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Date Posted: 08:22:43 08/26/00 Sat
Author: znailady
Subject: Re: Formaldehyde Part 3
In reply to: znailady 's message, "Formaldehyde Part 2" on 06:38:03 08/24/00 Thu

FORMALDEHYDE AND NAIL CARE PRODUCTS
A number of nail care products currently on the market proudly proclaim:"Contains no formaldehyde." Manicurists may decide that as long as non-formaldehyde products are
available, why even bother to consider anything that does contain the substance? And why do those manufacturers include it as an ingredient anyway?

Formaldehyde serves a couple dfferent purposes in nail care products. One of theses is to act as a fungicide. It is effective in keeping product ingredients pure and bacteria-free, so there's no risk of contamination. It also extends the shelf life of the product.

It is interesting to note that the FDA has approved formaldehyde as the most effective fungicide for use in mascara. It prevents growth of a fungus that can develope in mascara and cause instant blindness should the eye become scratched.

What you should be conscious of is the possibility that you may accidentally cut the client's cuticle while nipping, filing or buffing, in which case you may want to forgo application of any product that might irritate the area or enter the bloodstream through an open wound.

Formaldehyde is often found in nail polish. It is condensed along with aryl sulfonamide to form a resin that contributes to adhesion of the enamel to the nail and gives the enamel a high gloss. Where formaldehyde resin is not desired, alkyds can act as a substitute, but do not serve the additional role as a preservative.
Formaldehyde is also a nail hardener. As one manufacturer explained: "If a nails is splitting, it will harden and the dead peeling nail will come off, but (formaldehyde) will continue to harden the balance of the nails.

"Used in small percentages, formaldehyde is reasonably safe. But users of nail hardeners must read and follow instruction. Misuse of the product can cause painful infections. There are no fallacies in regards to the product formaldehyde. It is a product that must not be misused and must be respected for what it is."

Several important points should be made about formaldehyde in nail care products and its effects on clients. First, exposures are low and effects are often temporary. Another manufacturer points out that there may have been a time when some products contained as much as six percent formaldehyde, but most nail care product currently on the market contain less than one percent. The FDA recommends quantities of 3.6 percent or less as being safe, the manufacturer indicated.

Second, formldehyde has a good warning property:Its irritant qualities and sharp, disagreeable odor at high concentrations act as a built-in alarm system that warns individuals when they are being exposed to high levels or prolonged low levels.

Research to date has shown that very few people are allergic to the substance at its common levels of exposure. Some sensitive people have developed skin irritatin after repeated contact with formaldehyde as a solution in water, but this can certainly be the case with a number of chemicals.

In fact, a third manufacturer, whose background includes many years as a manicurist, stated: "Formaldehyde is considered to be a sensitizer to a small percent of the population, when the product comes in contact with the skin. As a nail care professional, I have experienced women being allergic to many other ingredients, other than formaldehyde.

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