Does LA Colors Nail Polish Contain Formaldehyde?

Do you know if your favorite L.A. COLORS nail polish contains formaldehyde?

Here we are to answer your query.

Formaldehyde is one of the questionable ingredients in producing nail polish and regular nail hardeners. It is responsible for making the nails brittle. As a result, they tend to break or come off. It can also cause allergic reactions and skin irritation.

Formaldehyde, toluene, and DBP are the toxic trio frequently found in nail polish. So, the concern arises, does LA Colors nail polish contain formaldehyde? Unless you are a chemist, it can be challenging to dig into the ingredient list of your nail polish.

In a nutshell, the answer is ‘no’. LA Colors nail polishes do not contain formaldehyde. Let’s find out more.

Does LA Colors Nail Polish Contain Formaldehyde?

Basically, formaldehyde is more common in our surroundings than we know. It is a colorless gas with a strong, unique odor. We are exposed to a small amount of formaldehyde daily.

Whether nail polishes contain formaldehyde or not has become the talk of the topic right after it was listed in the restricted substance list. According to the official L.A. COLORS website, the brand claims their nail polishes are toluene and formaldehyde free. But there’s one hiccup. Let me explain.

Formaldehyde is never used in nail polish in its pure form. Compounds derived from it can also do the trick. The properties may or may not resemble formaldehyde.

The compounds closely related to formaldehyde used in regular nail polish are the following:

• Formalin,
• Methylene glycol,
• Tosylamide or formaldehyde resin.

These are the ingredients formaldehyde has taken the blame for.

However, these items are not mentioned on the label of LA Colors nail polish ingredients. Unfortunately, there needs to be more unbiased lab results to confirm the claim further.

However, LA Colors is a company based in the United States. It has maintained a good reputation on the market for years. It can be considered one of the safest products on the market, with little or no contact with formaldehyde.

Low exposure to formaldehyde is less hazardous than high exposure. Formaldehyde present in nail polishes is generally low in amount. But long-term use can affect the skin, fingernails, and overall health.

What Ingredients Are in LA Colors Nail Polish?

Whether or not your nail polish contains toxic ingredients is the primary concern. Toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP are the main ones to check and verify. Let’s see if L.A. Colors nail polish contains them.

Here are the ingredients cited on the label by LA Colors nail polishes.

• Ethyl Acetate
• Butyl Acetate
• Phthalic anhydride/ glycol copolymer
• Stearalkonium Hectorite
• Nitrocellulose
• Acetyl Tributyl Citrate
• Isopropyl Alcohol
• Citric Acid
• Titanium Dioxide
• Iron Oxides
• FD&C Yellow 5 Aluminum Lake
• D&C Yellow 10 Aluminum Lake
• FD&C Blue 1 Aluminum Lake
• Ultramarines
• D&C Red 6
• D&C Red 7 Calcium Lake
• D&C Red 34 Calcium Lake
• Mica
• Ferric Ammonium Ferrocyanide
• Manganese Violet

It is clear that there is no formaldehyde in the formaldehyde derivatives listed.

What Nail Polish Has Formaldehyde?

FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) recognizes formaldehyde as a carcinogenic element. They address the fact that nail products containing formaldehyde-derived compounds can cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.

However, some nail polish has been shown to contain more formaldehyde than the safe limit. According to California Safe Cosmetics Database (May 2015), here are some of them.

Brand Name	Product Name	Company Name
Sation	Sation Lacquer	Alfalfa Nail Supply, Inc.
Fing’rs	Heart 2 Art Nail Polish	Pacific World Cosmetics
Lexi	A manicure design	Alfalfa Nail Supply, Inc.
Regal	Regal lacquer	Alfalfa Nail Supply, Inc.
Sheila	Sheila lacquer	Alfalfa Nail Supply, Inc.

In addition, cheap and unbranded nail polish products may contain toxic components. Products that are not well-known are still at risk. They often do not meet the appropriate health standards and try to gain space in the marketplace.

Even in the United States, nail products can be available on the market before FDA approval. They’re constantly trying to filter out safe products by eliminating harmful ones.

Formaldehyde hardens fingernails and ensures durability. But over regular use, it damages the nail plate. Tosylamide formaldehyde resin (TS-F-R) is also a by-product of formaldehyde. It is often found in nail polishes.

It is strongly recommended not to use varnishes that contain these ingredients.

Are There Nail Polishes without Formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde was banned by the European Union in 2001 and restricted by the U.S. and Canada by the new law. Since then, a lot of technological progress has taken place in the world of nail polish.

It is also considered carcinogenic by IARC. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) admits that any product containing more than 1% formaldehyde can cause hypersensitivity in the human body.

However, there are plenty of nail polishes without formaldehyde nowadays. They advertise their products as “natural”, “clean beauty”, and “nontoxic”. They also market the nail polish as “3-free”, “5-free”, “10-free”, and up to “21-free”.

3-free refers to 3 major toxic-trio elements that have been replaced. This relates to formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate. Thus, this number has been increased by eliminating more toxic ingredients.

They may also claim as “Gluten-free”, “cruelty-free”, “vegan”, or “PETA approved”.

Here are some of the best nail polishes without formaldehyde.

1. Essie Nail Polish, Salon-Quality, 8-free Vegan, Sheer Pink

2. OPI Infinite Shine Gel Lacquer2, Dutch Tulips

3. tenoverten – Natural Nail Color | Clean, Natural, Non-Toxic

The FDA enables non-oral cosmetics like nail polish to have a formaldehyde concentration of 0.2% or less. This is the least amount to still have the anti-microbial effect and is safe for human use.

If the amount is more than 0.2 percent, the products must be labeled “Contains formaldehyde” on the product. But this still does not appeal to customers as a safe product. That is why brands are desperate to introduce formaldehyde-free products on the market.

Final Thoughts

LA Colors nail polish does not contain formaldehyde in any shape or form according to their ingredients label. The company website also advertises that all of their nail polishes are toluene and formaldehyde free.

This sends a good message to the consumers in general about the brand. It is also attractive for clients who care about health and the environment.

Certain products on the market still contain components derived from formaldehyde. It is always wise to verify the list of ingredients prior to purchase. You can easily find nontoxic nail polishes just like L.A. Colors.