In this guide, we are sharing why you should consider making the switch to non-toxic nail polish, and giving you all of our favorite non-toxic nail polish brands, including nail polish removers and safer nail polish options for kids!
If you want to learn more, please visit our website RONIKI.
This article has been a LONG time coming! I really started my research on safer nail polish years ago, when we were first considering starting a family. From there, I&#;ve learned a lot about what matters, what doesn&#;t matter, what to prioritize, and some of the pro&#;s and con&#;s of the safer polish brand options out there. We utilized the EWG, our own extensive use of the polishes (manicure research, not a bag gig), and the websites of each individual brand to help formulate our guide!
For those of you curious about more of the geeky skincare science AND for those of you curious about how to navigate salon options (think: gel and dip powders), we have those articles coming next!
Let&#;s dig in&#;
How Is Nail Polish Toxic?
Truth be told, the contact that nail polish makes with your skin is relatively minor when compared to other skincare and beauty products. If you&#;re at the beginning stages of switching-to-safer and feeling overwhelmed by all of the swaps you could make, I recommend prioritizing products that make the most regular contact with your skin (think: lotion or makeup). If you&#;re looking for a safer beauty swap priority list, here&#;s my suggestion:
- First: products that you apply regularly and that are designed to sit on or soak into the skin. This includes: body lotion, face lotions, serums, oils, makeup, toners, eye cream, etc. My go-to safer skincare brand here.
- Second: deodorant. My go-to safer deodorant here.
- Third: products that you soak in regularly, such as a bubble bath or other kind of spa-like soak. My favorite soak here.
- Fourth: soaps, including body wash and shampoo/conditioner. My favorite safer body products here and my favorite shampoo / conditioner.
- Fifth: perfume, if you wear it multiple times a week; bump to the end of the list if you wear infrequently. My favorite safer perfume here.
- Sixth: hair styling products. My favorite safer styling products here.
- Seventh: nail polish. Read on for my favorites!
You may think that your nail serves as a protective barrier against nail polish and that it can only be absorbed when it comes into contact with your skin. However, while your skin is more porous than your actual nail, chemicals CAN pass through either barrier. What does this mean? It means that while the toxins in nail polish will pass through your skin at a greater rate, they can also still pass through your nail. So, if you&#;re still married to your conventional nail polish, be careful to only paint on the nail.
Is nail polish toxic to breathe?
This is a great question! YES, there are a few vaporous toxic ingredients that will waft up while you&#;re painting your nails. Ingredients include toluene, formaldehyde, and camphor. A few of these are relatively benign (think: rubbing alcohol) but others can actually have an impact on brain functionality, respiratory health, and can cause headaches. If you know that you&#;re not going to give up your salon manicure (no judgment!) but you are concerned about breathing in the chemicals, a filtering mask (like this one from Amazon) may be worth stashing in your purse for your weekly trip to the manicurist. If you are doing your own at-home manicure, another option to consider is to paint your nails by an open window!
Is dry nail polish toxic?
Unfortunately, it looks like toxins from nail polish do stay in your body long after the polish dries. The chemical TPHP has been found to stay in the body several hours after using polish. The verdict is still out as to whether or not this chemical has any serious long term effects on people, but if you are a regular nail polish user, we have put compiled a list of non- or low-toxic options!
Toxic Nail Polish Brands (Worth Avoiding)
While we&#;re not on a mission to vilify any one brand, the labels that actually pack the biggest toxic load punch are a few of our salon-staple favorites:
OPI
*Updated information: A reader commented thinking that OPI was 10-free, but because we couldn&#;t find any evidence of that online, we decided to them. Here&#;s their response: &#;Our products are 3 free. At this time we do not have any information on our products becoming 5 free, 10 free, etc.&#;
*Original information: OPI Nail Polish boasts about not having the toxic trio (toluene, formaldehyde, and DPB) but, it has other ingredients that aren&#;t the greatest: camphor, which can cause nausea and dizziness if inhaled, and Benzophenone 1, which may negatively affect the endocrine system.
Essie
While word on the street is that Essie is a safer nail polish, we beg to differ. Like OPI, Essie is considered &#;3-free&#; (free of toluene, formaldehyde, and DPB) but it also has several ingredients we aren&#;t fans of. It contains aluminum powder and dimethicone. Neither one of these is great for your body to absorb on a regular basis. Though the most recent information from the EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic database is a little dated, they gave Essie a score of 6 at one point, which is in the moderately hazardous category.
Sally Hansen
*Updated information: Sally Hansen has a brand new &#;Good. Kind. Pure.&#; line that claims to be 16-free and 100% vegan. We can&#;t verify any ratings on EWG yet, but this sounds promising!
*Original information: Sally Hansen nail polish is also considered &#;3-free.&#; Although this is encouraging, it also has some ingredients that aren&#;t the safest, like triphenyl phosphate. This ingredient is considered a toxic ingredient and may lead to allergies. The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic database gives Sally Hansen a score of 8, which is in the highly hazardous category.
Revlon
The EWG Skin Deep Cosmetic database gives Revlon a score of 3 and 6, which is in the moderately hazardous category. However, with ingredients like aluminum powder, it&#;s still on our no-go list.
What are the best non toxic nail polish brands?
We tested and tested and tested this for you! After dozens of safer nail polishes, countless colors, and countless team manicures, we&#;ve come up with a list of the best healthy nail polish brands with notes on how they actually perform. We believe there&#;s something for everyone here!
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This nail system has rocked my &#;safer polish&#; world! It&#;s super user-friendly and is the best at-home solution I&#;ve found for replacing my bi-monthly salon mani/pedi. Unfortunately, there is no EWG rating available for this polish. For more of an in depth Dazzle Dry System review, click HERE.
Pros:
- 10-free (free of 10 of the most harmful leading polish ingredients)
- Non-toxic AND hypoallergenic, making it especially ideal for those with sensitive skin
- Super easy to apply &#; goes on just like regular nail polish
- Dries in just 5 minutes&#;YES, it really does!
- Lasts for *two* weeks (through washing dishes (2x/day), cooking, gardening, and playing with my daughter!)
- Dazzle Dry is partners with WeForest Project in India, so it&#;s a company I feel really good about supporting.
Cons:
- Individual polishes are priced at $18 a bottle, but well worth the cost, in my opinion.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Prima Ballerina is a very light/opaque pink similar to OPI&#;s &#;bubble bath&#;
- Summer &#; White Lightening is a true, bright white
- Fall &#; Midnight Express is a great solid black
- Winter &#; Passionate Red is a deep red wine color perfect for the holiday season
This polish has a formula that is actually designed to nourish and improve the condition of your nails. This is a great polish to start with if you are looking for less toxic options! Unfortunately, at this time, there is no EWG rating available for this polish.
pros:
- Free of 8 of the harshest chemicals found in most polishes, including formaldehyde.
- The formula has nutrients to help the overall health of your nails (including their oil-based polish remover).
- Applies BEAUTIFULLY! The applicator brush is precise and the paint didn&#;t ever lump or bubble.
- Dries quickly! I could paint my nails 30 minutes before bed without worry of waking up to the imprint of my sheets on my nails.
- Marked as cruelty-free and gluten-free.
- At $14 a bottle, this is one of the lower-priced polishes on our list.
cons:
- I could get an honest 5 days out of a manicure, though note that my nails take a beating (I wash a lot of dishes). This is actually higher than several of the other brands below, but not nearly as long as a conventional gel or dip manicure.
- I found that the nail polish remover (notes on it below) would leak if I traveled with it.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
This polish is free of 6 of the most harmful polish chemicals. It comes in a variety of modern colors and tends to last longer than most low-toxin polishes. An EWG rating is not yet available for Cote nail polish.
pros:
- Free of 6 of the most harmful polish chemicals
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- 120 different shades in beautiful, modern color gradients
- Comes in a beautiful variety of colors
- Marketed as lasting longer than most low-toxin polishes, though I only really got about 6 days out of a manicure.
cons:
- I found that this polish takes a little longer to dry (had to give my nails a good 30-45 minutes of no contact) and did not pass the &#;paint nails before bed&#; sheet imprint test.
- $18 a bottle, it&#;s a higher price for not much better performance, in my opinion.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Sea Foam Green is a beautiful soft, green
- Summer &#; No. 2 is a vibrant white
- Fall &#; No. 48 is a pretty mauve
- Winter &#; No. 32 is a great option for a classic red
Zoya is known for its long-lasting wear and non-toxic formula. With over 400 hundred colors to choose from, you will have no trouble finding the perfect color for fall. Zoya nail polish is currently not in the EWG database.
pros:
- 10-free (free of 10 of the most harmful leading polish ingredients)
- Also marketed as having long-lasting wear, I also got about 6 days out of a manicure.
- Their marketing material boasts a non-toxic formula, but it&#;s tough to find exact details on what this means.
- I found that if I were in a rush, I could actually apply a single coat and still have a finished (though not quite as long-lasting) look.
- $10 a bottle, this is one of the most affordable on our list!
cons:
- Similar to Cote, I found that the average color from the line took a while to dry.
- I also found that it had a tendency of going on thicker, making it slightly trickier to apply.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Elena is a beautiful, soft baby blue
- Summer &#; Paz is a fun orange, red
- Fall &#; Rye is a great purple that pops on your fingers
- Winter &#; Willa is the perfect &#;make a statement&#; black
You can check out matte or glossy options at your local Target! This polish has an EWG rating of 1/2, which is considered the lowest hazardous score!
pros:
- 7-free
- No harsh smell
- Very low toxicity
- Fun, vibrant colors
- Cruelty-free and vegan
- Only $7.99 a bottle, this is an amazing value for such a low-toxic polish option!
cons:
- Water-based formula- does not last as long as other formulas (use a base/top coat for longer wear!)
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Jazz It Up target=&#;_blank&#; rel=&#;noreferrer noopener nofollow&#;>Jazz It Up is fun pink that is great on any skin complexion
- Summer &#; LOL is the perfect hot pink for summer
- Fall &#; Sleepover is a gorgeous deep gray
- Winter &#; Sometimes Sweet is a great deeper red
This company has gone above and beyond to figure out how to create vibrant, beautiful colors without sacrificing health. They currently have an EWG rating of 1/2. This is considered a very low toxic score!
pros:
- Free of all toxic chemicals, not just 10 free!
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Beautiful color options
- I will say that when I put in the effort for a Sophi manicure, it did last a few days longer than the other options! About 7 full days with heavy &#;nail abuse&#; (lots of dishes washed, cooking, gardening, etc.).
- Closest safer option to a conventional gel manicure, in my opinion.
- We love that this polish is only $7.99 a bottle!
cons:
- This polish takes some getting used to. Application is easy, but to set the polish, you have to use heat (like from a blow-drier) at each coat. If it&#;s not a routine you&#;re accustomed to, this can add some time to your manicure.
- You need the Sophi polish remover in order to remove this polish (or just peel it off &#; no bueno). Read more on the remover below! It&#;s unique!
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; ROME-ance Me is a lovely pink that isn&#;t too bright
- Summer &#; Sophi&#; target=&#;_blank&#; rel=&#;noreferrer noopener nofollow&#;>Pretty Shore About You is a soft turquoiuse
- Fall &#; Eiffel of Love is the perfect soft gray
- Winter &#; French Latte is a beautiful, soft nude
ella + mila is another great brand to add to your nail polish collection. At this time, there is no rating for this polish in the EWG database.
pros:
- 7-free
- Low in odor
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Extremely chip-resistant
- On the more cost-efficient side of our polish lists at only $7-10.50 a bottle
cons:
- Takes a little longer to dry
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; it doesn&#;t get any prettier than Honeymoon Bliss when it comes to a soft pink
- Summer &#; Limoncello is a great go-to for a neon yellow
- Fall &#; Mauve Over is a soft, subtle purple
- Winter &#; Mediterranean Mist is a beautiful, deep blue
Although not as safe as other non-toxic polishes (rolling in at a 6 in EWG), 100% Pure Safer Nail Polishes come in some lovely colors.
pros:
- 10-free of the top 10 most common toxic polish ingredients, including formaldehyde.
- The formula is creamy and goes on smooth.
- Marketed as safe for kids (though, that EWG rating is concerning).
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- $14 a bottle, a decent price for non-toxic polish!
cons:
- Scored a 6 in EWG, one of the highest of the &#;safer&#; polishes on the market.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; You&#;re A Peach is the perfect pastel peach
- Summer &#; Cor-All or Nothing is a bold hit of summer color
- Fall &#; Camel-by-the- Sea is a soft nude with a hint of pink.
- Winter &#; Elderberry is a very warm, deep purple
We love that Poofy Organics is another non-toxic nail polish with a low EWG rating. This polish scored a 2!
pros:
- Not just 10-free! Free of 12 harmful toxins that other nail polishes use.
- Chip resistant &#; I could get an honest 6 days out of a manicure with minimal &#;wear&#;.
- Safe for kids
- Cruelty-free
- At $11 a bottle, this is a great value for a low-toxic polish.
cons:
- It can take a little longer to dry, so give yourself some time between your at-home manicure and your next activity.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Breakfast Blue is a rich blue with strong hints of sea-foam green
- Summer &#; Peachy Keen is a soft peach with pink undertones
- Fall &#; Almond Biscotti is a great soft pink.
- Winter &#; Black Cherries is the perfect dark red
Coming in with an EWG rating of 3/4 (moderately hazardous category), this polish option falls near the bottom of the list for the team.
pros:
- 7-free (making it free of Toluene, Camphor, and 5 other harmful chemicals)
- Marketed as a high-shine formula
- Vegan, cruelty-free
- Really fresh, young colors to choose from
- $16 for a bottle, it&#;s priced right in the middle of the pack
cons:
- Though I like so much of what this brand stands for, the slightly higher EWG rating is concerning.
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; ncla target=&#;_blank&#; rel=&#;noreferrer noopener nofollow&#;>We&#;re Off to Never Never Land is a beautiful muted purple cream
- Summer &#;Yellowstone is the perfect subtle yellow
- Fall &#;ncla 2&#; target=&#;_blank&#; rel=&#;noreferrer noopener nofollow&#;> Rose Sheer is the perfect sheer cream
- Winter &#; Rodeo Drive Royalty is a rich red ideal for Christmas and New Year&#;s
Unfortunately, there is no EWG information available for this polish at this time.
pros:
- 10 free
- Non-yellowing formula
- Long-lasting
- Easy to remove
- Made without the leading harsh chemicals
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- At just $9.99 a bottle, this polish won&#;t break the bank!
cons:
- Not as low odor as some of the other natural polishes
Certifications:
Favorite Colors:
- Spring &#; Madison AVE is a subtle, soft orange
- Summer &#; Veronica is a bold neon purple
- Fall &#; Vinyl is rich, deep black
- Winter &#; Vegas Night is a fun festive gold
Nontoxic Nail Polish Remover Options
It took some digging and you should know that safer nail polish removers can be very different in experience than traditional polish remover! Some are gel-like, some are oil-based, some require (what feels like) way more product, and some don&#;t feel any different at all. Here are a few of the brands we recommend:
This is a great option for remover because it easily removes polish without that overwhelming obnoxious remover smell. In fact, it actually smells like Lavender! It also has nutrients in it that help condition and protects the nail.
pros:
- Doesn&#;t have that overwhelming obnoxious remover smell
- Smells like Lavender
- Has nutrients in it that help condition and protect the nail
cons:
- More expensive than traditional nail polish removers
The pros of Cote nail polish remover are that it comes in a very handy top-press dispenser, but I&#;ve found that it has an offensive odor and evaporates very quickly, causing me to use a lot of product to get my polish removed.
pros:
- Comes in a very handy top-press dispenser
cons:
- I&#;ve found that it has an offensive odor
- Evaporates very quickly, causing me to use a lot of product to get my polish removed
Though this polish remover only makes sense if you&#;re using it to remove Sophie nail polish, it does work well! It&#;s actually a gel and you will apply it to sit on top of your nails for several minutes. Once the remover has worked, you&#;ll notice that the Sophie nail polish has &#;lifted&#; off of your nail. It&#;s pretty neat!
pros:
- It works like a charm!
- It&#;s like observing a science experiment
cons:
- It can be difficult to use at first
- You have to sit still while the &#;remover&#; separates the polish from your nail
This one is my personal favorite! It doesn&#;t have an offensive odor, is oil-like, and removes the polish beautifully.
pros:
- Doesn&#;t have an offensive odor
- It is actually oil-like, and removes the polish beautifully
cons:
- It can leak if you travel with it
Non Toxic Nail Polish Brands for Kids
This is a great option if you are looking for 100% non-toxic nail polish for kids. It is chemical-free, low odor, and comes in fun colors!
pros:
- 100% non-toxic nail polish
- Low odor
- Comes in fun colors
cons:
- Tends to chip easily (use a top coat)
This polish is water-based and is free of harsh chemicals. We love this set because of the fun color options and because it comes with a top coat!
pros:
- Free of many harsh chemicals
cons:
- Water-based (top or base coat needed)
This is another great option for kids! Although it is free of several harsh chemicals, it does tend to have a stronger smell than other non-toxic polishes.
pros:
- Free of many harsh chemicals
cons:
This polish is completely toxin-free, odorless, and even washable!
pros:
- Toxin-free
- Odorless
- Washable
cons:
- A little more expensive (~$11/bottle)
Frequently Asked Questions
What brand nail polish do salons use? Not to villainize salons, but *most* of them aren&#;t using high-quality non-toxic polish. Many salons use OPI and other brands that are less than ideal. Be bold and bring your safer nail polish to the salon with you, though! Many salons are more than happy to accommodate you by using your polish if you just ask.
What brand of nail polish lasts the longest? Through all of our testing, we found that the Dazzle Dry system far and away outlasted the rest! In fact, it stayed on for a solid 10-14 days.
What if you just can&#;t give up your go-to nail polish? We totally understand! If you want to take one small step towards safer, consider first painting your nail with a safer polish base coat (this is my favorite safer polish base coat). Let that dry (forming a barrier) and then apply your favorite conventional nail polish color on top.
Video
Here&#;s our take on safe Nail Polish Brands
Don&#;t stress! There are better options available to us now, but we don&#;t think it&#;s anything to lose sleep over.
When it comes to nail polish and nail art, women love to express themselves. But inhalation & dermal absorption of hormone-disrupting chemicals can also be a big problem. While conventional nail polish can leave your nails looking like pieces of hard candy, the contaminants you inhale are linked to chronic disease & cancers. You don&#;t need that kind of negativity in your life! Fortunately, there are myriads of brands to choose from that offer safer nail polish. You&#;ve trusted Mamavation to bring you topics like best non-toxic makeup sans PFAS &#;forever chemicals,&#; best & worst shampoo, & best & worst lotions, now join us for the best & worst non-toxic nail polishes.
Disclosure: This post was partially researched and fact-checked by Rebecca Elizabeth Sherrick Harks, RN, BSN. This post contains affiliate links to Amazon.
Conventional Nail Polish Sure Does Stink
No, I mean nail polish LITERALLY stinks. Inhalation of chemical contaminants is so bad that New York City has passed laws to protect workers in nail parlors. The &#;toxic trio&#; in many nail polish brands are full of toluene, dibutyl phthalate, and formaldehyde. These chemicals are linked to a host of health concerns. In fact, nail workers have elevated rates of death from Hodgkin&#;s disease, low birth-weight babies and of multiple myeloma, a form of cancer.
So, what&#;s a nail polish lover to do? You can make your own nail polish, which is overly complicated because&#;come on! OR you can get hip to the idea that many companies are beginning to launch cleaner, safer, and less toxic nail polish lines with colors you&#;d actually want to wear.
This investigation should help bring to light the availability of safer types of nail polish, learn to make informed decisions, and keep calm and carry on (with fabulous nails!).
The Toxins in Nail Polish Aren&#;t Really Regulated
Unfortunately, as we all regrettably know, nail polishes, like other cosmetics, are not really regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). While technically under the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act), it&#;s regulated, under this law, nail products can pretty much do whatever they want. In other words, the cosmetic industry&#;s idea of regulation is more like putting toddlers in charge of snack time. Imagine if you gave a toddler the ability to eat whatever they wanted with no oversight, including candy & chips. There would be zero healthy requirements and it would be very messy. Very messy. Obviously.
Let&#;s be clear here, nail polishes &#; like most other cosmetics can go on the market with prior FDA testing and, by law nail polish sold on a retail basis to consumers &#; in stores or online &#; must also bear a list of ingredients, by order of predominance. And sometimes, they even do! Throughout this investigation, I noticed a number of brands that I had to specifically for their ingredients, including GOAT (who I&#;ve yet to hear from). But amazingly, most of them promptly replied to us immediately, which was so different than our makeup investigation.
Another issue I continued running into is the names of the ingredients can be tricky. Did you happen to know, for example, that formaldehyde resin (which combines with other things to make formaldehyde) one of the 10 free ingredients (more on that below) can also be listed as the following:
- quaternium-15,
- DMDM hydantoin,
- imidazolidinyl urea,
- diazolidinyl urea,
- polyoxymethylene urea,
- hydroxymethylglyconate and
- bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1-3-diol)
These chemicals, although similar, are very difficult for the average consumer to differentiate and track.
Are Non-Toxic Nail Polishes Really Non-Toxic?
Are non-toxic nail polishes really non-toxic? It seems like a straight forward question, but it&#;s not. There is no real concrete answer to this.
There has been a bit of industry intrigue as many of the investigations into nail polish and other personal care items has discovered (shocker!) that manufacturers don&#;t always say what&#;s really inside. And without any oversight from the FDA, nail polish manufacturers don&#;t face fines or legal troubles for incorrectly labeling a product&#;s ingredients. The agency does acknowledge that there are harmful ingredients in nail polish but says they are safe when used as directed (i.e. painted, not ingested).
How Safe Are The Chemicals Used in Nail Polish?
Well, it depends on your use (amount, regularity, type of nail polish). Through a recent study, Duke and EWG noted that while human nails are generally not absorbent, certain nail solvents or treatments used before nail polish application may wear down nail material and make it more permeable, allowing the body to absorb these toxic chemicals.
In fact, the chemical used to replace DBT, TPP (triphenyl phosphate) was found in that same Duke/EWG study was found to increase sharply in the consumer&#;s body after using nail polish. This is especially disturbing as TPP (an endocrine disruptor) containing nail polish is often used by children.
Shockingly, as of July, , EWG, who runs a database of chemicals, products, and ingredients found that TPP/TPHP was listed in about half of the 3K nail polishes and treatments in their database. However, EWG expects that there are more companies that simply don&#;t disclose that it is in their product.
Should You Be Worried By Nail Polish Chemicals?
If you&#;re working in the nail business, yes, absolutely, you should be scared. If you get the occasional manicure or pedicure, let us offer you some background.
An expert spokesman for the American Chemical Society, Richard Sachleben points out a few things for us. To date, the research on TPP suggests that TPP is a low-priority chemical as both chronic and acute toxicity amounts to some mild irritation. However, the most disturbing thing about the chemical is its potential to interfere with hormones.
As for now, all the studies concerning TPP haven&#;t determined if higher levels of TPP are actually harmful to humans &#; most especially how TPP can affect our hormones, as most has been done on laboratory animals. As of today, these animal studies only show correlation &#; not causation &#; in humans.
Tired of hearing this excuse over and over again, independent scientists have started testing chemicals on humans to start proving causations. FDA recently allowed testing toxic chemicals on humans directly in . This is how we know that BPA could be linked to type 2 diabetes. The first human trial was done on BPA recently, however the group was small and patients were not pregnant, the outcome was statistically significant enough to encourage more research.
Should You Paint Your Nails During Pregnancy?
Pregnancy is not the time to take chances on what is toxic and what is not. Dr. Andrew Healy at Bayside Medical Center reminds us that things placed on your skin (lotions, nail polish, bronzers) has a potential for absorption into the bloodstream, and may be absorbed in the placenta. So what does the good doctor say?
Phthalates are found in nail products and have been studied for the potential risk of causing birth defects. The FDA&#;s conclusion? The FDA feels that the available data right this moment hasn&#;t shown any association between the use of phthalates in cosmetics and a human health risk. This is because most studies have been done on animals, and not humans. However, a growing amount of scientists agree that phthalates could be problematic to pregnant women, including IVF organizations.
So, talk to your doctor about this before you use nail polish during pregnancy.
The Chemicals Inside Nail Polish&#;What&#;s That All About?
In the s, nail polish manufacturers started promoting &#;3-Free&#; nail polish products, phasing out three widely publicized toxic chemicals: toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate (DnBP), known spiffily as &#;the Toxic Trio.&#; That sounds awesome, right? And it very well may be awesome. The problem is that some of these toxic chemicals replacing the known toxic chemicals are just as bad for you, although their toxicity may not have been studied closely.
Are you interested in learning more about Red Gel Polish China Factory? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!
This trend, this game of chemical Wack-A-Mole can be misleading and downright dangerous. For example, DnBP has often been replaced by another endocrine-disrupting plasticizer, triphenyl phosphate (TPHP); though it&#;s unclear whether TPHP was known at the time to be toxic.
Sorry for the toxic alphabet soup, but stay with us!
To reassure consumers in a big way, companies everywhere began to label their products as #-Free in order to boost confidence in their products. This was done similarly with gluten-free products: a good majority of things labeled &#;gluten free&#; never actually contained any gluten whatsoever. Whether or not the chemical composition has been alerted is unclear, just as we don&#;t know if the chemicals replacing the toxic ones are any safer for you.
This brings us to the #-Free Movement.
Free to Be You And Me: Nail Polish Version
If you&#;ve been simply browsing the nail polish aisles in the store, you&#;re probably going to notice a number of key words come up:
These are marketing terms that don&#;t have any meaning behind them. You see them used religiously with product that we would consider &#;green-washing.&#; So check the ingredients on the back label before you are swayed by those nice words and numbers.
Getting &#;Natural&#; Nail Polish
Looking for a natural nail polish is not an easy feat. Chances are you&#;ve grabbed the polish of your dreams at the salon without realizing it&#;s filled with harsh chemicals. Natural alternatives do exist.
&#;Safe&#; polishes are broken down into categories from &#;three-free&#; to &#;ten-free,&#; referring to the number of chemicals they are free from, however, these claims are not always accurate. There are no standards beyond the 3-free &#;toxic trio&#; of the 3-Free chemicals to avoid.
Luckily for us, we&#;re seeing a lot of newer companies that have begun to sell less toxic nail polish products to us &#; and you&#;ll be surprised by a couple of the industry giants who&#;ve also begun to put their money into developing safer and safer nail polishes, topcoats, and polish removers.
3-Free Nail Polish And Top Coats
Some marketing guru probably felt the sweat of those pioneers into the wild world of cosmetics and try to fix the problems they had brought up. It began by replacing three known toxic materials in nail polish &#; the aptly named &#; &#;toxic trio.&#;
Spurred on by the success of the 3 -free manicure, nail companies quickly raced to help consumers feel safer: soon you had the 5-free, the 7-free, the 8-free, the 9-free, and the somewhat nebulous 10-free (this one has a ton of different ingredients said to have removed &#; but the definition you&#;ll find is based on whomever or whatever company is telling you about it). Hell, I even saw a 16-free when I was doing my research and I have no idea what that means.
3 Free Nail Polishes are free from the following:
Formaldehyde: This chemical is commonly used in the embalming process and can cause skin irritation and negatively impact the nervous and immune system.
Toluene: is a petroleum-based solvent linked to possible short-term problems like headaches, confusion, fatigue, and eye, nose and throat irritation; and well as long-term health impacts like kidney and liver damage, reproductive harm, and developmental toxicity.
Other names you might see instead of toluene:
Dibutyl Phthalate: The chemical has been shown to impair the hormonal development of male fetuses and in some cases cause early-onset menopause. DBT is mainly in nail products as a solvent for dyes and as a plasticizer that prevents nail polishes from becoming brittle.Tb
Other names you might see:
- DBT
- 1,2-Benzeneducarbolxylic Acid
- Dibutyl Ester
- Buthyl Phalate
- DI-N-Buthylphalate
- Utylphalate
- Dibutyl
- 1,2-Benzenzeendicarobxyalate
- 1,2 Benezenedcarboxylic Acid
5-Free Nail Polish And Top Coats
As you might have guessed from the number, this means that 5-free polishes are created without formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, plus camphor and formaldehyde resin.
So what&#;s the deal with these two?
Camphor: Recently Camphor has been shown to cause severe skin reactions and when inhaled can cause nausea, dizziness, and headaches. Camphor has largely been used for denaturant, external analgesic, fragrance ingredient, plasticizer, masking, and plasticiser.
Other names you might see:
- 2-Bornanone
- Bicyclo Heptan-2-One
- 1,7,7-Trimethyl- Camphor
- D-Camphor
- DL-Bornana &#; n2-One
- Dl &#; Camphor
- Gum Camphor
Formaldehyde resin: Formaldehyde resin is not directly linked to cancer like formaldehyde but it has been noted to cause dermatitis in patients.
You may see it listed as:
- Quaternium-15,
- DMDM hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl urea,
- Diazolidinyl urea
- Polyoxymethylene urea
- Hydroxymethylglyconate
- Bronopol (2-bromo-2-nitropropane-1-3-diol)
- Glyoxal
7-Free Nail Polish And Top Coats
Seven-free polishes are created without the five chemicals, plus xylene and triphenyl phosphate.
Benzene (s): Negative effects can cause dizziness, nausea, and vomiting, and is used commercially in fragrance ingredients, solvents, maskings, and perfuming products.
Other names include:
- Benzene
- Dimethyl Benzene
- Dimethyl &#;
- Dimethyl- Benzene
- Meta-Xylene
- Total Xylene(s)
Triphenyl Phosphate: The chemical can wreak havoc on your hormones and is potentially toxic to liver cells. The chemical works to prevent nail polish from becoming brittle but has been shown to impair the hormonal development of male fetuses and in some cases cause early-onset menopause. Triphenyl phosphate has been used widely as a flame retardant and plasticizer.
Other names you might see:
- TPhP
- Phosphoric Acid
- Triphenyl Ester
9-Free Nail Polish And Top Coats
9-free contains no formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, parabens, or acetone.
Ethyl Tosylamide: This chemical can cause severe allergic reactions and &#; in very extreme cases &#; cause liver damage.
Other names you might see on the packaging:
- Benzenesulfanomide
- Nethyl 2 Methyl
- N-Ethyl Tolulenesulfaonmide
- N-Ethyltoluline &#; 2 &#; Sulphonamide
Parabens, one of our arch nemeses, makes the 9-free list. Parabens are hormone disruptors that mimic estrogen in the body. They&#;re linked to breast cancer AND some parabens are linked to reproductive and developmental harm.
Read labels for ingredients ending with &#;paraben, including:
- Ethylparaben
- Butylparaben
- Isobutylparaben
- Isopropylparaben
- Methylparaben
- Propylparaben
Acetone: Acetone is used to make plastic, fibers, drugs, and other chemicals. It is also used to dissolve other substances.
And here are the other names acetone goes by:
- Dimethyl Ketone
- 2-Propanone
- Beta-Ketopropane
10-Free Nail Polish And Top Coats
10 Free is probably the number that&#;s hardest to quite pinpoint. Some places say it&#;s without animal products (so it&#;s vegan), others say that 10-free has no gluten. Still, others claim that 10-free means no fragrances. Others claim it means no hydroquinone monomethyl ether or Methylisothiazolinone. Other brands claim that that ingredient is tert-butyl hydroperoxide. So let&#;s examine them all:
Animal By-Products in nail polish means that the product cannot be vegan. So how do you become vegan-friendly? You avoid the following in your production of nail polish:
- Carmine, is frequently used as a red pigment in nail polish and lipsticks, is derived from the shells of the female Cochineal insect
- Guanine, is used in nail polish to give a shimmery look and is made of a crystalline material obtained from fish scales
- Oleic Acid, This animal fat is often derived from tallow, fat, and oils from animals and is often used in nail polish.
- Perfumes &#; the exact ingredients in perfumes are not required to be disclosed in most countries as they&#;re considered to be proprietary; animal-derived ingredients used to make perfumes include Musk oil (dried secretion painfully obtained from musk deer, beaver, muskrat, civet cat, and otter genitals), shark liver oil and Ambergris (derived from whale intestines).
Gluten-Free, the gluten-free/celiac community has discovered that some nail polish contains gluten.
, the gluten-free/celiac community has discovered that some nail polish contains gluten. The Mayo Clinic , however, is skeptical that people who have celiac disease (celiac spruae) who use gluten-containing nail polish shouldn&#;t be a problem if you don&#;t swallow them.
- It may be labeled as &#;hydrolyzed wheat protein&#; on the bottle.
Fragrance (Natural or Not) &#; Fragrance, as we now know, is a combination of a ton of different chemicals (sometimes over 100!), none of them are required to be listed upon the bottle, which is quite dangerous as personal care items are often absorbed by the skin. The porous nature of our skin means that some of these fragrances can cross over into the blood, which goes, as we all know, EVERYWHERE in the body. Depending upon what is in this fragrance, some of these ingredients can be allergens, hormone disruptors, carcinogens, and neurotoxins (this is in no way a complete list of things that may be caused by fragrance. When you see fragrance listed as an ingredient, run for the hills. And &#;natural fragrances&#; are equally dangerous.
tert-Butyl Hydroperoxide, is a suspected endocrine disruptor that has been demonstrated to be easily absorbed into the bloodstream following nail polish application. As a hormone disruptor, TBHP may have acute toxicity.
- TBHP
- T-Butyl Hydroperoxide
- tert &#; Butylhydroperoxide
Hydroquinone Monomethyl Ether May cause some adverse effects on human health. It is harmful if swallowed, causes skin irritation and eye irritation, long term use may damage your skin pigment cells.
Other names may include:
Methylisothiazolinone these common preservatives are found in many liquid personal care products, and have been linked to lung toxicity, allergic reactions and possible neurotoxicity.
Other names may include:
- 2-Methyl-3(2H)- Isothaiazalone
- 2-methyl-2H-isothiazol &#; 3-One
- 2-methyl- 3(2H) Isothiazolon
- 2-methyl-4-isothiazolin- 3 &#; One
- 3(H)-Isothiazone
- 2-methyl -3(2H) Isothiazolone
- 2 Methyl
- Methylchloroisothiazolineone 225
- Methylisothiazolinione Solution
- Methylisothiazolinone
What About 12, 14, 16-Free Nail Products?
So, wait. Why did you stop at 10-free? I&#;ve seen all kinds of brands that have over 10-free.
Here&#;s the thing, the qualifications for being 10-Free are already dealing with different answers to what that last ingredient is. The farther up you go? The more cloudy the definition becomes. Basically, there isn&#;t a way for us to do that cause it&#;s lots of marketing.
Mamavation Investigation on Nail Polish & Top Coats
When writing this post, we looked into the ingredients of each of the 100+ polishes and top coats, examined their claims, looked at their #-Free, and read reviews about most products that we could find. We created our own version of &#;free-from&#; categories and are ranking nail polish brands against that. We recommend you pick from whatever category makes you most comfortable and has the colors you need. The following brands are categorized into 0 free, 3 free, 5 free, 7 free, 9 free, & 11 free.
0-Free Nail Polish + Top Coats
This category exists when no claims of being free of at least the Toxic Trio: formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate have been made or the ingredients for products are not easily found (even via emails), or no claims are made about being #Free
- Chanel Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Chanel Top Coat (no claims about being #free)
- China Glaze Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- China Glaze Top Coat
- CND Nail Color Polish (no claims about being #free)
- CND Shellac Top Coat (no claims about being #free)
- Color Street French Tips (no claims about being #free)
- Color Street Plumping Top Coat (no claims about being #free)
- Dior Nail Glow Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Essie Gel Couture Platinum-Grade Finish Top Coat (no claims about being #Free)
- Essie Stay Longer Top Coat (no claims about being #free)
- Essie Gel Couture Nail Polish
- Essie Gel Couture Top Coat
- GOAT Nail Polish (No ingredients listed + no way to contact the company)
- Gucci Glossy Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Habit Cosmetics Nail Polish
- Jamberry Top Coat (no claims of #Free)
- Kleencolor Nail Polish
- Kleencolor Top Coat Manicure (no claims of being #free of anything)
- L.A. Colors Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- L.A. Colors Crazy Top Coat (no claims about being #free)
- L.A. Girl Cosmetics Gel-Like Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Love by Essie Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Nailtopia Chip Free Top of Your Game Top Coat
- Pop-arazzi Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- QTICA Extending Top Coat (no #free claims)
- Red Carpet Manicure LED Nail Polish (no claims about being #free)
- Red Carpet Manicure Top Coat
- Sally Hanson Color Foil Nail Polish
- Sally Hanson Advanced Hard as Nails Strengthener
- Ulta Beauty Nail Polish Pick Me Up 3 Piece Mini Nail Set
- Ulta Beauty Seche Top Coat
- Ulta Beauty Gel Shine Top Coat
3-Free Nail Polishes + Top Coats
Many of these companies are the early-adopters of changing the ingredients in nail polish; starting first with the Toxic Trio (formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate). The claims next to each product are lifted from the website and not by us. If there is no blurb next to the product, it&#;s because we couldn&#;t locate anything that had been stated by the company.
5-Free Nail Polishes and Top Coats
In this category, you&#;ll find brands that do not have formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, or toluene AS WELL AS free of camphor and formaldehyde resin. All statements next to nail polishes come from the company themselves.
- Aila Nail Laquer
- Aila Top Coat
- Cape Cod Nail Company Top Coat (5 free, recyclable, cruelty free, vegan friendly)
- GelMoment Nail Polish (vegan-friendly, non-cruelty)
- Pure Anada Glamor Nail Polish
- Pure Anada Princess Nail Polish
- Revlon Multi-Care Base + Top Coat
7-Free Nail Polishes and Top Coats
Now we&#;re getting to the good stuff! 7-free nail products do not have formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, camphor, and formaldehyde resin and no xylene and triphenyl phosphate.
10-Free Nail Polishes and Top Coats
10-Free is probably the number that&#;s hardest to quite pinpoint. Some places say it&#;s without animal products (so it&#;s vegan), others say that 10-free has no gluten. Still others claim that 10-free means no fragrances. And others claim that the ingredient is tert-butyl hydroperoxide. Others claim it means no hydroquinnine monomethyl ether or methylisothiazolinone.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit Matte Gel Polish Supplier.
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