We are dropping the term hypoallergenic when referring to product lines here at Nail Order and replacing it with the term minus4.
At Nail Order, we have never professed to be a “hypoallergenic” brand and have always tried our best to spread factual information and education on the terms used in the nail industry, including “hypoallergenic”, as well as the chemicals used in the nail industry. It became apparent to us a little while ago that the term “hypoallergenic” has connotations with a product being “safe” and eliminating the risk of an allergy. This simply isn’t true and we don’t feel that we can continue to use the term in good faith without inadvertently contributing to the spread of misinformation.
Why?
I want you to ask yourself what the term ”hypoallergenic” means to you? Typically it’s a term synonymous with the ideology that the products are suitable for those with sensitivities and many, in fact, believe that you simply can not have an allergic response to hypoallergenic products. Sadly this is far from the case.
The dictionary definition, according to the Collins dictionary, of the word “hypoallergenic” is “less likely to cause an allergic reaction than other comparable preparations or goods”, the keyword in this sentence is “less”. Put simply, the term “hypo” means less, and the term “hyper” means more, hypoallergenic only refers to the fact that there is less likelihood of a reaction, not that there is no chance. The truth is that there is no scientifically agreed upon term on the term “hypoallergenic” as it alludes to the cosmetic industry, what that means is that individual brands can adopt it as they please.
To some brands hypoallergenic may mean a product that is simply free from HEMA, as, technically, it would be less likely to cause an allergic reaction. Hypoallergenic is a term that we are seeing being used more and more in the nail industry due to the rise in allergies and unfortunately, when the term “hypoallergenic” is used as a marketing tactic, it can result in nail techs being misled into a false sense of security / scare mongered into believing that they or their clients can not have a reaction to their products. A reaction to nail products will always be a possibility due to the type of chemicals that are required to ensure polymerization, adhesion and hardening, it is vital that nail technicians are aware of this risk when applying these chemicals to another’s body. We believe that if we continue to use this term that we are adding to the false narrative that these products are “safe” and totally free from risk.
So why minus4?
When we decided to drop the term “hypoallergenic” we knew we had to come up with a term that did exactly as it said on the tin. When choosing what term we were going to use we were cautious that we didn’t want to use any words that might mislead or be otherwise suggestive. We wanted to stay clear of words such as “free”, “gentle” or “sensitive” as we felt that these types of adjectives could give similar connotations to “hypoallergenic”. We feel that minus4 perfectly describes what the product is, free of the 4 main allergens that you find in nail products: HEMA, HPMA, IBOA and di-HEMA. It is important to add that whilst the allergens previously listed are the most common ones, it is still possible to react to other chemicals within nail products, hence why even “hypoallergenic” products can still cause an allergic response.
What about TPO?
Whilst all of our minus4 products are TPO-free, we felt that using the term minus5 would be a moot point due to the fact that TPO is being banned so the products should be free from this anyway. It would be like suggesting that a gel polish was nut-free, it shouldn’t have nuts in it anyway.
What about HEMA free?
We will still have products that we refer to as HEMA free, whilst these products may be free from HEMA they will still have a low % of one or some of the other 4 main allergens. All of our products are free from IBOA.
How will I know if a product is minus4
You will now see the minus4 mark attached to all products that were previously referred to as “hypoallergenic. We will begin to integrate the minus4 mark into our packaging on products with a non minus4 alternative, with it first appearing on our brand new Dura Gel minus4 formula, the Dura Gel formula you know and love but now free from the 4 main allergens!
Want to know more? watch our podcast episode on this topic below...