Ease symptoms of nail psoriasis with vitamins

Stress usually leads to psoriasis, a chronic condition of the skin affecting 7 million people in the United States. Unfortunately, I am one of them. 

Yesterday, I was diagnosed with nail psoriasis, and as a nail enthusiast always with the perfectly shaped moons and bright color polish, I'm devastated. 


So as my nails literally crumble to bits, I had to do some research and wanted to start at the basics with vitamins.


1. Silicon helps revitalize skin by stimulating cell growth to repair damage, and its magic can be evident in strengthening nails as well.


2. Zinc deficiency may be seen through weak nails, so adding zinc can help bring nails back from the brink. 


3. Vitamin D has shown some significant changes in nail psoriasis, especially with Calcipotriol creams. 

Eternal Optimist
by Essie, $8, cvs.com.

Either ingesting the vitamin or soaking the nails in creams and oils containing those vitamins will definitely assist in the nail growth process. It can take 6 to 12 months for the nail to rejuvenate itself. 


Even my doctor said nail polish is still OK to disguise the ugliness of nail psoriasis, so this is when eco-friendly nail polish comes into play. Now I have to decrease my use of toxic nail polish and turn to the nontoxic versions.


My post on organic nail polish remover


My post on organic nail polish

Rise of eco-beauty salons in rural town

Image: redding.com. Hairstylist Stephanie Davis gives
Brianna Griffith of Palo Cedro low- and highlights
with ammonia-free, hypoallergenic hair color at
the "O" All Organic Salon & Spa in Palo Cedro, Calif.

This week, I freelanced a story for the Redding Record Searchlight in Redding, Calif., so I was glad to be able to produce an eco-beauty story on the rise of salons wanting to use more natural, organic products and trying to reduce their carbon footprints. 

They use soy-based waxes for waxing instead of petroleum-based waxes because it derives from a non-renewable resource. One recycles cut hair to oil spill cleanups. One only uses products from the United States. 

Check out the story here.

Organic nail polish remover

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Yesterday night before painting my fingernails a shiny scarlet red, I needed to remove the last of my clear nail polish. Once I popped the top off my handy dandy nail polish remover, I didn't smell anything.
 

Karma Organic Organic Nail Polish
Remover, $12, uncommongoods.com

Unfortunately, I became immune to the chemical smell like so many other people. So I had to see if there were organic nail polish removers out there that can save me from the harsh chemicals overtaking my sense of smell. 

Suncoat (30ml), $5.99,
suncoatproducts.com

Organic nail polish removers may be made from oils from flowers and fruits and have natural fragrance. They shouldn't contain acetone or formaldehyde that can cause the strong smell and irritate the cuticle.

Honeybee Gardens Odorless Polish
Remover, $6.99, honeybeegardens.com

Marie Claire natural beauty product spread

Just received the November issue of my fave mag, Marie Claire, and there's a whole section on natural beauty products!

Marie Claire, Nov. '10, Victoria Beckham

They even tell you about the harmful chemicals to stay away from that can be found in many cosmetics!

 Natural beauty product spread

Eco-lovely nail polish

Whether they're short and stubby or long and slender, we like to paint our nails with an array of different colors. The problem: we became immune to that harsh chemical smell.

Nail polish is one of the cosmetic products that probably will never be naturally pure simply because it's paint, but there are major chemicals lurking in our polish bottles. 

Nail Lacquer, $6 each, americanapparelstore.com

The chemicals are known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and they are emitted as gas from certain liquids and solids.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the concentrations of VOCs are generally higher inside than outside. Some side effects include eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, and, at a dangerous level, organ damage.

Since many household products such as cleaners and aerosol sprays contain VOCs, we can lessen the exposure with choosing a nail polish free of these chemicals.  

One step is to avoid the following VOCs:

• Di-n-butyl phthalate or dibutyl phthalate (DBP)

• It's a plasticizer, meaning it makes plastics soft and flexible. It can be found in a variety of things from raincoats to floor tiles. EPA has not classified DBP as a carcinogen, but studies have found one health effect may be liver damage. 

• Toluene 
• It's usually added to gasoline to improve the octane ratings, but it can also be used as a solvent in paints and cleaning agents. Chronic inhalation of toluene can lead to fatigue and throat irritation.

• Formaldehyde
• It's widely used to make building materials and household products as well as glues and paints. Watery eyes and difficulty in breathing can be side effects. 

Remember nail polish is going to usually contain chemicals, but DBP, toluene, and formaldehyde are the top three toxins that may affect your health overtime if overexposed. 

Some toxin-free nail polishes can be found at American Apparel, Whole Foods, and certain drugstores.