12 of the Best Safer Nail Polish Brands for Pretty Nails

Safer nail polish brands that are free of the most toxic ingredients like formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde and more.

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So you’ve cleaned up most of your makeup and switched to non-toxic beauty and personal care products – but is there anything you can do about your nails?

Creating that colorful, durable coating for your nails involves chemicals – and some of them are worse than others. So if you choose to use nail polish, it’s wise to know what’s in it.

Let’s learn a little bit more…

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Why It Matters

You might be thinking – wait – nail polish goes on hard nails, not directly on skin – so what’s the big deal?

It turns out that nails are actually quite absorbent, especially when exposed to the combination of solvents and other chemicals in nail polish. That combined with absorption via cuticles and surrounding skin, mean that these chemicals are getting into our bodily systems.

As proof of that point, studies have shown that people who painted their nails had elevated levels of endocrine disrupting chemicals in their urine. Endocrine disrupting chemicals are known to interfere with normal hormone functioning, and can lead to weight gain and reproductive irregularities. This is of especially high concern for salon workers, but obviously not good for anyone.

RELATED: 4 Good Reasons to Buy Natural, Non-Toxic Products for Home & Life

How to Find a Safer Nail Polish

First let’s get one thing straight – there is no thing as a chemical free nail polish. Nail polish is a lacquer for your nails and there’s just no way to do that using natural ingredients only. But there are ways to make the formula much safer.

When shopping for nail polish, look for products that are free of the worst chemicals. Researchers have identified toluene, formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalate as the “toxic trio”. Many brands label products as 5-FREE or up to 10-FREE.

Top chemicals to avoid:

• formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin
• dibutyl phthalate (DBP)
• toluene
• camphor
• triphenyl phosphate  (TPHP)
• xylene
• lead and other heavy metals
• ethyl tosylamide
• parabens
• sulfates

Water based vs. Solvent Based Nail Polish

There are 2 types of safer nail polish: water based and solvent based. Here are some of the pros and cons of each:

Water based nail polish

Made with: acrylic polymer resin

Pros: No offgassing VOCs, odorless, good for kids and pregnant women, easy to apply and quick to dry

Cons: Can be difficult to remove – especially after more than a few days

Solvent based nail polish

Made with: nitrocellulose resins and safer solvents

Pros: Most common and easy to find in many colors, easy to remove with nail polish

Cons: Still contains some smelly solvents

Safer Nail Polish Brands

As the truth about nail polish has been uncovered, more companies have been cleaning up their ingredient lists. All of the brands listed here are at minimum 5-FREE, meaning they are free of the 5 most common bad actor chemicals. Some go further, eliminating up to 10 different chemicals. They are all vegan/cruelty free as well. A few are water based but most are safer solvent based.

In terms of performance, they all have great reputations for quality. The only downside is that they can be harder to remove than conventional nail polish. I’ve found that allowing nail polish remover to sit on the nails for a minute before taking it off, helps quite a bit. That plus a bit of elbow grease will get the job done!

Olive & June

• 15-FREE (Formaldehyde Toulene DBP Formaldehyde Resin Camphor Ethyl Tosylamide Xylene Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP) Acetone Animal-Derived Ingredients Bisphenol-A Nonylphenol Ethoxylate Parabens Sulfate)
• Vegan and cruelty-free
  

Zoya

• 10-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, formaldehyde resin, ethyl tosylamide and lead)
• Vegan

Mineral Fusion

• 7-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and formaldehyde resin)
• 77% naturally derived
• Vegan & cruelty free

Aila

• 8 FREE (formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, triphenol phosphate (TPHP), parabens, sulfates)
• Vegan

Ella + Mila

• 17-FREE (Acetone, Animal-Derived Ingredients, Bisphenol-A, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Gluten, Glycol Ether of Series E, Nonylphenol Ethoxylate, Parabens, Phthalates (including DBP), Styrene, Sulfate, Toluene, Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP/TPP), Xylene)
• Vegan
• Leaping Bunny certified

Zero (100% Pure)

• 20-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates & more)
• Vegan

Acquarella

• 5-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and formaldehyde resin)
• Plus free of parabens, lead, mercury, FD&C, coal tar
• Water based
• Odor free
• PETA certified cruelty free

Honeybee Gardens

• 5-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and formaldehyde resin)
• Water based
• No FD&C colors
• PETA certified cruelty free

Pacifica

• 7-FREE (parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin)
• Vegan (including brush)

Black Dahlia Lacquer

• 10 FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin and more)
• Vegan
• Leaping Bunny certified cruelty free

Priti NYC

• 5-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, and formaldehyde resin)
• Plus free of TPHP , xylene and all parabens
• Vegan
• Cruelty free

Flora 1761

• 8-FREE (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate and parabens)
• Inspired by the historic elegance of flowers and botanicals
• Vegan and cruelty free
• Made in USA

Do you have a favorite safer nail polish brand?