Ming Pao Weekly: On Your Tips The Truth About Nail Polish

For ladies who pursue perfection, the tiniest part of the shape is also the key to the overall impression. Nails have become a beauty element that cannot be ignored. Just like the foundation, lipstick and eye shadow that are used every day, nail polish is also the most personal and far-reaching cosmetic product. Behind nail art, how much do you know about nail health? How many truths about nail polish have you never known?

Just like makeup trends, every season has a particularly popular nail polish color. Although the mainstream is still the feminine red nail color, there are also dark blue, black, gray and other nail polish options on the market. Since a few years ago, models on the fashion catwalk have been painted with jet black nail polish, making the blue, black and gray nail colors, which were once only a niche choice, become fashionable choices. However, when the most exaggerated and strange colors are launched on the market, this season, the situation has changed significantly. What color is popular is no longer important, because the texture of nail polish is the key. OPI and Essie have successively launched matte nail polish series this autumn and winter, changing the traditional concept that nail polish should be shiny and shiny. Essie Weingarten, founder of Essie, said: "This autumn and winter, fashion design focuses on the texture of fabrics. Nail polish manufacturers have also followed this trend, launching matte or non-reflective nail polishes, so that your fingertips can also catch up with the trend. "In addition to the matte texture of the nail polish itself, Essie's Matt for you transparent matte nail polish can also quickly turn various nail colors into a matte state. Essie Weingarten has unique usage suggestions. Apply it in different parts, so that the nails become part matte and part glossy, which can create a different low-key beauty.”

Is the nail polish you use safe?

Different from other makeup products, many people are less alert to nail polish. When nail color becomes an indispensable part of fashion, everyone just focuses on what color is popular in the season or the current texture. Nail health and the safety of nail polish are less questioned. In fact, the quality of nail polish ingredients can definitely affect the health of nails. According to Lin Yonghe, a family doctor: "Nails will become thinner or broken due to wear and tear, and the nail bed will absorb the ingredients in nail polish." Then, as long as Can you rest assured that the nails are not damaged? Not all. According to Angie Tsui, Assistant Manager of LCN Premium Center, "The nail surface itself will not absorb any substances, but the inferior nail polish containing Acetone will directly invade the nail surface and turn the nails yellow." Although Tsui It has been banned among the member states of the European Economic Cooperation Area (European Economic Area) in 2000, but it is known that other countries outside the region have not regulated the chemical ingredients, so pay more attention to the ingredients when choosing nail products.

extract harmful ingredients

It may be a trivial matter that harmful ingredients in nail polish can turn nails yellow, but the impact on health cannot be underestimated . In March 2007, the women's environmental group Womens Voices for the Earth published a report titled "Trap Under the Glory: The Nail Beauty Industry Faces the Risk of Long-term Exposure to Toxic Ingredients in Nail Polish", which really attracted the attention of the public and even the manufacturers. . The content of the report pointed out that dibutyl phthalate (Dibutyl phthalate), a chemical ingredient often used to increase the toughness of the nail surface, can affect the development of the genitals of unborn fetuses and cause abnormal reproductive organs in newborn boys. And toluene (Toluene) can cause neurological diseases and damage the health of the liver and kidneys. The report was immediately responded by several nail polish production companies headed by OPI, and they started to update the nail polish formula and use the prescribed ingredients to manufacture nail polish. At present, OPI, Essie, LCN and other large-scale nail polish manufacturers do not add three harmful chemical components, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and toluene, to their nail polishes.

Organic Nail Boom

Recently, many nail polish brands in the market have advertised ingredients as "natural and healthy" or even "organic". However, there is still a clear distinction between "healthy" and "organic". Healthy ingredients, most of which are nail polishes use resins to replace harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and toluene. Take SpaRitual, which recently entered Hong Kong as an example. This is a spa-style home care brand. Dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde, and toluene are slogans, and it shows that the pigments used in nail polish are all made of natural plant ingredients such as annatto, turmeric, and beetroot. However, is it an organic nail polish brand without toxic chemicals? Andrea Emmerich, the SpaRitual brand ambassador, also admitted that although the brand produces organic skin care products, the nail polish is not organic. She said: "Even in Europe and the United States, there are actually only a few all-natural or organic nail polish brands. The hardness and luster of nail polish must rely on specific chemical ingredients to achieve it, and this is not possible with current organic ingredients.” So, do nail polishes with all-natural ingredients really exist? Can the product effect of natural nail polish be compared with traditional nail polish? Dr. Lin Yonghe cited the Canadian organic nail polish brand Suncoat as an example. In addition to not containing formaldehyde and toluene, its products are different from ordinary nail polishes that use chemical ingredients as solvents. Dr. Lin explained: "Natural nail polish uses water as a solvent. solvent, and acrylic polymers are used to make the texture of latex, and the color is made of pigments similar to watercolor paints.” However, because the water solvent in nail polish does not evaporate in the air like ordinary nail polish, the nail polish After oiling, it may take a long time to dry out. Although Suncoat has launched its own nail polish remover with natural ingredients, according to the product description, the nail polish can be easily washed off by immersing your hands in warm water for about two minutes. Although you can apply additional protective mio on the nail surface, the color can only be maintained at room temperature for two to three days.

In the foreseeable future, it is still not possible to have both the fish and the bear's paw. For the time being, you can only choose between "absolute safety" and "perfect effect"!