The last link love question of the month comes to us from My Lucid Bubble.
KrisInPhilly asks…Can nail polish, like from Remedy Nails, be “healthy”? Is their claim that they have the most unique polish on the market true?
The Right Brain responds:
Kristin, thanks for helping us finish the month with such a great question. I just wish I had a definitive answer about Remedy Nails.
Healthy polish?
I had trouble finding much information about how Remedy Nails claims to be so healthy and unique so I wrote to the company asking for an explanation. Unfortunately they have not responded. So, I can’t really tell for sure how they support their claims. In my humble opinion, it all depends on how you define “healthy.” Having worked in the beauty industry for many years, I can speculate how a company might respond when asked “what does healthy mean?”
Definition 1: Free from damage (that negatively affects appearance)
Example: Healthy looking nails.
Comment: Claims related to appearance are almost always easily substantiated.
Definition 2: Free from disease
Example: Fights nail fungus.
Comment: This would be a drug claim so I doubt Remedy Nails would use such as approach unless, of course, they are selling a drug product.
Definition 3: Improved quality
Example: Stronger nails, longer lasting color, etc.
Comment: This is a gray area. Nail strengtheners can also cause brittleness. Is that really healthier? Many people would say not.
Definition 4: Less dangerous side effects, less toxic
Example: No harmful solvents.
Comment: We’ve written about the dangers of breathing nail polish and there is certainly reason for concern about neurotoxicity. Water-based polishes could “healthier” in this regard. Perhaps this is Remedy’s approach? If so, do they provide the same quality polish as solvent-based systems? If not, you have to ask yourself: how much are you willing to give up to get a “healthier” product?
The Beauty Brains bottom line
As you can see from these examples, “healthy” is a very subjective claim that is open to interpretation. It would be interesting to see how Remedy Nails defines “healthy” for their products.
Image credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/2589760276/
What do YOU think? Have we missed any definitions of healthy that you would include? Leave a comment and share your thoughts with the rest of the Beauty Brains community.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
I am confused as to how you had trouble finding any information– the website states their claims pretty clearly, no? Dr. Cirlincione partnered with Dr. Spielfogel and together they formulated Dr.’s REMEDY®, free from THE BIG 3, but also UNIQUELY ENRICHED with ingredients, such as tea tree oil and garlic bulb extract, which are naturally occurring anti-fungal, antibacterial, and healthier for the nail.
Not only is Dr.’s REMEDY® better for you, it comes in a rainbow of today’s most fashionable colors.
Enhanced with naturally occurring anti-fungal ingredients and vitamins to promote healthier nails.
Appealing to women with discolored nails, pregnant women, or parents looking for safer alternatives for their children.
Allergen friendly for those sensitive to chemicals in commercial nail polish.
Enriched means a stronger, healthier looking nail, which is appealing to everyone.
pretty good post.Thanks
@Delphi: Thanks for the comment – I’m sorry that I didn’t make my point my clearly. I wanted to see a complete listing of every ingredient in the product, which is required by law to be on the label. It was nowhere to be found on the website. It’s easy to say the product is “uniquely enriched” with an ingredient but I can’t tell if this is really different from other nail polishes without seeing the entire ingredient list. I sent an email asking for that information but never received a reply.
I can’t answer the questions they raise with their claims:
1. It’s “enhanced” with anti-fungal ingredients. Are they claiming this is a drug product? If so, it has to follow the drug monograph approved ingredients.
2. It’s “appealing” to pregnant women, parents, etc. Why? Which ingredients does it have (or does NOT have) that makes it better/safer?
3. “Allergen” free? Does that mean it contains no acrylic polymers (which are known to cause some allergic reactions?)
I’m just skeptical this product is different from others without seeing what’s actually in it. If any one provides that information, I’ll be glad to update this post.
Dr.’s Remedy nail polish is not water-based. However, I have been using Acquarella water-based polish for the past few months, and I absolutely love it. After your nails become healthy again (solvent based polish made my healthy nails brittle–water-based gets them healthy again), the polish will adhere to your nails longer. I can get an Acquarella manicure to last 7 days with only minimal wear at the tips–twice as long as with conventional polish. Plus, I love that it has no smell and doesn’t turn my nails yellow or make them brittle! Sometimes the colors aren’t as opaque, and you have to shake the bottles more often, but otherwise, I hands down prefer water-based!
{ 1 trackback }