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When it comes to our skin-care, body-care and makeup products, we put a lot of thought into the ingredients behind our favorite formulas. Beauty consumers are much more cautious about and interested in clean, safe, nontoxic formulas that nourish the skin, hair and body with none of the bad stuff than they used to be. Have you ever put that much thought into what’s in your nail polish, though?
While we’ve had a lot of discourse in the beauty field surrounding the safety of UV gel manicures, we don’t tend to give as much attention to the nail polish formulas we use on the daily. For many people, getting their nails done is a ritual event, so understanding exactly what’s going on with your manicure is key to ensuring nail health. Ahead, we’ve got the rundown on just what to expect from nontoxic nail polish and some of our favorite picks for shades to try.
What makes nail polish “natural” or “nontoxic?”
“Both ‘natural’ and ‘non-toxic’ nail polish formulations focus on a similar end goal—a safer and/or healthier alternative to traditional nail polishes,” begins product marketing manager for clean, vegan nail polish brand Manucurist Paris, Lexi Lynn. “Where they differ comes down to the ingredient level, either focusing specifically on ingredient safety or the ingredient origin. Natural polishes replace non-natural ingredients with natural ones, while nontoxic products focus on removing harmful toxins. However, nontoxic products may not be entirely natural, as they can contain synthetic ingredients that are not harmful or toxic.”
“Nontoxic polish formulations focus on avoiding chemicals known to be harmful or potentially harmful,” says Lynn. “This is most typically communicated by stating the polish is ‘5-free,’ ‘7-free’ or ‘however many-free.’ Manucurist focuses on creating formulas that are both 12-free (see our blacklist on our website) and composed of a majority of natural ingredients, sourcing our main polish components from sources like potato, corn, wheat, cotton, yucca and cane sugar.”
What are the nail health benefits of nontoxic nail polish?
It’s one thing to understand what a nontoxic nail polish is made of, but what most nail lovers really want to know is whether or not nontoxic nail polish makes a difference in our overall nail health. As Lynn explains, “With nontoxic nail polishes, the emphasis is on minimizing exposure to chemicals known to have adverse health or environmental effects, such as carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, skin irritants and greenhouse gas emitters. In terms of actual nail health, chemicals like toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP can weaken and dry out the nails, which can cause splitting, breaking and peeling. Therefore, being ‘free from’ these chemicals will help to maintain the natural integrity of the nails, leading to retained strength, durability and flexibility.” Lynn also notes that nontoxic formulas also avoid ingredients known to cause allergic reactions and skin irritation across the cuticle.
The Best Nontoxic Nail Polishes
If you, like myself, are on your nail health journey and are considering switching to nontoxic nail polishes to bolster your nail strength, growth and radiance, here are some of the best brands and collections to shop for nontoxic nail polish.
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