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(NBC News) -- Can nail polish cause birth defects?
Roseanne Colletti tells us about an industry wide debate over a common chemical known as d.b.p.
Whether you get a professional manicure or do your own nails, you probably don't give the ingredients in the polish a second thought.
You may not know it, but most nail polishes contain a chemical to prevent chipping. Its commonly called d.b.p.
And now at least two major cosmetics firms are eliminating d.b.p. from their polish formulas, because of links to birth defects in lab mice.
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, a specialist in occupational and environmental medicine at the Mt. Sinai medical center says the animals were subjected to very high doses.
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Occupational and Environmental Health Specialist: "The studies gave them 100 mg per kilogram per day. There are of a magnitude much greater than anyone would have exposure to in the course of daily living using nail polish. They were also fed it."
There are no studies on humans. So the potential threat to humans is unclear.
Nonetheless Procter and Gamble and Estee Lauder are phasing out the ingredient. Urban Decay did so several years ago.
Rebecca Owens says it was a topic she took seriously when she was Pregnant.
Rebecca Owens : "I became aware of it through a friend who always keeps me posted on this kind of stuff. I actually looked up on the internet what brands."
The companies are following the lead of the European markets, where the use of dbp is effectively banned from cosmetics.
The cosmetics toiletry and fragrance association representing the U.S. industry says dbp presents no health risk. And that its more a matter of politics than science.
Dr. Moline says consumers should know dbp belongs to a family of chemicals known as phthalates (tha-lates) widely used in cosmetics.
Dr. Jacqueline Moline, Occupational and Environmental Health Specialist: “So once you look at the cumulative exposure and all the products they use and they may want to see which ones they could possibly use that may not have as many chemicals."
Not a cause for alarm, she says, but a reason to be informed.
