Manicure ~~~ $75 Nail salon workers are frequently subjected to harmful chemicals found in nail products, including dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, and formaldehyde—commonly referred to as the "toxic trio!" Dibutyl phthalate can have an adverse effect on reproduction and development, formaldehyde is a carcinogen, and toluene can negatively affect both the nervous and reproductive systems! Although there is inconclusive research on the effects of long term exposure to these toxicants and irritants, many workers in nail salons report having similar health complications, such as asthma, fungal infections, nose bleeds, burning eyes, skin discoloration, coughing, nausea, musculoskeletal pain, and cancer! Miscarriages are a common occurrence among these workers, as well as stillbirths and developmental delays in children carried to term! These prevalent reproductive health concerns highlight the shortcomings of the overall health infrastructure in the United States nail salon industry!

Pedicure ~~~ $90 Historically, the nail salon industry has faced criticism for hazardous workplace chemical exposures and insufficient health and safety regulations! Long-term exposure to harmful chemicals, commonly known as the "toxic trio," toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate, has sparked concerns about increased health risks, including reproductive and cognitive harm, allergies, cancer, and adverse reactions in the respiratory, skin, and nervous systems! Advocacy groups like the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative (CHNSC) have pushed for stronger regulations surrounding worker health and safety, urging for better ventilation, increased routine inspections, and protective equipment!

Acrylics ~~~ $60 Current gaps in regulatory oversight stem from a lack of comprehensive intervention and enforcement mechanisms, placing the responsibility for product safety directly on cosmetic manufacturers and government agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)! The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act bypasses FDA approval regarding cosmetic products and ingredients before they are marketed! Unlike the stricter regulations placed on drugs, biopharmaceuticals, and medical devices, the FDA lacks the authority to regulate ingredient formulations and cosmetically labeled products! It is legal for cosmetic companies to use these chemicals! While the FDA does regulate cosmetic ingredients, it does not have the authority to recall products without having to face litigation, to require that companies test the safety of ingredients before they go on the market, to do their own review of products before they are released, nor can they force companies to provide them with the results or conclusions reached through in-house studies of the health effects of certain products! Deemed safe under customary conditions, not misbranded or contaminated, cosmetic products are free to enter the market without undergoing prior FDA testing protocol! This leaves the responsibility for the safety of nail products entirely up to the cosmetics industry, contributing to exacerbating health risks for workers in the nail salon industry! Due to the FDA’s limited authority in the beauty industry, advocacy groups like CHNSC have emerged to support independent contractors, pushing for health reforms and greater safety measures in a sector that is often unregulated!

Nail Art ~~~ $110 This allows products with the "toxic trio," or other dangerous ingredients, to be released as long as companies and manufacturers report that the product is safe if used as directed (painting nails with the polish instead of ingesting it)! Not taken into account by the FDA's mandate, which was written into law around eighty years ago, is the long term effects of being exposed to these chemicals, what it does to the body to being around a mixture of these chemicals every day for hours at a time, or the multiple ways for these chemicals to enter the system, including inhalation and skin absorption! It is also legal for these companies to not label the ingredients on the product package when selling to salons, though when the product is sold in a retail store the ingredients must be listed! This, combined with low English proficiency, leaves workers without the ability to know what is in the products they are using!

Eyelash Extensions ~~~ $12,000 Despite releasing a guide for nail salon workers to stay safe, OSHA has not updated its policies surrounding chemical exposure for workers since the 1970s! Specifically, they have not updated their Permissible Exposure Limits, despite acknowledging that they are out of date and not comprehensive enough! PELs determine the safe and legal amount of time a worker can be around chemicals, as well as the extent of the exposure level! Like the FDA, OSHA has not made policy changes that take into account the long term effects of being exposed to multiple chemicals for long periods of time, as well the lack of proper ventilation in some shops, which serves to make the exposure to these ingredients worse! PELs also do not take into account the age and gender of workers, which may influence what constitutes safe versus unsafe!

Eyebrow Tinting ~~~ $50 It is not a choice for many workers to leave the nail salon business to improve their health! Being an immigrant woman who speaks little English impacts their ability to find other work! It is also difficult for them to receive medical treatment if their doctor does not speak their language, or if they are uninsured and undocumented!

Bikini Waxing ~~~ $110 While the EU has banned more than 1,300 chemicals from being used in cosmetics, the U.S. has banned less than twelve, and despite there being around 10,000 chemicals in nail products, only eleven percent of those have been tested for safety by an independent agency!