Safe Nail Polish During Pregnancy
Pregnancy brings lots of beauty changes, including fingernail changes that can be for better or worse (some women experience more brittle nails, others’ get stronger and shinier). While protecting Baby from dangers is objective number one, you can still (safely!) stay on top of your beauty routine, and that includes your fingers and toes.
When it comes to nail polishes, chemicals you should avoid are formaldehyde, toulene, and dibutyl-pthalate (DBP), as well as acetone in nail polish removers. Most of the danger comes from inhaling fumes during application, and studies have shown that chemicals can even make their way into breast milk.
Bella Sugar has a great list of “three-free” polishes (no formaldehyde, toulene, DBP) which includes some popular drugstore brands as well as the brand I use most often in the salon, China Glaze. Also on the list: newer Sally Hansen polishes and cult fave brand Zoya. If your salon doesn’t carry a brand you like, most are OK with you bringing in your own bottle of polish for your mani/pedi. You should also double check any hardeners and the top coat your manicurist is using, or skip those products altogether. Most research suggests acrylics are probably a bad idea. If you must do fake nails, wear a mask while having them done. Personally, I’d start weaning yourself from acrylics before baby comes – Newborns like to suck on mama’s fingers, plus cleaning baby poop from under your nails will be no fun.
If researching individual polishes is too much for you, I suggest Polished Mama, a company specializing in safe nail polish and nail polish remover. They feature non-toxic and odorless polishes and even sell a paraben-free French Manicure kit.
I have no problem with bare fingernails, but pedicures are a must, especially in warm weather. Call me silly, but it’s also important to me that my toes are top notch when I go into labor! Thankfully the beauty industry is making changes to keep us safer, both during pregnancy and in general. As with so many pregnancy taboos, a little research finds some happy wiggle room. 
© 2012