---
title: What does nail polish say about you?
description: Did Marilyn imagine that her beautiful red nails will become a world class inspiration for beautiful women? What else didn’t she know about nail polish?
author: Dr Marina Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2019-09-05T11:17:54.000Z
updated: 2026-02-25T15:40:36.909Z
canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/what-does-nail-polish-say-about-you
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/485-header-zoyabarefootb-20190522-164046.jpg
categories: Business
content_type: Column
region: California
publication: Sovereign Magazine
---

Well Aligned- Sustainable Wellness  Series By Sandra Deira

Joie de vivre, guilty pleasure and the weather

Every six weeks I look at the weather forecast for the coming 14 days. Will
I get to enjoy the sun, wear sandals and a ravishingly blue colour nail polish
or will it be a shiny nude because it will be raining cats and dogs, my toes will
be stuffed away and I will not get to wear one of my favourite bright colour
dresses?

I sometimes wonder how did women chose their favourite colour nail polish half a century ago? Going to the cinema in those days was a real treat. Women around the world were inspired by famous Hollywood actresses to paint their nails bright red.  Sophia Loren, Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe come to mind. Did Marilyn imagine that her beautiful red nails will become a world class inspiration for beautiful women? What else didn’t she know about nail polish?

Would
she ever guess that nail polish presents a considerable health risk?

Californian scientists tested mostly nail colour
and some top coat, base coat, thinner, nail art, and a top coat-base coat combination.

The chemical toluene, a toxin that may cause birth defects  and developmental problems in children of pregnant women who have had
extended exposure. They also looked for dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which has
been linked to birth defects in studies involving lab animals, and
formaldehyde, a carcinogen.

Then there is Triphenyl phosphate, or TPHP, a
suspected endocrine-disrupting chemical, which is commonly used to make
plastics and as a fire retardant in foam furniture. And if you wear nail
polish, it could be in your body too.

Researchers
at Duke University tested the urine of 26 women who had recently painted their
nails and found evidence of TPHP in every participant. Evidence of the chemical
in the women’s urine increased sharply after they applied the nail polish.

TPHP is
listed on the ingredient labels of a wide array of nail polishes now on the
market. Out of more than 3,000 nail products in EWG’s Skin Deep database, half
disclose the use of TPHP.

**Could your nail polish
influence pregnancy and kids?**

*As an expectant or mother-to-be
mother, prior or immediately after hearing that you are pregnant, you will
naturally make a few healthy decisions.*

You will stop smoking, stop
drinking, take more rest, you will pay more attention to your diet. Not only
for yourself, but especially for the child that grows inside of you. Would this
also mean that you would have to give up your well-groomed nails for a while?
Absolutely not. However, considering all the possible toxin material in your
nail products you would want to put in some effort to do some research and pay
close attention to the quality and content of your products. There are nail
care products and brands with beautiful lacquers who will not get in the way of
you and your baby’s health. Look for brand quality labels like the Big 3Free,
Big5Free and up to even the Big10Free which will identify how free of harmful
chemicals your product really is. Your nail polish must be free of formaldehyde,
formaldehyde resin, foluene, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide,
dibutyl phthalate (DBP) and led

**Nail Industry, Economy and
Business**

*Market analysts predict that
the global market of nail polish will represent a value of 9 billion dollars by
the end of 2019.*

A
recent survey found that female respondents in the UK spent on average £112.65
per month on their appearance. Nail-care services account for an estimated 10%
of the overall beauty and hairdressing industry revenue of £3.7bn in the UK
alone. Nail-care services prices range from £10 for basic nail-varnish services
to £100 for permanent nail extensions using bio gels.

Exponentially nail polish is the fastest rising
and most sold product in the cosmetic industry. Nails Salons are the 7th most
popular type of start-up business. A never-ending inspiration, new nail bars
open daily and ambitious entrepreneurs promote their brand, products, services
and business to attract their ideal target audience.

The rising demand for nail polish especially
among young people contributes to the strong sales increase. About 91% of girls
between 9 and 17 years old use some form of nail polish or other nail care
products. When you let this sink in for a while, the question might come to
mind.

Who is actually buying the nail polish for a
child? Usually it is their mum, their grandmother or friends and family. Perhaps
you could share this article with them!

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