Nail Polish Could Be Making You Fat – And No, We’re Not Even Kidding

Is there anything that doesn’t cause weight gain? Seriously, from medication to sitting, and even drinking coffee, these days everything seems to be responsible for helping you pack on the pounds.

Now we’re learning that even nail polish has the ability to make you a little, er, extra fluffy and it’s all down to one hidden ingredient.

Researchers at Duke University and the Environmental Working Group have discovered that Tirphenyl phosphate or TPHP, the ingredient that makes nail polishes more flexible and durable, has many negative effects on the body, including hormonal problems and reproductive issues.

They’ve also discovered that thanks to the way it interferes with your hormones, TPHP has the ability to make you gain weight.

It’s not just frequent nail painters who are at risk either. The study suggests that painting your nails just once a week is enough to have an impact on your weight.

In their study, researchers had 26 participants paint their nails. After two to six hours, 24 of the participants had slightly elevated levels of diphenyl phosphate, a chemical that indicates TPHP has been processed in the body. After 14 hours, all of the participants DPHP levels had increased by nearly seven times.

Concerned? Around 49% of all nail products contain TPHP so it’s important you check the ingredients list before you make your next polish purchase. Researchers also found that those who wore gloves to apply the polish to synthetic nails didn’t have any difference in their DPHP levels.

• Beauty
• make-up
• nail polish