Nail Polish: Out of Bottle, Into Your Body

#ReportersNotebook

Normally I blog about the stories I cover on CBS San Francisco. But in the case of this report on nail polish chemicals, it was the other way around. The TV story idea actually came from this NewsMom blog.

It began last month when my little cousins were playing “nail salon” and decided to paint my dad’s nails. Not used to having his nails painted, Dad immediately began complaining that the polish was burning his cuticles. (I should note that Dad works with his hands, so his cuticles aren’t in the best shape.)

In true Dad fashion, he demanded they throw away the polish… and right on cue, the girls rolled their eyes.

Initially, I felt for the girls. I mean, chemicals in nail polish can’t penetrate your nails, right?

Well, according to a joint Duke University-Environmental Working Group study published the following week, wrong!

Check out my original blog post for the full story (and how Dad used it to gloat).

You can also read more here at CBSSF.

Chime in on Facebook:

If you knew a nail polish chemical was leaching into your body, would it stop you from painting your nails?

Spoiler Alert:
Don’t worry, you don’t have to stop painting your nails.

Check out the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database to search for polishes that do not contain TPHP. 
(It also lists every other potentially concering cosmetic chemical) 

Julie Watts
Julie is the consumer-investigative reporter for CBS in San Francisco. Her reports air nationally on CBS stations across the coun ...Read More