We Heart San Francisco | The Healthy Beauty Project -by Todra Payne

The West Coast has done it again

Just days ago when news came across our desks that San Francisco had passed a bill that requires fast food death traps restaurants to include fruit and other healthy choices if they offer a toy in their kids’ meals, we were very happy.

Today when we read that the same forward thinking city passed the country’s first Healthy Nail Salon Recognition ordinance, we were giddy.

Nail salons are notoriously dangerous work environments because of the toxic chemicals found in many of the nail polishes and other beauty products.

And with the bulk of salon workers being young immigrant women, the push to reform this industry has been slow in coming. The Healthy Nail Recognition Ordinance was created to address these issues among San Francisco’s 200+ nail salons and 1,800 nail technicians.

The city, under the ordinance will publicly identify salons that use polishes free of the toxic trio dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde. Although these chemicals have been linked to cancer and birth defects, many salons still carry (cheap) polishes that include at least one of these ingredients.

Many mainstream brands, like OPI, are listing on their website that they no longer contain these chemicals  (although most top coats still contain formaldehyde). But that’s not particularly comforting as Dr. Julia Quint, a toxicologist and public health scientist, points out, some companies have substituted one toxic chemical for another. As she also states, “There is a lot of green-washing going on.”

There are alternatives with polish lines like Acquarella, which is water based and do not contain harsh chemicals. And a splattering of salons around the country use healthier polish and provide proper ventilation. If you live near one, please make the effort to visit a green salon that chooses to put women’s health above profits.