Toddler with Nail Polish

I found a website http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ that explains to "avoid nail polish containing dibutyl phthalate & toluene-linked to hormone disruption & cancer". This was the only warning and it was in the children's products section.

My daughter is only 13 months but I'm glad you asked this question.

i read a couple of responses, and have to agree with some...i grew up with my nails painted from a very young age, as well as many little girls i've gotten to see grow up and none of us have any problems. i was told that my nails were flimsy because of the nail polish, but after not using any for YEARS (nearly 10 or so) they're still pretty flimsy. i've heard so many things going either way on whether it's safe or not. i personally would think that as long as the fingers aren't going into her mouth while nail polish is on...then there shouldn't be any problem. if you really are concerned, i would talk to the one person who would most likely know for a fact...her pediatrician! (s)he should be able to tell you if it's ok, or if there are only certain ones that are ok (which i noticed some had mentioned special made ones) and then i'd go with that. i'm going to have to ask my daughter's ped. next time we go. good luck.

My daughter also loves to wear nail polish as a treat and she is about 3 as well. We have found a very low/no chemical nail polish. We found it at Whole Foods Market. If you don't live near one then you can go online and Google it. There are a few brands, post again if you don't find any.

My daughter loves to get her nails done as well and I've been curious myself, especially when I see her fingers go into your mouth. I found a number of natural beauty sites that offer non-toxic nail polish. I only looked briefly but most did not recommend for young children. www.safenailpolish.com claims to be safe for you, your children and pets(?). A lot of these sites make false claims but I found a few that seemed legitimate by just googling "safe nail polish". A site I love and has a good reputation for natural products is Sephora.com but its a bit pricey. Good luck.

G.-
It's the formeldehyde in the polish that does absorb thorugh her skin. You can find a few companies that do not use it - Nicole Miller is one that I know of. Nail polish is not the only products you should be concerned with. Everything we put on our children gets absorbed through their skin, you should be looking into the chemicals in your shampoos, lotions, detergents, etc. Even your cleaning products are being inhaled (& absorbed) and effecting their little bodies. If you have any questions, I have been reseraching this for the last three years since I lost my sister to cancer and started to research why we are all getting sick - and why so many children have ashtma, ezcema and ADHD.
My 7 year old, only uses Nicole Miller Make-up (as her play make-up)and NM polishes, it is guarnteed to contain no caustic-chemicals - it is more expensive than the little make-up kits for kids, but I know it is safe for her and my girl is worth every penny :)
C. G

Hi G.,

You can try Barielle (http://www.barielle.com/barielle/control/shades) or Zoya brands (http://www.artofbeauty.com/scrpt/scr.dll/ShowLines?cat=3&..., both of which are toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate free.

I have never heard of that, except from people who are a little over enthusiastic about homeopathy and hugging trees. As far as I know from my experiences and asking my doctor, there is nothing wrong with painting your cuties nails. My daughter is 4 and loves having her nails painted! So enjoy the joys of having a girl!

You would be amazed at the number of personal care products (shampoo, toothpaste, baby lotion etc.) that have toxic chemicals in them. I've been researching this for almost 6 years now..since my oldest was born. I don't let my 3 1/2 daughter wear nail polish unless I know that product is safe. There are alternatives. If you want more information, feel free to contact me. I'd be happy to share what I have discovered. Here are a couple of recent links concerning chemicals in baby/personal care products.

UW study warns of chemical in baby products
http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/251.7/popup/index.php?cl...

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,328007,00.html

Wishing you well,

M.

are you kiddin? if thats the case all my kids should be in the hospital now with nail polish poisoning bc all 3 of em chew off the polish off their nails. the only good thing is they dont suck on their toes so the feet polish is ok
i am sure its fine. i have 3 healthy kids and one of which is almost 9 and she paints her nails every other day it seems new colors and never had a prob other than not being able to stop those fingers from her mouth ;o)
A.

Good morning, Unless your little sweetie has a sensitivity to the nail polish an occasional treat is fine. I have 2girls 15 and 8. They both loved a little grown up play with nail polish. Neither of them had any problems. If you are really concerned go to Whole Foods, they have a wonderful selection of natural products. That may put your mind at ease. I think much of this over concern is just a bunch of crap. Too many well educated moms and scaredy cat doctors looking for trouble where there isn't any cause. I could go on but I won't. Good luck !

Technically, no one should be wearing nail polish because it is pretty toxic. . .I do, though. There are non-toxic versions available at Whole Foods if you are really concerned.

I used to paint my daughters nails when she was as young as 1 yr., she too thought it was something spectacular.
I don't see any harm in it. If he nail polish does in fact soak throuh the skin, wouldn't it be harmful for adults also, and what about pregnant women, if it was harmful wouldn't pregnant women not be allowed to paint their nails
for risk it might affect the fetus??? I'm certain there would be a warning on the label, if there was cause for concern, companies now a days, seem to try to err on the side of caution to avoid lawsuits. My mother in law, used to tell me that if I let my daughter stand before 6 months
she would be bow-legged....at some point common sense needs to rule. Best wishes, hope this helps.

My friend's husband is a podiatrist and created a nail polish with his partner when she was pregnant. There are no harmful chemicals - it's made with tea tree and garlic, natural fungicides, and comes in great colors. They are planning to expand their line to include more kid-friendly colors, but they do have a soft shade of pink. Check it out, it's called Dr's Remedy.

G.,
Your friend is right. There was an article in our newspaper about a chemical called paraben, which is often prefixed with about 5 other words(Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl, Butyl and/or Isobutyl), which is suspected of being linked to breast cancer. It's been banned in European countries, but is still in American goods for women (lipsticks, deodorants, hair gels, etc.). Since I had a mastectomy some years ago, I went through my cabinets and found all sorts of items containing parabens, which I threw out.
You can learn more about this chemical via the internet.
Since you don't know what other chemicals your litle one will meet on her journey through life, or how they will interact with each other, it doesn't hurt to play it safe.
Good luck!

This is so not true, by the time they are that arge the nails are hard enough that it will not soak in. If she was maybe 3 months and her nails were still very soft then your MI might be right.

The chemicals in nail polish are harmful to adults and children. The risk mostly lies with breathing in the fumes of volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) during application. Children have less of an ability to deal with toxins. With a toddler I would also worry about her chewing her nails and ingesting the polish.

The good news is, you can buy nail polish at most health food stores that don't contain VOCs. Sun Coat is the one I see most often. It costs a little more than conventional nail polish but it is a small price to pay for some non-toxic fun.

The toxic load on our little ones is so great we should do anything we can to reduce it.

Hello,
Yes I have heard of this many red and bright color nailpolish colors contain lead which does get into you system through application to nails. The other colors are also harmful but at lower amounts of lead. This is also harmful for adults. I love red nail polish but I have stayed away and when I treat myself I have a french manicure. For your little one I would try a to find a natural dye polish possible at a health store if there is such a thing. The bottom line is yes it is dangerous for her. Maybe you can find a a kids site with a formula for a temp. color you can apply that is non toxic (like the kids paint that can be made with food coloring) good luck I have a three year old also that loves dress up.

I noticed you have recieved a lot of advice that can be difficult to filter. My point of view is this with my children if there is any chance that something is not safe even though the company selling it for profit says it's safe I will not use it. Some things in life you can take a chance with but not your little ones. It's also better to be safe than sorry! I have researched for years the spike in harmful chemicals that are in just about every thing we eat, drink, wash with and so one. The problem is these chemicals prolong shelve life of a product which = more $.
It is true that cancer drugs use harmful perservative for their drugs and they also sell diet soda right in the treatment room knowing that diet soda is linked to many health issues.
Back to your question is nailpolish safe for your 3 year old NO.

I think that it is fine to do as a treat. My four year old and I paint her nails occasionally and she loves it. I think there are a minimal amount (it any) chemicals that can get into her skin.

G., I think once in a while is fine. If you think about it, the chemicals get into all of our systems when we use things like nail polish or even lotion or anything you put on your body!

The reason she says this is because most nail polish contain toluene, and amyl, butl, and ethyl acetate which are all neurotoxins and and child is unable to detoxes their bodies very well. Furthermore nail polish remover contains acetonitrile a chemical that breaks down into lethal cyanide when swallowed.

here is one with little risk:
De Lore Chip Proof

I have 3 little girls myself that love to have their nails done so I understand your concern.

I am not sure if that is true but I know that they make nail polish especially for little kids.

I have 3 boys, so this doesn't really come into play for me, but I go to an organic nail salon myself. They are even developing a nail polish remover with a tea tree oil base, that is good for you, good for your nails, and good for the environment. Do a little research in your area - I bet they'll be popping up all over!

Hi G., I am a nail techncian. Look for polishes that are formaldahyde free. Essie is formaldahyde free and you can get it in a beauty supply shop. As long as she doesn't get it on her skin when polishing it shouldn't enter her blood stream, what you should worry more about is her putting her fingers in her mouth and her swallowing the chips as it peels off. Make sure you take off the polish when it begins to chip. Other than that it should be safe! Hope this helps. Have a great day. Nance

G.,
Up until a few months ago I was clueless about the harm that chemicals can do to us. I had no idea that there were toxic chemicals all over our homes (cleaning supplies, mouthwash, body cream, etc.). Not only that, but if you told me that I would say that it couldn't be so bad or everybody in American would be sick. Then I found out that in the last thirty or fourty years there have been hundreds of new chemicals created and that the majority of them are not tested or regulated, yet they are allowed to be in the products that we use everyday.
Sixty percent of what you put on your skin, gets absorbed into your body. (How do you think the birth control patch or nicotine patch work). As far as I know, our nails are just skin cells so I imagine that the chemicals in nail polish might seep through. I can tell you that when I was pregnant I was told not to use nailpolish or nail polish remover in the same breath that I was told not to eat too much tuna or drink too much caffine. So I'm guessing it's not good.
That being said, I have painted my daughters fingers and toes! She is 2.5 years old. She loves it! I haven't done it a long time and now that I know there are healthy alternatives for nail polish I will definitely try it. I have switch cleaning products from the ones in the supermarket to Shaklee Get Clean and it has actually had an effect on my health and my allergies and asthma. So if that can make such a big difference (getting rid of the chemicals) and it's not even on my skin, I imagine that the chemicals we put on our skin even worse than the ones we breath.
Anyway, I'm not very good at explaining all this because I only just recently found it all out. I would be happy to refer you to my Shaklee distributor if you are interested in green cleaning products too. He's great.

I'm curious about this one as well. I don't know if it would soak into her skin, maybe when it peels off -- we'd have to make sure they don't eat it. And I know red lipstick has lead in it - wonder if that's the same with nail polish. Any thoughts?

I have never heard of that in my life! I don't see how it could be true, either, as the human nail is pretty dense and thick. I would love to know what you find out in your research!

Actually yes she is right,

BUT they make special ones for kids that are missing that agent, and smell like bubble gum

I forget the brand but i think BON BON or bonnie bell
its in a tiny bottle in various shade of pinks and reds, lavenders.

Good Luck

M

Lab Tech

G.:

The hospitals is our area have banned the health care workers from wearing any nail polish as they said it promotes bacteria growth which can be spread to patients. I haven't worn polish since and my nails actually appear healthier.

G.
The nail polish is fine...as a treat, once in awhile
The ingestion of the fumes is more harmful than what hardens.
And, we breathe in so many toxins in the environment daily-her system will adjust

Never heard of that. I have been painting my daughter's nails since she was 2.

A.

Use organic nail polish without harsh chemicals. Surprisingly, it lasts way longer than regular polish anyway. The chemicals in regular polish may even sink into grown-up skin - that's why polish isn't recommended while you're pregnant. My favorite place to get organic polish is at Priti organic spa on 1st street between 1st and 2nd avenues. They have a special line for kids. The place smells like a dream - I had been there a few times before I was pregnant but I treated myself every two weeks while pg. I often see mommies and daughters getting their nails done together. If you just want to buy polish, they have a few varities at whole foods.

I know that there is a lot of hype out in the media right now about chemicals in products that can effect our kids, etc. As a product developer in the personal care industry, I hear about all of it. So in response to some of the other posters...

Parabens - may cause breast cancer. Did you know that breast cancer treatment drugs are almost always preserved with parabens? You probably didn't - so why would they preserve a treatment drug with something that causes the disease? They wouldn't. There is in fact no direct link between cancer and parabens.

Pthalates - this is the one that came out the other day. There are a lot of different pthalates out there used for different things. They do have different prefixes (methyl, butyl, etc.). Pretty much every personal care manufacturer has elimiated all toxic or harmful phtalates from their products. You should be worried about the smaller manfacturers who can't afford to verhaul thei products.

Toxins in general vs "Natual" products - There is no clear definition in the personal care field as to what "natural" is. Every company can use the term differently. Be wary of small companies that use the term loosly - they could put natural on their product because a consumer says it smells natural, not because it actually is.

Sorry - I didn't mean for that to be a rant, I just notice that a lot of people out there claim to "research" the topics. Unfortunatly most people don't have access to all of the infomation and can't see what people in the industry can.

D.

never heard of anything like that... My 4 year old daughter also loves getting her nails painted!!!

never heard of that. i'd ask your pediatrician.

Kids also bite on these stuff you know.

I have never hear of such a thing! I would think if that is the case, there would be a warning on the label and it would be common knowledge.

C.
Mommy to Jess, Katie and Julia
www.TimetoChangetheDiapers.com
Adorable, affordable cloth diapers and reusable items for babies, kids and Moms!

sorry G., she should NEVER WEAR IT AND NEITHER SHOULD YOU. THESE CHEMICALS LEACH INTO ANY ONE WHO WEARS IT! check out living green books for this info, S.

That's ridiculous. I've never heard of such a thing. I think people say things like that because they don't approve and rather than just saying so, they give a bogus health reason. Now, if your daughter was in the habit of licking the polish off or chewing it off after it dried... I'd be a little more cautious. My daughter has been wearing polish since she was two. She is also partial to eyeshadow and lip gloss (I'm not a big make up person so I don't know where she get's that from). Whatever, they're little girls. If polish makes her happy - go for it.

It soaks into your body too. I wouldn't worry about her if you aren't concerned for yourself.