Is it safe to get a pedicure with your kids?
Is it safe to get a pedicure with your children? Photo by Aimee Heckel.
By Aimee Heckel
There’s something impossibly cute about tiny pink nails. But painting your kids’ nails, whether at home or in a salon, can come with some risks.
Here are some things to be consider when deciding to paint your kids’ nails, and some important ways to protect your family, too.
The risks
- Many nail polishes contain significant toxins, including toluene, dibutyl phthalate and formaldehyde. This is especially dangerous if your kids bite their fingernails, because then they are ingesting these dangerous ingredients.
- Nail salons can also carry their own health risks. If instruments are not properly cleaned, they can carry staph infections, as well as fungal and bacterial infections.
- Also, be wary of the toxic air at nail salons, which can affect kids with asthma, allergies or sensitivities.
Safety tips
- Look for chemical-free polishes, such as Piggy Paint, which is nontoxic, odorless and safe for kids. The popular brand OPI also claims not to use the three dangerous toxins in its polishes. Color Madnic Luscious nail polish and Zoya also claim to be free of those toxins. Another kid-specific polish line is Hopscotch.
- Find Piggy Paint at Rakuten.com. Save money with these Rakuten coupons, paired with 4 percent Cash Back from ShopAtHome.com. Read more articles about Rakuten here.
- Always check the Environmental Working Group’s nail polish directory before choosing a polish for your kids. This website rates the potential dangers of different brands of nail polish.
- Also buy kid-friendly nail polish remover, which does not contain acetone.
- Beware of foot bathtubs, which are hard to sterilize. (Note: It takes 10 minutes of disinfecting to clean the tubs between clients, so be wary of busy salons that rush one pedicure after the next.) If possible, request a pipeless tub for your kids, because the pipes can carry bacteria, too.
- Also, ask the nail technician to keep the whirlpool jets turned off, since the jets can also be a big breeding ground for bacteria.
- Consider making a special “spa day” at home with your kids, where there are fewer risks of infections and the air is clean.
Save money on other purchases for your family with these babies and kids coupons.
Other articles you might also enjoy:
- 5 health precautions you should be taking at the nail salon
- 3 inexpensive Father’s Day gifts Dad will love
- Win the battle with your laundry
