New Year’s Eve is almost here! Hopefully your New Year’s Eve plans are in place, you have that flattering cocktail dress ready to go, and you’re determined to keep your resolutions for once. LOL! NYE is the perfect occasion to get dressed up and feel your best as you enter into the New Year. By now, your outfit is picked out and you have the perfect shoes to match—but have you thought about your nails? So now, you are probably staring at your fingers and toes and thinking, “Oh yeah! What should I do with my nails?” Well here is my simple rule of thumb for NYE nails: If you already have a sparkly dress, keep things simple with a solid, yet colorful (but still seasonal) hue on your fingers. Alternatively, a glittery/shimmery nail polish works well with your little black dress or solid color ensemble. All in all, be sure that whatever polish you are using is “5-free.”
As I mentioned a few weeks ago, I have recently fallen in love with a vegan, 5-free nail polish line called Rooted Woman after I learned about the dangers of everyday nail polish. I also fell in love with the company’s values as well—which push busy women to practice self-love and self-care by providing tools and products to recharge, both physically and spiritually! I tried them out for the first time about 5 weeks ago on my toes and the I loved how rich the color was and the fact that it did not start chipping until last week! That was my biggest concern. I wasn’t sure if a polish free of ingredients that have been pushed in products for years would last long, but now I’m a believer! My top picks from the brand for NYE through February 2016 are Redemed (an electrifying winter blue), Joyful (a gorgeous, emerald green), and Unafraid (a shimmery nude color). I will let you guys know which color I pick today for my nails!
Now back to the dangers of toxic polish. It wouldn’t be me if I did t give you an educational breakdown (I promise to keep it short 🙂 ). It has never been more pertinent than now as to why non-toxic nail polish is a must-have. Some of the long-term consequences of being around nail polish chemical fumes for prolonged periods of time include interference with reproductive hormones (which can lead to infertility and/or miscarriages), kidney and liver damage, and on a more immediate level–eye and throat irritation, dizziness, migraines, and dry, cracked skin.
Fortunately, there are a hand full of brands like the brand I mentioned above, offering safer “5-free” nail polishes. This means that it is made without any of these five known toxic chemicals:
- Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): This stuff keeps the nail polish formula flexible and is the ingredient for a “chip-free” finish. It’s also the ingredient that’s most linked to reproductive issues.
- Formaldehyde: This is a preservative, sterilizer, and an embalming chemical (used to embalm dead bodies) as well as a known carcinogen. This makes your nail polish harden and keeps it fresh for a long time.
- Toluene: This is a petroleum/coal tar derived chemical that’s meant to keep your polish smooth. Chronic exposure is linked to anemia, liver, and kidney damage, decreased blood cell count, and it can affect a developing fetus.
- Formaldehyde Resin: This is a derivative of Formaldehyde that may be slightly less toxic but is still a carcinogen and allergen. It’s included to harden and smooth the nail polish.
- Camphor: This is a plasticizer that makes polish flexible. It’s also a neurotoxin, which can cause seizures if ingested (nail biters, like myself!) and liver damage when absorbed into the skin.
So now that you know how to pick out your colors for NYE, while staying toxic-free, this will definitely be your year! You have picked the perfect outfit for the night, you are celebrating with loved ones, and most importantly, you are rocking the perfect NYE manicure/pedicure to say goodbye to 2015 and kick off 2016! 😉
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