from TheLedger.com
Susan Kim, who worked for 17 years as a manicurist, complains of chronic itchiness in her eyes, an allergic reaction to the fumes and dust she inhaled in her workplace. Another former manicurist, Linda Chen, used to have a bumpy red rash on her face and neck. It finally faded after she quit the job.
As nail workers nationwide experience ailments they assert are caused by the tools of their trade, concerned community groups and health advocates are trying to strengthen regulations on nail-care products and help promote "greener" nail shops.
Entrepreneurs are in on it, too. Former model Kim D'Amato opened the Priti Organic Spa in New York City in 2005 after she stopped getting manicures and pedicures while she was pregnant, fearing that the chemicals used could harm her unborn child.
D'Amato's salon is just one of several around the country committed to offering nontoxic products in eco-friendly environments. The Nova Nail Spa, which opened in San Francisco in August, incorporated recycled materials and energy-efficient lighting in its design. So did Recess, which is slated to open in late October in West Hollywood, Calif.
Going green has become a major trend in the beauty industry, said Sree Roy, senior editor of Nails magazine, a trade publication.
Full Story: http://www.theledger.com/article/20071112/NEWS/711120360/1326
Some Nail Salons Go Green With Non-Toxic Products
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By I-CHING NG
Columbia News Service, November 12, 2007
Straight to the Source
