Public warned of artificial fingernail sets with toxic adhesive
MANILA, Philippines – A number of artificial fingernail sets sold in the market were found to have an adhesive which contains a banned substance dangerous to health, an environmental group warned Friday.
The EcoWaste Coalition said it recently bought artificial fingernail sets in discount malls in Divisoria, Manila and discovered that products like Dudustrong, Elegant Touch, Losnaglar, Opoola, Skeyelinl, and Xucai were being sold in the establishments for as low as P25.
But the group’s chemical safety campaigner, Thony Dizon noted the adhesive included in the said products contains dibutyl phthalate (DBP), which is among the banned substances in cosmetic products under the ASEAN Cosmetics Directive.
“To protect unassuming consumers from health-damaging cosmetics, we call for and support intensified law enforcement action to rid the marketplace of such poison products,” Dizon said.
Citing the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), EcoWaste said DBP can cause allergic reactions which “can induce a state of hypersensitivity in the immune system.”
“It can cause the immune system to respond to chemical exposures with immunological reactions that are harmful, varying from hives to life threatening responses such as anaphylactic shock, where low blood pressure and breathing difficulties can result in death,” EcoWaste said, quoting the FDA.
