We’re using our monthly newsletters to alert our readers to worrisome ingredients commonly found in personal care products - especially in products made for babies and their mamas. And of course we use the word “baby” in its broadest sense, knowing your teen will always be your baby! Chances are the teen in your life is already aware of someone who has fought breast cancer, but they may not know that they can take steps now toward prevention. Puberty is a time when your teen’s cells are developing rapidly. Other than when she was in the womb, this is the time when she is most susceptible to chemical exposure. So this month, we want to focus on something that you and your teen might not even think about — nail polish.

Nail polish can be a fun part of being a young girl, think slumber parties, wild colors, mom and daughter manicures. But nail polish can contain some of the worst ingredients the self-regulated personal care product industry has to offer. Ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which are known or suspected to cause cancer or birth defects. Toluene has been shown to cause mammary tumors (otherwise known as breast cancer) in animals, and both toluene and formaldehyde are “anticipated” to be human carcinogens. DBP, which is banned from personal care products in Europe, is a potential endocrine disruptor suspected of harming human reproduction and development, increasing the risk of breast cancer and other cancers.

So should you forbid your teen to use nail polish forever? Like that’ll work! There are safe alternatives out there that don’t have ingredients you need to be scared of. Spend some time online with your teen at The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and look for brands that are safe for her. Encourage her to share with her friends and shop at stores that carry safe brands. Also, talk to your teen about what she reads in her favorite magazines to help her understand that ad dollars can influence those “Editor’s Pick” cosmetics, and help her find alternatives that are safe for her to use. As a mama, you want the worst thing about her nail polish choice to be the color!