Non-Toxic Nail Polish
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It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that nail polish is not the healthiest thing to put on your body.
After all, nail polish is paint. It doesn’t wash off. It (usually) doesn’t chip. That can’t be healthy, right?
It turns out that–as you might imagine–most nail polish contains at least three major toxins: Dibutyl phthalate (DBP), Toluene and Formaldehyde.
I won’t spend time detailing the ill effects of these chemicals; you can read all about them from the links at the end of the post. They’re bad stuff.
What we’re looking for is “Three-Free” polish, meaning it is free of those three nasty chemicals.
Now, you should also be aware that “Three-Free” polish is much better than regular nail polish, but is still not technically a healthy, natural product to apply to our bodies.
But, if you’re like me, you still want to paint your toe nails, even if it’s slightly risky. So, here are a few “Three-Free” polishes I’ve tried, with good results.
(You may also want to check out the links below, for additional “Three-Free” options.)
Three-Free Nail Polish
1. Sally Girl
Sally Girl polish comes in teeny, tiny bottles, which is perfect for me. I use polish only on my toes, and change it so infrequently that I’ve never, ever gone through an entire bottle of nail polish.
Sally Girl polish is actually aimed at little girls, which is why it’s free of the three major chemicals, and why the bottles are so small.
It’s also the reason why mostly only bright colors are available, with no “mature” shades. I happen to love the three colors I selected (see first photo above), especially for summer time.
Another bonus: the tiny bottles are only $.99 each (available at Sally Beauty Supply stores).
2. Spa Ritual
My nail salon introduced me to this brand of Three-Free polish. They’ve got an amazing array of shades!
Unfortunately, my salon doesn’t sell the polish. They use the clear base coat on all clients, which is fantastic. I haven’t tried any SpaRitual color polishes, because I always take my own color in order to do touch ups at home, if necessary.
SpaRitual polish can be purchased online, and I would imagine that more and more salons will begin to carry the line. I even saw some random colors recently at Marshall’s!
3. Gabriel
The quality of the polish seems good, but I didn’t wind up loving the color I chose. I should have realized it was a “glaze” and would have more of a shimmery transparent look, as opposed to the shiny, opaque look I was going for. (Seems obvious now, when I look at the picture above, and at the color card below. Oh-well.)
Do you have a favorite Three-Free nail polish?
Sources and Additional Reading
- The Daily Green: Natural Nail Polishes
- All Lacquered Up: Celebrate Earth Day–Check Your Ingredients
- Green Living: Avoid the Toxic Trio with Natural Nail Polish
Looking for Non-Toxic Personal Care Products?
- My Favorite Brands of Non-Toxic Make-Up
- My Favorite Natural Deodorant
- Homemade Hand Sanitizer
- My Favorite Natural Hair Products
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I like Deb Lippmann’s nail polish..I usually get on HSN or at Nordstrom as they are also without these 3
Haven’t heard of that brand–will have to keep an eye out for it. Thanks! 🙂
Zoya is 3 free. Supposedly, they were the first brand to do so. Aveda Institutes use spa ritual polish and they will give you a small bottle for touch ups. Plus, their prices are great since they are a cosmetology school. I have also heard OPI is 3 free even though it doesn’t strive to be a “natural” brand.
What nail polish remover do y’all use?
Katie–Yes, I’ve heard of Zoya. Have you used their polish? And is Aveda Institutes different from a regular Aveda salon? I’m surprised that OPI is 3-Free. I just got rid of a bunch of it, because I thought it was not! Bummer, but I’m glad to know. Thanks for all this great info!
Oh, and I haven’t research polish remover yet. Honestly, I rarely remove my own polish (it’s only on my toes). I just let them do it at the nail salon, and I’m not sure what they use there. Sorry I can’t be more helpful…