How to: Do a Migraine-Free Manicure

Fri, 17 August 2012 12:03PM

Tiny on size but mighty on impact, nail colour is the new lip gloss; one application and you’re on-trend. Easy as.

Just look at Jessica Biel and her luxe ruby red mani. Gorgeous, no?

But unlike patting a shade on your pout, sometimes repeatedly removing and re-applying nail colour can prove a headache. Literally.

See, within those sugar-coated shades lurk some seriously nasty chemicals. One, Primpettes, that you can sidestep with ease (but more on that later).

First up, the facts: many mainstream nail polishes contain formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP (dibutyl phthalate).

Here’s how they justify it:

Manufacturer: “DBP is actually a plastisiser that manufacturers add to nail polish to give it that flexible and smooth texture that coats and hugs the nail shape.”
Inspector ecb: It’s harmful, Primpettes, as some research shows even though it’s great on the nails, it is thought to cause asthma attacks, reproductive and developmental defects.

Manufacturer: “Formaldehyde is added to preserve the product and also enable it to harden. This one’s more commonly found in nail treatments and strengthening products.”
Inspector ECB: It can also be found clogging up your lungs, as it’s considered an irritating chemical that can cause allergic reactions and asthma attacks.

Manufacturer Man: “Toluene is used to maintain consistency of the polish, it enables pigment to suspend in polish and makes it easy to apply.”
Inspector ECB: What’s found in your pretty shade of pastel pink is also found at the nearest petrol pump. Dizzy spells? Headaches? Yes, this toxic avenger can be the culprit of that too.

But there’s no need to give up life’s luxuries due to health hazards, (and yes, I’m talking to you drivers, drinkers and skydivers). If we did that, we’d all be doing diddly squat. With bad nails.

So some clever companies have invented the best thing since David Beckham’s ever-so-easily-ripped-off-post-game-jersey.

Yes, it’s the 3-free phenomenon, which means there are fabulous, highly-pigmented, chemical-free shades and long-lasting, non-chip formulations for those who wish to err on the side of caution with their nail colour.

Here’s my top five 3-free brands:

• Butter LONDON (who do a mean nail polish remover called Powder Room, $8.95, Adore Beauty and a fast-drying top coat called Hardwear Topcoat, $24.95, that are both 3-free)
• Orly get ahead of the pack with the first professional 3-free smartGELS System that offers 12 high-shine colours and starter kit. Check out Hayley’s review here.
• Layla Cosmetics Magneffect Nail Polish Range, $19.95, is for the show-off in all of us. The polish glides on and then whilst still wet, the 3-free formula reacts to the magnet in the cap of the product, creating instant three-dimensional designs. Wanna see how it looks? Click here.
• The rainbow connection of AEOS colours, Be Genki, nails the natural colour market with their vegan formulas, suitable for natural or acrylic nails in pearlescent, irredescent or matte finishes.
• Those Londoners do nails about as well as they do the Olympics. Nails Inc. is living proof. Founder Thea Green MBE (for services to the beauty industry) has established a high-fashion brand with nail bars and luxe stand-alone stores peppering the city (and the colours filling up beauty kits backstage at most big fashion shows.) Best part yet, they’re now available in Australia.

So, Primpettes, will you go 3-free without losing any colour kudos?

ecb x

Posted by: ecb

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Tags: 3-free nail polish, butter london, manicure, nails, nails inc, orly