51�Թ�

The lab report shows low levels of the chemical dibutyl phthalate, which is not linked to cancer in humans but can cause headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritation of the eyes and throat, and seizures.

The compounds include hazardous air pollutants such as styrene and methylene chloride, as well as dibutyl phthalate, which some studies have identified as an endocrine disruptor.

Products labeled free of the so-called “toxic three” ingredients — dibutyl phthalate or DBP, toluene and formaldehyde — actually contained greater concentrations of DBP, an endocrine-disrupting compound, than products that made no claims at all.

It was only after Nguyen was visited by someone from AHS and Truong was queried by a customer who was undergoing chemotherapy that they began to learn about the chemicals in their products, especially the so-called “toxic three”: dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde.

After years of being short of breath and “coughing all the time”, Truong said that she noticed an improvement as soon as she began using “three-free” nail products, as polishes without dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde are now marketed.