Clean, well-groomed and tidy nails affect on person´s well-being and confidence. To enhance the appearance of human nails, we use decorative products for nails, which are designed to color the nail plate. Decorative products for nails contain 6 primary ingredients: resins, solvents, plasticizers, colorants, thixotropic agents and UV-filters. There are four groups of ingredients in the products, colorants, UV-filters, fragrances and preservatives, which are listed in Annexes in Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009. They can cause adverse effects at low concentrations, especially sensitization. In decorative products for nails we also find phthalates, which are endocrine disruptors. Because all of these compounds raise concerns about their safety, we decided to study them in a more detailed way. We checked their presence in the products and found out which ingredients most commonly appear in products. The research included 103 decorative products for nails, that were found on the Slovenian market in various cosmetics shops and online stores. The results showed, that the most products contained dyes (98,1 % of all the test products). UV-filters were found in 64,8 % of all the test products and phthalates in 42,7 % of examined products. Fragrances appeared in 9 products, and only a few products contained preservatives. In the reviewed products we found 39 different types of dyes, the most commonly present dye was the dye CI 15850 – pigment red 57. Among the most commonly present UV-filters was benzophenone-1. We found 10 types of different fragrances in the products, which belong to 26 most allergenic fragrances. The most frequently found phthalate was polyethylene terephtalate.
From each of the ingredients groups (colorants, UV-filter, fragrances, preservatives and phthalates) we selected the most commonly used ingredients in the products we´ve research. Based on toxicological profile, we evaluate their safety. In case of acute exposure, CI 15850 – pigment red 57 was classified as the safest dye and benzophenone-1 as the safest UV-filter. But, since they have detected estrogenic activity of benzophenone-1 in in vitro studies on human cells, it can not be classified as a very safe ingredient. We have estimated, that the safest among most frequently occuring fragrances is benzyl alcohol, because it is irritating only during frequent contact. Limonene is classified as one of the most common contact allergens and geraniol can cause allergic contact dermatitis. Between preservatives, phenoxyethanol is the safest, because it is not genotoxic, carcinogen and reproductive toxicity has only been shown in animals at high concentrations. We have estimated, that the safest among phthalates is polyethylene terephthalate, because it is not genotoxic, irritating and reproductive toxic. We can conclude, that the products with the ingredients, which we have studied in research, are still safe to use, if the content of these ingredients does not exceed the prescribed concentrations, that are defined in Cosmetic Products Regulation (EC) No. 1223/2009.
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