The big 5 toxins are: Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, DBP and Camphor. These ingredients have been found to cause a number of health concerns such as: birth defects, cancer, fatigue, headaches, fetus development problems, irritation, CNS complications, nausea and dizziness. Some of these concerns are from inhalation and are more of a problem for nail technicians who breathe the fumes in for long periods of time; while others problems can develop through contact absorption.
2. Why do other companies use these toxins, is there a benefit to the product?
I am not sure why a company would choose to use these ingredients, however at one time they were commonplace. The growth of the industry and development of a more natural focus has led to a greater awareness of ingredients and modern chemistry allows us to replace [these] with equally effective, more benign choices.
[Photo via @zoyanailpolish]