like more than anybody I know. I could eat this everyday and unfortunately I can't now or have to limit my consumption.  I've been eating a lot more guacomole lately and I've been having major breakouts. That might be related? I usually order the Chipotle Veggie Burrito Bowl with TONs of guacamole. Oh my goodness! It's so delish~ I will miss you sweet avocado dear. Cries!

I just found out that avocados have 77% fat content per nutritionfact.com. LIKE WHOAAAAA! Seriously? That's a lot! I didn't even know haha.

As nutritious as they are, the calories from fat scares the hell out of me!

Does anybody else get huge breakouts from this as well?