Nail Polish-A BIG Step!

I love my nail polish. My toes are always some fun color and I hang out at the entrance to Trade Secret waiting for my favorite brand to go on sale. Okay, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration….but I do check out the racks often for sales.

(this is my nail polish drawer.... )

So, currently I am reading the book Green Housekeeping by Ellen Sandbeck. Much to my horror, the book informed me that research has shown that women of childbearing age have very high concentrations of phthalates in their urine. And that’s not good. While there is still more research to be done in the effects on humans, adverse effects have been found in lab animals, including birth defects. And while we are not currently trying to have a baby, it could happen…and even if it doesn’t, do I really want something that could cause birth defects in my body at all? Unfortunately for me, phthalates are found in high concentrations in nail polish….along with toluene and formaldehyde. GREAT.

(but there is good news...)

So, part of my “green transformation” is to begin to switch to an earth- and human-friendly nail polish. I found Peacekeeper at Greenlife, my local natural/organic food store. It actually costs the same as my favorite brand, $7.99 a bottle. So, I started my collection with a bottle of Paint Me Grateful, a bottle of Paint Me Eternal (top/base coat) and a bottle of Honeybee Gardens odorless (really!) nail polish remover. I plan to buy a bottle of polish every month till I build up a “satisfactory” collection.

The verdict?

Not bad (please ignore the fact that my feet look very chubby here.....they're not). That's not the important part anyway. I feel good about my nail polish choice...both for myself and the environment. AND I did this two weeks ago and my toenails are barely worn at the tips.

So maybe I'm turning into a complete hugger. I think I'm okay with that.