Many nail polishes and other products used by salons are labeled as toxin-free, but they are not, according to a new report from the California Environmental Protection Agency.

Twenty five nail products were independently tested for dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde in May 2011. The labels on 12 products said they were free of one, two, or all of these chemicals. The other 13 products had no such claims.

Formaldehyde wasn’t detectable in any of the products. Only two products claiming to be free of all three chemicals actually were, namely color Madnic Luscious nail lacquer and Zoya professional nail lacquer.

Among those nail products labeled as free of one, two, or three chemicals, several were misleading. They included:
 

• Sation 99 base coat
• Sation 99 top coat
• Dare to Wear nail lacquer
• Chelsea 650 Baby’s Breath nail lacquer (fast dry)
• Poshe fast dry base coat
• Orly Flagstone Rush nail lacquer
• Nail art striper brush Magenta Glitter
• New York Summer nail color
• Paris Spicy 298 nail lacquer
• Sation 53 Red Pink nail color
 

Read the full report here.