Many people consider red enamel an essential beauty accessory. Undoubtedly, he makes his hands heard and gives a touch of elegance to any look. But what’s really inside these small bottles? The Swiss magazine wanted to discover it K-Tipp who commissioned a test on 12 red glazes, many of which also available in Italy.
What the red glazes really contain
The German laboratory in charge of analyzing them has detected toxic substances in ten products out of twelve. Among these, carcinogenic nitrosamines appear, suspicious and plastic solvents who interfere with the endocrine system.
In particular, five glazes contained n-nitrosodimetilaminminmine (ndma), a substance of the group of nitrosamines prohibited in cosmetics for its carcinogenic potential. It has not been intentionally added in the enamels, but can form during the production or storage of the ingredients.
Some harmful substances derive from contaminated raw materials or from unsuitable conservation processes. The test detected high levels of Ndma in products such as Art Couture Nail Lacquer Luscious Red 684 by Arteco and Nail Lacquer Got the Blues for Red of Opi. Both also contained other problematic ingredients: the Benzofenone-1 UV filter, which alters the hormones, and the trifenilphosphate laminating, suspected of damaging the DNA and the endocrine system.
The art déco nail polish also contained Toluene, a solvent that can damage the reproductive system in case of exposure to high doses.
Only one nail polish is the best of the test
Among all the tested products, only the Nail Color All-Time Favoured 14 gel in Essence has proved completely devoid of toxic substances. However, irritating solvents such as Etilbenzene and O-Xilene are present in the composition, so it is advisable to apply the enamel in well-ventilated environments.
The Power Pro Nail Laque nail polish by Kiko Milano also tears a sufficiency. On the other hand, the references of Cadrice, Manhattan, H&M, Maybelline and Max Factor will be reported in red. The worst of the test was the Ardeco red nail polish.
If we want to minimize exposure to harmful substances, experts explain, transparent nail polish is a safer solution. A test of the German magazine ÖKOTEST Out of 20 transparent enamels showed that 12 products were excellent, while only three contained nitrosamines, trifenilfosphate or benzofenone-1.
The replicas of the producers
The producers involved in the Swiss test stressed that the levels of contaminants detected in enamels do not represent a risk for health and comply with current regulations. Cosneva, producer of Caterrice, and Aldi declare that they are constantly committed to reducing nitrosamines in their products and in fact, compared to previous tests, such as that of 2018 conducted by Gesundheitstipp, The content of these carcinogenic substances in red enamels has decreased.
As for other ingredients, Arteco specifies that the benzofenone-1 present in its enamels is a contaminant allowed by law, while Coty, manhattan and Max Factor producer, confirms that the use of the trifenylphosphate in cosmetics is allowed “without restrictions”.
How the test was conducted
The laboratory has used advanced techniques as high performance liquid chromatography and gaseous chromatography to separate and quantify the substances present in the enamels. The test also detected minimal quantities, comparable to a microgram per liter, equivalent to a zollet of sugar dispersed in an Olympic swimming pool.
Thanks to these analyzes, it was possible to distinguish safe glazes from those containing toxic substances and confirm that only a product on twelve was really devoid of harmful ingredients.
Don’t you want to lose our news?
