Your Guide to Healthier Nails – Pretty Shouldn’t Stink!

Environmental Health Services’ (EHS) Healthy Nail Salon Program launched the Healthy Nail Salon Program in 2013 due to health concerns for nail technicians and customers exposed to hazardous chemicals found in nail products. Health impacts linked to nail salon chemicals include cancer, birth defects, asthma, rashes, and more.

The Program promotes nail salons that are healthier for customers, employees, and the planet. The Program supports local San Mateo County businesses by:

• Certifying salons committed to using less toxic products, safer practices, and better ventilation.
• Providing incentives to customers of certified Healthy Nail Salons – Enter a raffle drawing to win a $25 certificate to a Healthy Nail Salon!

The Program addresses an industry whose workers have historically compromised their health by being exposed to and inhaling dangerous chemical cocktails for hours at a time. EGS staff is working to make nail salons a safer place for employees and customers alike by educating salon owners and employees on improving indoor air quality by opening windows and doors, using a ventilation unit that filters toxic acrylic dust and fumes from the air, and by participating in an annual audit to ensure that only the least toxic nail polish, removers, and acrylic liquids and powders are used on customers. If you are fussy about fumes, book your next nail service at a certified Healthy Nail Salon:

1. Visit a certified Healthy Nail Salon. Find one near you at smchealth.org/healthynails
2. Buy or use nail polishes without the toxic trio: Dibuytl Phthalate, Formaldehyde, and Toluene.
3. Ask for acrylic liquids without: Methyl Methacrylate (MMA).
4. Buy or use nail polish removers without: Toluene and Butyl Acetate.

Happy Tales of Healthy Nails

 

Visit a Certified Healthy Nail Salon

The Healthy Nail Salon Program is proudly celebrating five years of raising the health standards of the nail salon experience in San Mateo County. San Mateo County Environmental Health Services staff is continuing a movement to certify and educate
select salon owners and employees about improving indoor air quality in salons and making a fuss about unhealthy fumes in the air. Health and happiness in the salon isn’t just about sanitation, and no pedicure is worth the poison.

The Program addresses years of women compromising their health by having to smell that signature combination of chemical cocktails in the salon in order get that summer pedicure or nail service for a special event.

After five years, the County has certified 21 salons that are committed to improved ventilation by opening windows and doors, using a ventilation unit that filters toxic acrylic dust and fumes from the air, and by allowing County staff to audit the salon to ensure only the least toxic nail polish, removers, and acrylic liquids and powders are used on customers.

And it’s not just San Mateo County’s 21 salons that are committing to a healthier environment, there are over 150 salons in our neighboring counties of Santa Clara and San Francisco that are also making the commitment and becoming certified by government staff.

The best part is select certified San Mateo County salon owners are offering $5 certificates for any customer who wants to love their lungs and their nails by selecting a healthy nail salon service. Simply show the certificate (listed above) to any of the salons with an asterisk to redeem, and refer to the certificate validation details.

Certificate Update: Lyna’s Beauty Salon in Menlo Park is no longer offering certificates, but is still a certified healthy salon.

Because Pretty Shouldn’t Stink

Does your favorite nail salon have one of these?

Certified Healthy Nail Salons that provide acrylic nail services in San Mateo County do!

The filtration system allows you to breathe easier knowing it’s there to protect your health by reducing hazardous fumes and dust that are emitted from chemicals in acrylic powders and liquids, nail polishes, and removers.

For over three years, San Mateo County has continued to partner with certified salons by providing a filtration system and continuing education on how to protect everyone’s health while in the salon.

Today the Program proudly recognizes 14 salons in the County and over 100 salons throughout the state of California, and the number of certified salons
keeps growing.

Is your go-to salon not certified? Give us a call, and we’ll help your salon “get the
stink out” by asking them to join the Healthy Nail Salon Program for free at (650) 339 9526.

For a complete list of certified salons, and to get text or email discounts to a certified salon of up to $5 off, visit smchealth.org/healthynails

Healthy Nail Salon Program Wins Harvard’s Roy Award

San Mateo County’s Healthy Nail Salon Program Coordinator, Kathryn Cooke, ventured to Boston in November to accept the 2016 Roy Family Award for Environmental Partnership given by Harvard University on behalf of the County.

The program is a partnership between nail salons, the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative, Asian Health Services, and the counties of San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda, Santa Clara, and the City of Santa Monica. The purpose of the program is to improve ventilation and protect nail salon workers and customers from hazardous chemicals found in nail products.

Healthy Nail Salon Program Launches Text and Email Discounts for Residents

Maite Nail & Skin Spa, Burlingame

San Mateo County has partnered with certified salons to create a FREE Healthy Nail Salon Reward Program! Residents who join have an opportunity to enjoy a safer manicure and pedicure experience while getting rewarded for it with access to periodic paperless discounts that are redeemable from your smartphone or iPad.

Nail Salons Go Healthy

Look for this logo at your favorite Nail Salon to find out if they participate in the program.

Have you or a loved one ever walked into a nail salon, and immediately noticed a strong smell of chemicals? Nail technicians are routinely exposed to many hazardous chemicals for long intervals of time. Chemicals used in nail salon services are known to contain carcinogens, reproductive toxins, asthmagens, acute skin and respiratory irritants that could lead to adverse health conditions. While customers are not exposed to the chemicals for as long, there is still cause for concern for those who visit nail salons often.