It’s really frustrating that they featured a lot of researchers who are trying to help these marginalized salon workers and then turned around and sort of focused on their audience - consumers (who they’re trying to convince to buy “clean” products). It de-centers the people actually being hurt
Further to this point, these marginalised workers often have few other options for work. Burdening salons with additional regulatory requirements, such as finding new suppliers for products, because of a theoretical risk to the consumer, would likely result in even worse outcomes for the workers. Salon owners (many of whom are likely immigrant women themselves) won't necessarily be able to absorb all of the costs, and workers may lose their livelihoods as a result. In contrast, interventions that actually improve working conditions and worker health, such as ventilation and PPE, may actually benefit these businesses over time through reduced employee illness, reduced insurance and (potential) legal costs, and less employee turnover.
I have had friends in the beauty industry, and one of the most mitigating things you can do for the health of workers when designing your salon setup is proper ventilation systems, it is the first thing you should think of when looking for a location. Look for high, open ceilings, so you can install real quality vents. Often nail salons do not have the best ventilation, they go in small storefronts, and have cheaper setup budgets than a hair salon, due to the lower cost services they provide. Also, using real respirator masks, and vacuums to remove dust from nail filing is important, as are gloves for hair stylists when applying bleach and colour all day. Edit: Eating on the job is also a risk in salons, and the best thing to do it give people real breaks so they can leave to a real lunchroom to eat and drink, or even leave the salon all together. I too often see nail techs with a can of coke or coffee open next to them while working on clients.
I think it would be great if there were regulations about where nail salons could be located (e.g not in a tiny store in the middle of a multi-level shopping centre), and for salon workers to be educated better about the risks - education on safe work practices was suggested by some of the researchers and it's in the Healthy Nail Salon guidelines. The Professional Salon Workers Act they promote has salon education shoehorned under the umbrella of "tackling chemicals of concern", because of course they did 🙄
@@internetexplorer6304 I'm sure there are a lot of very natural plants you shouldn't huff in any way despite being ever so natural. Natural does not equal safe. Besides asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate as well, so wouldn't that technically make it "clean"?
@@internetexplorer6304 Yup- expanding. I don't think every reply needs to be argumentative. Quite often I agree with what someone is saying and the direction they're going, and just want to add a bit to it.
Yep. I've seen these problems, too, back before I started doing my own gel nails. Workers need to be treated like people, and given proper protections and breaks. It's the hazard ≠ risk issue Michelle talks about; if you get high enough and frequent enough exposure to these chemicals, sure, you'll see some side effects. But that exposure can often be motivated by implementing the proper protections, which often gets overlooked because "eh, if someone quits or dies, we can always find someone else."
Having gone to my share of nail salons, ventilation should definitely be something that's focused on for the workers' health and not to mention their customers.
I’d love to see more nail polish content! There’s so much misinfo out there. My mom is constantly worried about me putting “toxic chemicals” on my nails
Me too! I've started doing my own gel nails cuz I'm bougie but poor, and I learned a lot from an actual professional who discussed the science to a point where I could not comprehend. No fear mongering language, no "gotcha" moments, just science and frank discussion. Really cool. I learned through this that I am allergic to methacrylates, and that simply using a better quality lamp and avoiding HEMA and HPMA have solved my problem. I wasn't pushed a "toxin-free" nail product line.
Love to hear this from a nail insider! I've been super into painting my own nails for years and the number of "toxic chemicals" that polishes purport to be "free" of now is hilarious. We went from 3 to 5 to 10 to 16-free in just a matter of years, and everyone assumes that the more things it's free of the better, with no critical analysis. I'd love to see more nail vids! I just about lost my mind when someone on IG said that soaking your nails in sea water several times a week to keep them healthy is a practice that's been "known for centuries" and has something to do with biotin. The only studies I could find about biotin and nail strength were done using oral administration in rats, sponsored by biotin companies. And even if the biotin could absorb through the nail or skin, it would have to be in high enough concentrations in sea water to matter. This influencer was getting called out left and right, but doubled down on her nonsense. Misinformation is pervasive, your channel is doing such great work!
Thanks for another great review. My biggest concern is for the salon worker's health with longterm exposure. I agree that more research needs to be done. Your point about ventilation is so accurate. "Clean beauty" is a money grab.
Thank you! Yeah, I found this episode a lot less annoying because it does bring attention to a very real problem, which is good.... but also encourage people to tackle it in really unproductive ways. It feels a lot like coral reefs + reef-safe sunscreen - a big risk of creating a smokescreen for inaction on climate change.
@@Buffalonie it's a fake solution to something people actually want. That is why it's more of a money grab than selling e.g. more colors of nail polish because your customers want more colors.
Please do a video on nail polish. Edit: I don't do my nails often but am interested in this subject. Also, Fourth? Edit 2: 15:33 exactly! That should've been the focus. Better, safer working conditions for people inhaling these chemicals while working with consumers.
That's a very sensible educated guess, and they'd have more of a valid point if they focused on those... parabens are a big focus, but they focus on phthalates to try to make parabens sound worse 🤦 It's pretty bad!
People spreading misinfo about SPF makes me angry bc that shit can actually put ppl at risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Some people have become entirely anti SPF because of this weird purity thing around cosmetics and skincare
So complicated to address the misleading aspects of things like this when they're being presented alongside actually good points. Love how this episode came together! Was stoked to see you talk about improving ventilation, definitely something that deserves more attention across many industries. I'm curious to know how nail salon air quality is regulated in other parts of the world.
I call it “Dr. Oz-ing” when absolute nonsense (usually “health” fearmongering for financial gain) is coupled with just enough accuracy to make the nonsense appear legit. He’s not the only grifter to use this tactic, but he’s one of the more famous (at least here in the US). He duped a number of relatives that way. I set them straight, obviously.
Re miscarriages: 23 years ago when I was pregnant, I worked with a lot of 25-40 yr women so lots of preggos. Staff were talking and it seemed like a really high number of our colleagues had lost pregnancies in an 18 month period. We were certain that our proximity to the railroad or refinery were causing it. Our very sweet HR guy followed up as best he could, and did get data checked with no anomalies. He must have spoken about it to someone who set him up with an MD who explained that the miscarriage rate is naturally quite high, but in the past, women only discussed it if they were visibly pregnant. We were discussing mostly very early losses, which were heartbreaking but normal, the only new thing was the conversation. That was a really good reminder that you absolutely cannot jump to dramatic conclusions.
The irony of the shade thrown at him when the program is heavily sponsored by clean beauty brands and the workers rights got ignored for fear mongering.
Especially since I think that guy is Jim McConnell. Who would happen to have an incredible series on RUclips explaining product chemistry for laypeople and nail techs. And "paid industry spokesperson" also sounds a whole lot worse than "Co owner of the brand light elegance"
Thank you for everything in this video! Thank you for addressing how nail salon workers are overlooked because of their demographics, for pointing out how the documentary cherry picked, lumped uncorrelated conditions together, and participated in overall bad data communication practices. Context is everything! You. Rock! Also... LabMuffin was shouted out on Alexandra Anele for her views on clean beauty! I love seeing how much LabMuffin is educating everyone and it was affirming to see her mentioned on a longtime large beauty channel.
Hahaha thank you! I have to confess I haven't painted my nails in years though... my embarrassingly huge nail polish collection is just sitting there collecting dust 😅
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience I have an embarassing unused huge collection too! And I still drool on new collection of indie polish every month. Once an addict…
Fr ventilation is so underrated! I usually paint my nails outside but from working in a lab, I’ve always dreamed of having a personal at-home fume hood for doing my nails 😅 tbh I feel like a 2-sided fume hood for designed for nail salons would be cool. We are also seeing now how important ventilation is for Covid… makes you think 🤔
Your humor and skits are so on point, as is your intelligent breakdown of the shoddy data explanation. Thank you for your clear, concise, science-based, non-propagandistic explanations.
Thank you for this! As a nail technician, I enjoy learning about the science and chemistry behind the products I use. I have read 2 of Doug Schoon’s books and I value hearing your information and take on these issues. More nail science videos would be awesome!
Your comments made me feel good about my nail routine - I do mine at home (I've never been in a nail salon, so can't really weigh in on that), and my two safety rules are active ventilation during both polish removal and application (as well as keeping the fan running for a while after I finish until no smell is lingering), and looking for formaldehyde-free products (that's covered under the 5 free label, for anyone who is curious). Great video as always!
Great commentary. I am all about safety and ingredients. There is so much misinformation out there about. Also, the "clean" or "natural" ingredients are not always great and can cause problems as well. Hard to know what to trust
I wish they had talked more about people who suffer allergies as a result of doing nails. I have 2-HEMA/acrylate allergy from getting acrylic nails for 2 years. Science is so capable, you’d think there would be a hypoallergenic way for me to still get my nails done but I guess no one is interested in developing one since pretty nails mostly apply to us lowly women, usually minority.
Thank you for bringing attention to legitimate issues in the nail industry yet still being clear that a lot of the legitimate science being presented by this documentary is being presented out of context and being extrapolated from improperly ❤️
I have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and am a bit of a hypochondriac because of it. I really only buy formaldehyde free nail polishes because of my health anxiety. I know it's probably silly, but there's a difference between what I do to soothe my mental illness and misrepresenting data to push their idea of clean. It honestly really ticks me off.
i'm really loving this series. And i can see a lot of great potential for this to be a in deep research and study on how to teach science to kids. I'm studying to become a teacher and an important aspect missing from the curriculum is the context of the information given to kids and the lack of scientific process and attitude being taught. This series in general, can be great material to use in class and of course go into more detail to work with with kids, and making it a subject that can grab people's interest and can be further deconstructed to work with different types of scientific materials to advance on not only the formulas but also the use of them in irl stuff. Sorry if this is not explained well, I'm not a native English speaker and I do lack a lot of knowledge on this stuff. but I'm very enthusiastic about learning more, guess I need to tackle a lot reading to take advantage of this. Thanks for the series, and thanks for your channel, it really made me think a lot and gave me motivation to learn stuff I thought were boring or not for me. :)
I think the main issue here with salons is the lack of education. Some "Nail Techs" arent even that.. a lot have zero qualifications, or minimal (think a one day certification). With the lack of professional qualifications comes the issue that these people can therefore NOT be insured.
Thank you for your great work Michelle!! 💛 so I understand from this video that it’s not going to be harmful to us if we paint our own nails at home once in a while. I always avoided painting my nails because I was so worried about those chemicals.
On talc and mesothelioma, there is asbestos in all kinds of places. My school, for example, found asbestos in a 1960s extension when I was there. You can't definitively say it came from talc unless you can prove it couldn't have come from other sources.
Toluene is not uncommon in quick dry top coats in the USA you might use at home, but it's usually pretty well labeled and even if it's not it has a very distinctive smell, which is why I personally avoid it even though it works very well for that. Thanks for making this and highlighting better ventilation as the recommended solution.
Really appreciate this breakdown! You do such awesome work here. Thank you 💖 (It would be so cool to see your channel and How To Cook That do a collab!)
I love this series of myth-busting that you're doing on "Not So Pretty." Do you know what that literature says about UV lights for gel polishes and links to pre-mature skin aging on the hands? Thanks in advance :)
Yes! I live in hope that eventually governments will realise that they're losing more money to disability and sickness than they would need to spend to improve ventilation everywhere...
Thank you for these videos! I was so freaked out after watching this doco series!!! I went out and bought a bunch of clean products, and actually got a red, itchy, oozing rash… sooo turns out I’m allergic to jojoba oil. 🥺🥺🥺
Oof, hope that resolved quick! My aunt is prone to really bad exczema outbreaks, and jojoba oil triggered one that literally lasted a year+ for her... really wish there was more variety for people who wanted to avoid ingredients they know their skin does not cope well with
@@stuffinsthegreat Hope your aunt is better now! Yeah, my eczema outbreak lasted months. And agreed… people don’t seem understand that natural ingredients can be harsh, particularly for those of us with eczema or rosacea.
Another amazing intro!! You need to design a full LED bed :P Ventilation seems like such an OBVIOUS issue for nail salons, it's frustrating that a million people will have watched this and will go to their salon and demand "clean" nail polish instead whatever they've happily been getting for years.
I remember your nails from my nail blogging times a few years back! That's why I had a strong feeling I saw this name somewhere 🙂 I still have some few hundreds nail polishes from that period of my life and obviously don't go to nail salon to paint my nails since I do that better in a total darkness etc. I was banned in some local nail polish chat where the admin was really crazy talking about how nail polish ingredients were bad for you and as a chemist enthusiast I dared to doubt her opinion on the matter. The surface of nails is nothing compare to the the rest of the skin and nails are way thicker and I can't imagine how much of a a formaldehyde is really absorbed and causes anything. Also, old nail polishes with toluene are lasting longer (although it gets much longer for them to dry) and women were using them for decades. Even though sometimes I re-painted my nails every other day (because modern nail polishes are really not long lasting and I was bored anyway), I would never say that it could cause some breast cancer or whatever. Cancers are always growing on constantly inflamed tissue - that's why for women it is mostly breast cancer and for men it is prostate cancer, the organs that after 40 are chronically inflamed in most of people. To get cancer you need to have a bunch of reasons and nail polish is definitely not one of them. In the end, we all get cancer because we are getting older and DNA mistakes are more common - if don't die of something else earlier - that's how mother nature works.
Rather typical- when any group starts to subscribe to an ideology, whether it be about finance, politics, or cosmetics, it no longer is about what can be realistically achieved, but all about religiously promoting that ideology, even in contradiction to reality and facts, and will (purposely) ignore or deride any other POV if not exactly the same as their own. On the last point, especially if actually more practical than their ideology.
I'd love to see you do a video about pregnancy and beauty products if you're interested in that sort of thing! If you aren't, no worries I will still be watching!
There are some of us who have a University education who are Nail Techs. Not all nail places are equal either. Some are reputable high-end establishments, overseen and endored by top industry beands and educators. Sweeping generalisations about Nail Techs Manicurists, Pedicurists and the like, are NOT helpful.
3:57 and 4:26 I really hate how predatory these clean beauty brands are to pregnant people and marginalized groups. Pregnancy is already incredibly hard and stressful enough. Also how dismissive health professionals can be instead of listening to their patients, especially if they are women. I am so grateful for the doctors that listen and offer proper trials when their patients show concern.
Rather than being in cheap polishes, toluene is in specialist quick-drying polishes as a solvent because it's volitile. Most places seem to use gel these days but if they're using air-dry polish it makes sense that they'd be getting toluene ones.
When I saw the EWG in the doc thing I... 😬 I did change out my loose powder, but I didn’t like it anyway and the rare beauty one is good. My powder was like over 5+ yrs old too and it was when kvd beauty was kat von d beauty
2:54 something funny about your other video is before then I never heard about asbestos in talc (just that a couple years back Claire’s recalled 100% of their makeup due to asbestos but it was literally just Claire’s) I only heard about talc being linked to ovarian cancer
Hey girl, hello from The Nederland ! i really love your videos , it is always very interesting to understand the science behind of the beauty products and i love all the data that you present. Just wondering if one day you would talk about cocomidapropyl betaine and different names for it. I am allergic of it but mosts of shampoos has it… it is quite difficult to understand those ingredients with long names . Thanks
Please talk about acrylates, I really like cetaphil lotion but I understand the acrylates may be a carcinogen. It is hard for me to just forget I read that.
I remember when nail polish was a pretty new thing where I lived. It said that you're supposed to use it in only well-ventilated areas, or even OUTSIDE. Over time this seems to have been forgotten... but the solvents are still there, in the nail polish. Some people paint their nails 3-4 times a week, and even do designs, which amount to several hours a week, breathing in solvents which they don't bother airing out at all - I don't think that sounds OK...
I am curious to know if they came to the conclusion about nail salon techs having small babies by using American baby size averages. That would be an extremely intellectually dishonest comparison, because most nail salon workers are Asian and babies in East/West Asia have much lower average birth weights. Those ethnic populations tend to be physically smaller and are less likely to have obese parents (meaning there are genetic and dietary differences).
I think that's pretty well established, I didn't talk much about it because it's quite uncontroversial - even without considering "toxins", the dust from nails is a big cause of lung irritation, which is why proper masks are usually part of nail tech training.
It does leave a really nice finish! I'm not sure there's a good replacement - I think Poshe was meant to be toluene-free and similar to Seche Vite but I haven't checked if it's ever been tested for toluene. At a consumer level of use the amounts are probably too low to be an issue 😊
I'm really curious if any research has been done on the long term effects of those fumes that release during smoothening hair treatments, keratin smoothenings and all.. they burn the nose, how safe is long term exposure?
I do like the santa nail art. I really dislike these kinds of programmes. It means that people trying to do the best they can for themselves and for salon workers will instead take the documentary's word for it.
Thank you! It felt pretty ridiculous wearing them around but it was fun - maybe a more elegant option would be to just have one Santa nail. Completely agree - it brings attention to a worthwhile issue but then diverts it to the wrong cause, which is really scummy in my opinion.
Salon workers may not be "licking people's fingernails" but the customer will certainly put their fingers in their mouth at some point. Also, wouldn't TPHP be a risk for the customer since it would be absorbed by them?
Thank you for your great videos. I was looking for a new sunscreen and decided to watch the video on the "Best sunscreens 2021" to get a couple of pointers. Nevertheless, I cannot seem to access the video since it is categorized as private content. Is it just me or does anyone else experience this issue ?
Love your videos. You are an incredible content creator. I have a quick question hopefully you can reply to me. I put my face cream in the fridge during the summer, but it's winter now. If I get it out of the fridge, will the cream go. bad?
what I've never been able to find more info on is how damaging is a UV lamp to your hands? I want to get into gel nail art but I'm scared of skin cancer or damage to my hands
1:26 even before mask mandates I don’t remember a time in my life going to the salon and the nail tech *wasn’t* wearing some type of mask. It’s very normal for salon workers to wear masks every where I’ve been cuz they’re around the fumes all the time so the mask cAn help protect them from that.
All the salons I have gone to here locally use masks and have since well before the pandemic. I’ve also not noticed the pungent smell of chemicals in a salon for years though I imagine the nail techs notice it more than I do. I wonder if this is just in my area
Ingredients lists not required? Am I tripping? Admittedly I mostly skimmed the US specific parts in the milady nail technology textbook since I'm not in the US. But my understanding was that US laws require distributors and manufacturers of nail products to provide safety data sheets and for salons to have these available for all products used in their services. And section 3 of these list product composition. It's not the problem that this information isn't available, it's again a bigger issue that the most basic compliance with laws isn't enforced in this industry.
Also do my eyes deceive me or is the "paid industry spokesperson" Jim McConnell? If so I'd say the man's done more for educating nail techs and laypeople on product chemistry than this documentary could ever dream of
you did admet that the research state that those ingredients increase the risk of getting health Issues for workers. so the thing is why should someone put or work with something (even in small doses) that might cause harm? if it's not a necessity i'd rather not put/wear it or work with it at all.
It’s really frustrating that they featured a lot of researchers who are trying to help these marginalized salon workers and then turned around and sort of focused on their audience - consumers (who they’re trying to convince to buy “clean” products). It de-centers the people actually being hurt
It is so ignorant towards the Salon workers as well! They already fight for certain things and they should be supported in their requirements!
Further to this point, these marginalised workers often have few other options for work. Burdening salons with additional regulatory requirements, such as finding new suppliers for products, because of a theoretical risk to the consumer, would likely result in even worse outcomes for the workers. Salon owners (many of whom are likely immigrant women themselves) won't necessarily be able to absorb all of the costs, and workers may lose their livelihoods as a result. In contrast, interventions that actually improve working conditions and worker health, such as ventilation and PPE, may actually benefit these businesses over time through reduced employee illness, reduced insurance and (potential) legal costs, and less employee turnover.
I have had friends in the beauty industry, and one of the most mitigating things you can do for the health of workers when designing your salon setup is proper ventilation systems, it is the first thing you should think of when looking for a location. Look for high, open ceilings, so you can install real quality vents.
Often nail salons do not have the best ventilation, they go in small storefronts, and have cheaper setup budgets than a hair salon, due to the lower cost services they provide. Also, using real respirator masks, and vacuums to remove dust from nail filing is important, as are gloves for hair stylists when applying bleach and colour all day.
Edit: Eating on the job is also a risk in salons, and the best thing to do it give people real breaks so they can leave to a real lunchroom to eat and drink, or even leave the salon all together. I too often see nail techs with a can of coke or coffee open next to them while working on clients.
I think it would be great if there were regulations about where nail salons could be located (e.g not in a tiny store in the middle of a multi-level shopping centre), and for salon workers to be educated better about the risks - education on safe work practices was suggested by some of the researchers and it's in the Healthy Nail Salon guidelines. The Professional Salon Workers Act they promote has salon education shoehorned under the umbrella of "tackling chemicals of concern", because of course they did 🙄
@@internetexplorer6304 I'm sure there are a lot of very natural plants you shouldn't huff in any way despite being ever so natural. Natural does not equal safe. Besides asbestos is a naturally occurring silicate as well, so wouldn't that technically make it "clean"?
@@internetexplorer6304 Yup- expanding. I don't think every reply needs to be argumentative. Quite often I agree with what someone is saying and the direction they're going, and just want to add a bit to it.
@@internetexplorer6304 Sorry- wrote it this morning and probably wasn't quite as awake as I thought. 😅
Yep. I've seen these problems, too, back before I started doing my own gel nails. Workers need to be treated like people, and given proper protections and breaks. It's the hazard ≠ risk issue Michelle talks about; if you get high enough and frequent enough exposure to these chemicals, sure, you'll see some side effects. But that exposure can often be motivated by implementing the proper protections, which often gets overlooked because "eh, if someone quits or dies, we can always find someone else."
It sounds like this series was super biased to sell “clean beauty” products. So fearmongering.
Bet the producers were people who have shares in clean beauty brands lol
Having gone to my share of nail salons, ventilation should definitely be something that's focused on for the workers' health and not to mention their customers.
I loathe the solvent smell of most nail salons. I figure the owner is too cheap to pay the extra heating/cooling bill to keep the doors propped open.
I’d love to see more nail polish content! There’s so much misinfo out there. My mom is constantly worried about me putting “toxic chemicals” on my nails
Watch Doug Schoon on RUclips for some hard facts and show your mom
Me too! I've started doing my own gel nails cuz I'm bougie but poor, and I learned a lot from an actual professional who discussed the science to a point where I could not comprehend. No fear mongering language, no "gotcha" moments, just science and frank discussion. Really cool. I learned through this that I am allergic to methacrylates, and that simply using a better quality lamp and avoiding HEMA and HPMA have solved my problem. I wasn't pushed a "toxin-free" nail product line.
Love to hear this from a nail insider! I've been super into painting my own nails for years and the number of "toxic chemicals" that polishes purport to be "free" of now is hilarious. We went from 3 to 5 to 10 to 16-free in just a matter of years, and everyone assumes that the more things it's free of the better, with no critical analysis.
I'd love to see more nail vids! I just about lost my mind when someone on IG said that soaking your nails in sea water several times a week to keep them healthy is a practice that's been "known for centuries" and has something to do with biotin. The only studies I could find about biotin and nail strength were done using oral administration in rats, sponsored by biotin companies. And even if the biotin could absorb through the nail or skin, it would have to be in high enough concentrations in sea water to matter. This influencer was getting called out left and right, but doubled down on her nonsense. Misinformation is pervasive, your channel is doing such great work!
Thanks for another great review. My biggest concern is for the salon worker's health with longterm exposure. I agree that more research needs to be done. Your point about ventilation is so accurate. "Clean beauty" is a money grab.
Thank you! Yeah, I found this episode a lot less annoying because it does bring attention to a very real problem, which is good.... but also encourage people to tackle it in really unproductive ways. It feels a lot like coral reefs + reef-safe sunscreen - a big risk of creating a smokescreen for inaction on climate change.
All beauty products are a "money grab" so what's your point?
@@Buffalonie it's a fake solution to something people actually want. That is why it's more of a money grab than selling e.g. more colors of nail polish because your customers want more colors.
Can’t wait for the not so pretty episode on the bacteria and “toxic” chemicals that come from clean products that lack preservatives
Not watching the documentary itself, but on the edge of my seat for every single one of your react/reviews of the episodes 😄❤
Please do a video on nail polish. Edit: I don't do my nails often but am interested in this subject. Also, Fourth? Edit 2: 15:33 exactly! That should've been the focus. Better, safer working conditions for people inhaling these chemicals while working with consumers.
Completely agree and would also appreciate a nail video
I would LOVE a gel video!!
Not even a world wide pandemic can put our focus on the importance of clean air. It’s frustrating.
We may need a bingo card for the skincare episode. I'm guessing parabens, silicones, and non-mineral spf's will be demonized.
That's a very sensible educated guess, and they'd have more of a valid point if they focused on those... parabens are a big focus, but they focus on phthalates to try to make parabens sound worse 🤦 It's pretty bad!
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience I realize now that the actual documentary episode is out lol. I haven't been watching it, only your videos about it.
People spreading misinfo about SPF makes me angry bc that shit can actually put ppl at risk for sunburn and skin cancer. Some people have become entirely anti SPF because of this weird purity thing around cosmetics and skincare
So complicated to address the misleading aspects of things like this when they're being presented alongside actually good points. Love how this episode came together!
Was stoked to see you talk about improving ventilation, definitely something that deserves more attention across many industries. I'm curious to know how nail salon air quality is regulated in other parts of the world.
I call it “Dr. Oz-ing” when absolute nonsense (usually “health” fearmongering for financial gain) is coupled with just enough accuracy to make the nonsense appear legit. He’s not the only grifter to use this tactic, but he’s one of the more famous (at least here in the US). He duped a number of relatives that way. I set them straight, obviously.
The LED mask intro had me dying 🤣🤣🤣Along with the science, this is the quality content I'm here for!
Hahaha filming that motivated me to finally open all the LED masks I've been sent over the years 🙈
Re miscarriages: 23 years ago when I was pregnant, I worked with a lot of 25-40 yr women so lots of preggos. Staff were talking and it seemed like a really high number of our colleagues had lost pregnancies in an 18 month period. We were certain that our proximity to the railroad or refinery were causing it. Our very sweet HR guy followed up as best he could, and did get data checked with no anomalies. He must have spoken about it to someone who set him up with an MD who explained that the miscarriage rate is naturally quite high, but in the past, women only discussed it if they were visibly pregnant. We were discussing mostly very early losses, which were heartbreaking but normal, the only new thing was the conversation. That was a really good reminder that you absolutely cannot jump to dramatic conclusions.
This video needs the airtime that HBO shows get. Instead of a whole documentary just watch this for 16 minutes.
**scientist says facts* *
Documentary: "ignore those lies let's check out the 'science'"
That part had me rolling
In it for the science
The irony of the shade thrown at him when the program is heavily sponsored by clean beauty brands and the workers rights got ignored for fear mongering.
Especially since I think that guy is Jim McConnell. Who would happen to have an incredible series on RUclips explaining product chemistry for laypeople and nail techs. And "paid industry spokesperson" also sounds a whole lot worse than "Co owner of the brand light elegance"
Thank you for everything in this video! Thank you for addressing how nail salon workers are overlooked because of their demographics, for pointing out how the documentary cherry picked, lumped uncorrelated conditions together, and participated in overall bad data communication practices. Context is everything! You. Rock!
Also...
LabMuffin was shouted out on Alexandra Anele for her views on clean beauty! I love seeing how much LabMuffin is educating everyone and it was affirming to see her mentioned on a longtime large beauty channel.
Thank you so much! Which video of hers was it? I missed it 😅
It is so frustrating and tiring to constantly having to see fear mongering and demonising...🙄😔
It really is! 😔 But on the bright side I find annoyance a great motivator for making content...
You were a nail blogger! Oh boy! How can you become even more perfect than you were before! Thanks to be you!
Hahaha thank you! I have to confess I haven't painted my nails in years though... my embarrassingly huge nail polish collection is just sitting there collecting dust 😅
@@LabMuffinBeautyScience I have an embarassing unused huge collection too! And I still drool on new collection of indie polish every month. Once an addict…
I absolutely appreciate you and all of your hard work educating us. I love listening to you!
Fr ventilation is so underrated! I usually paint my nails outside but from working in a lab, I’ve always dreamed of having a personal at-home fume hood for doing my nails 😅 tbh I feel like a 2-sided fume hood for designed for nail salons would be cool. We are also seeing now how important ventilation is for Covid… makes you think 🤔
Your humor and skits are so on point, as is your intelligent breakdown of the shoddy data explanation. Thank you for your clear, concise, science-based, non-propagandistic explanations.
Very sus that they're helping out these clean beauty brands. >.> Thank you for your excellent commentary, more people need to see these videos!
I find it pretty sus too - some of these organisations have a lot of financial backing from the organic industry...
Thank you for this! As a nail technician, I enjoy learning about the science and chemistry behind the products I use. I have read 2 of Doug Schoon’s books and I value hearing your information and take on these issues. More nail science videos would be awesome!
Your comments made me feel good about my nail routine - I do mine at home (I've never been in a nail salon, so can't really weigh in on that), and my two safety rules are active ventilation during both polish removal and application (as well as keeping the fan running for a while after I finish until no smell is lingering), and looking for formaldehyde-free products (that's covered under the 5 free label, for anyone who is curious). Great video as always!
Great commentary. I am all about safety and ingredients. There is so much misinformation out there about. Also, the "clean" or "natural" ingredients are not always great and can cause problems as well. Hard to know what to trust
I’m so glad we have you! 😘Thank you for keeping us informed.
I wish they had talked more about people who suffer allergies as a result of doing nails. I have 2-HEMA/acrylate allergy from getting acrylic nails for 2 years.
Science is so capable, you’d think there would be a hypoallergenic way for me to still get my nails done but I guess no one is interested in developing one since pretty nails mostly apply to us lowly women, usually minority.
EXACTLY! It's very much the White Feminism stereotype, but with a heavy sprinkle of "help out by buying our products"
Thank you for bringing attention to legitimate issues in the nail industry yet still being clear that a lot of the legitimate science being presented by this documentary is being presented out of context and being extrapolated from improperly ❤️
I have GAD (Generalized Anxiety Disorder) and am a bit of a hypochondriac because of it. I really only buy formaldehyde free nail polishes because of my health anxiety. I know it's probably silly, but there's a difference between what I do to soothe my mental illness and misrepresenting data to push their idea of clean. It honestly really ticks me off.
I really appreciate you deep diving on issues. and using a better lens to look at the information instead of believing everything at face value
i'm really loving this series. And i can see a lot of great potential for this to be a in deep research and study on how to teach science to kids. I'm studying to become a teacher and an important aspect missing from the curriculum is the context of the information given to kids and the lack of scientific process and attitude being taught. This series in general, can be great material to use in class and of course go into more detail to work with with kids, and making it a subject that can grab people's interest and can be further deconstructed to work with different types of scientific materials to advance on not only the formulas but also the use of them in irl stuff.
Sorry if this is not explained well, I'm not a native English speaker and I do lack a lot of knowledge on this stuff. but I'm very enthusiastic about learning more, guess I need to tackle a lot reading to take advantage of this. Thanks for the series, and thanks for your channel, it really made me think a lot and gave me motivation to learn stuff I thought were boring or not for me. :)
🙊I just CANNOT agree more with you... I appreciate so much your work Michelle 💙💙💙
Thank you so much!
I think the main issue here with salons is the lack of education. Some "Nail Techs" arent even that.. a lot have zero qualifications, or minimal (think a one day certification).
With the lack of professional qualifications comes the issue that these people can therefore NOT be insured.
Popcorn 🍿 ready for this episode! Thank you so much for being the voice of reason
Thank you for your great work Michelle!! 💛 so I understand from this video that it’s not going to be harmful to us if we paint our own nails at home once in a while. I always avoided painting my nails because I was so worried about those chemicals.
Thank God you are on our side. Thank you and God bliss you for bringing us the truth with your videos.
Thanks pretty lady.
On talc and mesothelioma, there is asbestos in all kinds of places. My school, for example, found asbestos in a 1960s extension when I was there. You can't definitively say it came from talc unless you can prove it couldn't have come from other sources.
There’s asbestos that blows of mountains. It’s everywhere 😮
Toluene is not uncommon in quick dry top coats in the USA you might use at home, but it's usually pretty well labeled and even if it's not it has a very distinctive smell, which is why I personally avoid it even though it works very well for that.
Thanks for making this and highlighting better ventilation as the recommended solution.
Really appreciate this breakdown! You do such awesome work here. Thank you 💖 (It would be so cool to see your channel and How To Cook That do a collab!)
12:02 Very special sort of salon🤣
That delivery got me!!!😂😂😆 It felt so sincere, that the sarcasm weighed twice as much.
I love this series of myth-busting that you're doing on "Not So Pretty." Do you know what that literature says about UV lights for gel polishes and links to pre-mature skin aging on the hands? Thanks in advance :)
So disappointing and frustrating that ventilation and clean air is being overlooked yet again as key to good public health.
Yes! I live in hope that eventually governments will realise that they're losing more money to disability and sickness than they would need to spend to improve ventilation everywhere...
Thank you for these videos! I was so freaked out after watching this doco series!!! I went out and bought a bunch of clean products, and actually got a red, itchy, oozing rash… sooo turns out I’m allergic to jojoba oil. 🥺🥺🥺
Oof, hope that resolved quick! My aunt is prone to really bad exczema outbreaks, and jojoba oil triggered one that literally lasted a year+ for her... really wish there was more variety for people who wanted to avoid ingredients they know their skin does not cope well with
@@stuffinsthegreat Hope your aunt is better now! Yeah, my eczema outbreak lasted months. And agreed… people don’t seem understand that natural ingredients can be harsh, particularly for those of us with eczema or rosacea.
Please do a video about x-free nail polishes and more nail content in general! I'm so interested in the science of nail products.
Another amazing intro!! You need to design a full LED bed :P Ventilation seems like such an OBVIOUS issue for nail salons, it's frustrating that a million people will have watched this and will go to their salon and demand "clean" nail polish instead whatever they've happily been getting for years.
Thank you Michele. It seems it’s all about the clicks these days regardless of the boring truth.
I’ve been waiting for the skin episode. Excited
I remember your nails from my nail blogging times a few years back! That's why I had a strong feeling I saw this name somewhere 🙂 I still have some few hundreds nail polishes from that period of my life and obviously don't go to nail salon to paint my nails since I do that better in a total darkness etc.
I was banned in some local nail polish chat where the admin was really crazy talking about how nail polish ingredients were bad for you and as a chemist enthusiast I dared to doubt her opinion on the matter. The surface of nails is nothing compare to the the rest of the skin and nails are way thicker and I can't imagine how much of a a formaldehyde is really absorbed and causes anything. Also, old nail polishes with toluene are lasting longer (although it gets much longer for them to dry) and women were using them for decades. Even though sometimes I re-painted my nails every other day (because modern nail polishes are really not long lasting and I was bored anyway), I would never say that it could cause some breast cancer or whatever. Cancers are always growing on constantly inflamed tissue - that's why for women it is mostly breast cancer and for men it is prostate cancer, the organs that after 40 are chronically inflamed in most of people. To get cancer you need to have a bunch of reasons and nail polish is definitely not one of them.
In the end, we all get cancer because we are getting older and DNA mistakes are more common - if don't die of something else earlier - that's how mother nature works.
You are my hero. I love science educators in beauty
I love the stock footage about cherrypicking! But yeah, more great reasons not to trust documentaries made by massive media companies at face value
Rather typical- when any group starts to subscribe to an ideology, whether it be about finance, politics, or cosmetics, it no longer is about what can be realistically achieved, but all about religiously promoting that ideology, even in contradiction to reality and facts, and will (purposely) ignore or deride any other POV if not exactly the same as their own. On the last point, especially if actually more practical than their ideology.
I'd love to see you do a video about pregnancy and beauty products if you're interested in that sort of thing! If you aren't, no worries I will still be watching!
There are some of us who have a University education who are Nail Techs. Not all nail places are equal either. Some are reputable high-end establishments, overseen and endored by top industry beands and educators.
Sweeping generalisations about Nail Techs Manicurists, Pedicurists and the like, are NOT helpful.
Great intro😂 could you do a video on LED masks, please?
3:57 and 4:26 I really hate how predatory these clean beauty brands are to pregnant people and marginalized groups. Pregnancy is already incredibly hard and stressful enough. Also how dismissive health professionals can be instead of listening to their patients, especially if they are women. I am so grateful for the doctors that listen and offer proper trials when their patients show concern.
Your videos are so important!
Thank you so much! It's really nice to hear that 😊
The subtitles said "click the nerdification bell for that", and I approve of this message 😂 love being educated properly.
Rather than being in cheap polishes, toluene is in specialist quick-drying polishes as a solvent because it's volitile. Most places seem to use gel these days but if they're using air-dry polish it makes sense that they'd be getting toluene ones.
When I saw the EWG in the doc thing I... 😬
I did change out my loose powder, but I didn’t like it anyway and the rare beauty one is good. My powder was like over 5+ yrs old too and it was when kvd beauty was kat von d beauty
Omg I literally got an ad for the “clean” version of head and shoulders during this video lol
2:54 something funny about your other video is before then I never heard about asbestos in talc (just that a couple years back Claire’s recalled 100% of their makeup due to asbestos but it was literally just Claire’s) I only heard about talc being linked to ovarian cancer
I adore your channel for the science, now I need to search out your blog for those Totoro nails
Hi, are you planning on talking about the two other episodes as well? Thank you!
The intros are awesome
Thank you! Glad you like them 😂
12:24 the first step would be to upgrade the PPE of nail techs AND upgrade their ventilation systems.
Thank you for this video😂 I finally know what 5-free, 10-free and 12-free nail polish means now
I need Simply Podlogical to react to this episode now!
Will you be discussing next episode? 🥺 it’s been quite a long time
Hey girl, hello from The Nederland ! i really love your videos , it is always very interesting to understand the science behind of the beauty products and i love all the data that you present. Just wondering if one day you would talk about cocomidapropyl betaine and different names for it. I am allergic of it but mosts of shampoos has it… it is quite difficult to understand those ingredients with long names . Thanks
Please talk about acrylates, I really like cetaphil lotion but I understand the acrylates may be a carcinogen. It is hard for me to just forget I read that.
I remember when nail polish was a pretty new thing where I lived. It said that you're supposed to use it in only well-ventilated areas, or even OUTSIDE. Over time this seems to have been forgotten... but the solvents are still there, in the nail polish. Some people paint their nails 3-4 times a week, and even do designs, which amount to several hours a week, breathing in solvents which they don't bother airing out at all - I don't think that sounds OK...
I love this woman.
When does the Nail Muffin salon open? I need some Santa nails.
My retirement plan 😂
I am curious to know if they came to the conclusion about nail salon techs having small babies by using American baby size averages. That would be an extremely intellectually dishonest comparison, because most nail salon workers are Asian and babies in East/West Asia have much lower average birth weights. Those ethnic populations tend to be physically smaller and are less likely to have obese parents (meaning there are genetic and dietary differences).
Hi, I’ve watched u for quite some time. I must say I love your content. Hmmm, I have one question, can you do a video about lead in lipstick?
A lot of my Vietnamese nail artist acquaintances seem to get lung issues. I am very curious if there is a link.
I think that's pretty well established, I didn't talk much about it because it's quite uncontroversial - even without considering "toxins", the dust from nails is a big cause of lung irritation, which is why proper masks are usually part of nail tech training.
Toluene is fairly common in top coats. I'm never giving it up though. It's just better.
It does leave a really nice finish! I'm not sure there's a good replacement - I think Poshe was meant to be toluene-free and similar to Seche Vite but I haven't checked if it's ever been tested for toluene. At a consumer level of use the amounts are probably too low to be an issue 😊
omg the art...
I'm really curious if any research has been done on the long term effects of those fumes that release during smoothening hair treatments, keratin smoothenings and all.. they burn the nose, how safe is long term exposure?
Sorry to ask an unrrelated question but what is that lip colour??? It's so pretty
She has an older video talking about her liptstick i believe, it might be a q&a
Hi from Dec 30, 2023.
Will the Skin episode come out on 2024? Or did I miss it 😅
I scrolled and scrolled but can't seem to find it
I appreciate your channel so much
Love love love these series ❤️
Thank you!
I aspire to be as determined and professional as Michelle when it comes to calling out bullshit
Thanks for this video.
Great content!
Love this series (ur making)
I do like the santa nail art.
I really dislike these kinds of programmes. It means that people trying to do the best they can for themselves and for salon workers will instead take the documentary's word for it.
Thank you! It felt pretty ridiculous wearing them around but it was fun - maybe a more elegant option would be to just have one Santa nail.
Completely agree - it brings attention to a worthwhile issue but then diverts it to the wrong cause, which is really scummy in my opinion.
Salon workers may not be "licking people's fingernails" but the customer will certainly put their fingers in their mouth at some point. Also, wouldn't TPHP be a risk for the customer since it would be absorbed by them?
It would be very interesting to see the demo-graphic split on your videos.
Thank you for your great videos. I was looking for a new sunscreen and decided to watch the video on the "Best sunscreens 2021" to get a couple of pointers. Nevertheless, I cannot seem to access the video since it is categorized as private content. Is it just me or does anyone else experience this issue ?
Love your videos. You are an incredible content creator.
I have a quick question hopefully you can reply to me. I put my face cream in the fridge during the summer, but it's winter now. If I get it out of the fridge, will the cream go. bad?
Thank you. It should be fine! The comparison "ideal" sample is usually kept refrigerated the whole time for stability testing.
Thank you
what I've never been able to find more info on is how damaging is a UV lamp to your hands? I want to get into gel nail art but I'm scared of skin cancer or damage to my hands
I believe Dr Dray has covered this in her video on gel manicure safety. But I believe Michelle has already done videos/blogs on them.
Unfortunately, it’s not without risk. The uv lamps do expose your fingers/hands.
@@JenDoe1 yeah I refuse to use them
There are gloves I've seen that are designed for this (of course, nails are exposed). May be something to look into!
I just use sunscreen
1:26 even before mask mandates I don’t remember a time in my life going to the salon and the nail tech *wasn’t* wearing some type of mask. It’s very normal for salon workers to wear masks every where I’ve been cuz they’re around the fumes all the time so the mask cAn help protect them from that.
Y'all hit that nerdification bell!
All the salons I have gone to here locally use masks and have since well before the pandemic. I’ve also not noticed the pungent smell of chemicals in a salon for years though I imagine the nail techs notice it more than I do. I wonder if this is just in my area
Ingredients lists not required? Am I tripping? Admittedly I mostly skimmed the US specific parts in the milady nail technology textbook since I'm not in the US. But my understanding was that US laws require distributors and manufacturers of nail products to provide safety data sheets and for salons to have these available for all products used in their services. And section 3 of these list product composition. It's not the problem that this information isn't available, it's again a bigger issue that the most basic compliance with laws isn't enforced in this industry.
Also do my eyes deceive me or is the "paid industry spokesperson" Jim McConnell? If so I'd say the man's done more for educating nail techs and laypeople on product chemistry than this documentary could ever dream of
you did admet that the research state that those ingredients increase the risk of getting health Issues for workers.
so the thing is why should someone put or work with something (even in small doses) that might cause harm?
if it's not a necessity i'd rather not put/wear it or work with it at all.
Because every single substance is harmful in large amounts, even water - so you won't be able to use anything at all if that's your criteria.
More on that here: ruclips.net/video/wkWX2AXNuxg/видео.html