Nail Polish and Remover

I’ve been painting my nails since I was a kid, yet I didn’t know what was in the polish or the remover. I’ve bought many a .99 cent nail polish in my day and found acetone remover the best for getting the red polish I love wearing all the time. I never thought to look at what was in either of them or how it was effecting my body by soaking into my nails. That all changed when I became vegan and started looking at ingredients for animal byproducts.

Did you know that most common nail polishes have parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, and animal byproducts in them? That’s not even all the toxic chemicals in them, but it’s the seven most common ones that plant based nail polishes are trying to get away from. Sally Hansen’s Plant Based Pure nail polish line prides themselves on being “16 free” which is amazing. Their polish doesn’t include, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Toluene, Xylene, Acetone, Phthalates (including DBP), Camphor, Parabens, Ethyl Tosylamide, Triphenyl Phosphate (TPP), Animal-derived ingredients, Styrene, Bisphenol A, Glycol Ether of Series E (Glycol ethers derived from ethylene oxide), Nonylphenol ethoxylate, and Sulfates. Below are my reviews of my favorite brands of nail polish and ones I trust to use on a regular basis. These chemicals are none to cause birth defects, cancer, affect the nervous system, diseases of the respiratory track, and some are used as a fire retardant in foam furniture. Studies have been done on women after painting their nails and it was alarming the level of some of these toxins were in their system as a result.

As far as nail polish remover goes, I was nervous I wouldn’t find something that was able to take off polish, especially red polish without spending hours trying to get it off. I used to get the 100% acetone to get off that red polish I love, not even thinking of what that could be doing to me long term. It can affect your respiratory system especially if you have asthma, skin irritation, affects your cardiovascular system, and can have a negative impact on gastrointestinal systems. The fact they use the same ingredients as wood and paint varnish that you scrub onto your nails should be a huge red flag to everyone using it.

This country has proven for years they don’t care about our health when it comes to regulating harmful ingredients in our beauty products. It’s on us as consumers to be aware and do the research into everything we put on our body.

I stopped painting my nails for the first couple of years of being vegan because I didn’t think I could safely do it anymore. I am so thankful I did a little research and found companies willing to make products that are safe for me and the planet, so I can keep doing a small self-care treat I missed doing. 

Did you know how bad standard nail polish is for you? Make sure you ask salons what plant based/clean nail polishes they have if you get your nails done. I like getting my nails down with my mom when we are together and this way, we can still have the memories while I feel good about my mani/pedi.

Thanks for reading,

Jessica

Nail Polish Remover:  I found Karma Naturals Soybean Oil and Lavender Nail Polish Remover was a thing of magic and should be sold everywhere nail polish remover is sold. Not only is it 100% all natural and doesn’t smell terrible like normal remover, but it’s ingredients are actually good for your nails and cuticles. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, lavender scented which I love, effective against even the toughest nail polish, acetone free, and toxin-free! They also make a point to use glass bottles, soy-based ink, and no plastic is in their products. A little goes a long way and I have had the same bottle for over a year now. I strongly recommend everyone making the switch to their polish remover.

Nail Polish Brands:

1. Zoya: I have found this brand to be the best at staying on longest without chipping. I recently splurged and bought a handful of colors because I can wear this this for up to two weeks without any major wear and tear. That never happens with a store bought nail polish, so I had to build a good selection of color choices. They were also the first to remove toxic ingredients such as toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin and DBP (dibutyl phthalate). Now you can get their polish without toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP (dibutyl phthalate) TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, and lead.

2. Pacifica: This brand was my first one to try when I started using cleaner polishes. I like their color variety, but it doesn’t last as long as Zoya. It is usually cheaper than Zoya so it’s good for that. The one I have bought in the past is their 7-free nail polish that’s formulated without parabens, phthalates (dibutyl phthalate), toluene, xylene, camphor, formaldehyde, resin, and animals. They now have a Plant Magic polish line that I really want to try. It is a 16-free formula without animals, toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, formaldehyde, acetone, xylene, phthalates (including DBP), triphenyl phosphate (TPP), parabens, ethyl tosylamide, bisphenol A (BPA), sulfates, e-series glycol ethers, benzophenone 1, 2, nonylphenol ethoxylate. This new line is more expensive than the 7 free line but still cheaper than Zoya. You can also find this brand at more stores in my experience. I usually buy them from Target.

3. Mineral Fusion: This brand was given to me as a gift, and I only have one color, but I really like it. Free from parabens, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, triphenyl phosphate, and camphor. They are also a cool brand because they have partnered with CarbonFund.org to reduce their carbon footprint. I love supporting businesses who are doing their part to reduce or reverse their impact on the planet with better work practices. Next time I need more polish I’ll make sure to buy some of theirs.

4. Sally Hansen: I love to see name brands shifting their product lines to be more plant based. Their Pure line is 16-free and free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, xylene, acetone, phthalates (including DBP), camphor, parabens, ethyl tosylamide, triphenyl phosphate (TPP), animal-derived ingredients, styrene, Bisphenol A, glycol ether of series E (Glycol ethers derived from ethylene oxide), nonylphenol ethoxylate, sulfate-free. I use their top coat all the time with the Zoya color and they work well together. Their color polishes work well too as far as staying on for at least a week.