Which Brands Offer 10
“Brands like Essie, Lights Lacquer, MiniLuxe, CND, and Chanel are some incredible brands that offer a variety of non-toxic 7-free and above options that are all incredibly long-lasting,” shares Kandalec.
We’re also fans of Butter London.
From non-toxic makeup and skincare to sustainability practices, Clean Slate is an exploration of all things in the green beauty space.
Nail Polish Recycling Programs
In addition to supporting nail polish brands that use sustainable materials for their bottles or lids, I recommend buying from brands that offer a recycling program where you can send old bottles to be responsibly recycled. Here are some brands I suggest checking out:
Tenoverten have their own salon in New York, Austin, and LA. But Tenoverten also offers its own line of 8-free, cruelty-free, and vegan nail polish. What I love most about tenoverten is their recycling program where you can drop off any used bottles of nail polish at their store and theyll responsibly recycle them for you! Note: Ive reached out to tenoverten to ask about their ethical sourcing of mica but never heard back.
Elle Polish also offers a recycling program where you can send in 5 empty elle polish bottles to be recycled and in return, youll get a special edition polish. All of Elle Polish are Leaping Bunny certified cruelty-free, vegan, and 10-free. They have also confirmed that their mica is ethically-sourced without the use of child labor and the miners are paid fairly and treated well.
Côte is another vegan and eco-friendly nail polish brand offering a recycling program where for any used bottle of polish you bring into their LA shop, youll receive 10% off your next côte polish purchase. All of côte nail polishes are vegan, 10-free, and they have confirmed their mica suppliers are required to obtain a government-issued statement guaranteeing that no children were used in the production.
Be Mindful Of Marketing Copy
Many nail polish brands are careful to avoid buzzy, but largely meaningless, language like clean and natural without backing up exactly what they mean. In some cases, its actually more common for the media to use those labels in describing certain brands.
Brands promoting their Free formulations tend to be very upfront about what theyre excluding and why, so take the time to read about it.
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What Is A 10
Glad you asked. Ten-free simply means the formula is made without 10 of the most common chemicals found in old-school polishes. However, it’s important to note that 10-free doesn’t necessarily mean “clean.”
“These chemicals consist of formaldehyde, toluene, parabens, camphor, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate , xylene, phthalates, triphenyl phosphate , tert-butyl hydroperoxide , ethyl tosylamide,” explains Julie Kandalec, founder of Julie K Nail Artelier in Manhattan.
“Many indie lines and nail brands have excluded these harmful ingredients to create a more health-conscious and green-friendly nail care line for consumers,” adds New York City-based nail tech and educator Candice Idehen. “It’s not believed to be necessary to have these ingredients included in nail polish to create a lasting color.”
Which brings us to our next point…
Buying Guide: Best Nontoxic Nail Polish Brands
January 26, 2021
We dove into the world of 10-free, 8-free and 5-free nail polish to determine not only the most nourishing nontoxic nail polish on the market, but where clean meets performance. We looked at more than 25 less-toxic nail polishes and narrowed it down to our top 5 and tested those to see which one came out on top. Here are the best nontoxic nail polishes, with the best performance.
Nail polish can be tricky to navigate for several reasons. First, lets call out the elephant in the room: Nail polish is paint yall. Therefore, theres no way it will ever be all 100% organic jojoba oil and pressed rosespaint needs ingredients like solvents and structure-inducing polymers to make it function. And thats why we dont see organic nail polish lining the shelves at Target.
The other confusing thing with nail polishes is language, labeling and advertising claims, such as 3-free or nontoxic.These claims do not need premarket approval by the FDA or the Federal Trade Commission and there is very limited regulation and enforcement of nail polish products.
That being said, some nail polish brands have tweaked and pushed and pulled formulas so that they still work BUT are formulated with fewer of the harsher chemicals. These are the brands were talking about here.
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How To Choose A Non
When choosing a non-toxic nail polish, you may come across 3-free, 5-free, 7-free, and up to 16-free products. These counts indicate the number of chemicals or harmful ingredients that are absent in the formulation. The most common toxic trio is toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate which may cause skin irritations and other long-term effects on your body. You can also steer clear of ingredients like formaldehyde resin, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and camphor. This ensures that your nail stays healthy no matter how many times you choose to paint them with color.
Choose a water-based nail polish. A water-based polish does not give off harmful fumes and is safe for your skin. Solvent-based nail polishes, on the other hand, can give off toxic fumes, which can be dangerous when inhaled. Since nail colors last long on your enamel, you want to choose a base that is safe for you.
When looking for non-toxic nail polish, you may also want to consider the final look of the color. You can choose a finish that best suits your taste. Whether you want a matte or creamy finish, there is a non-toxic nail polish available for you. Opt for something that has a glossy finish if youre looking for a finish that will compliment your outfit on special occasions. Creme nail polishes are more suitable if you want to add a bit of color to your everyday look.
What Is Vegan Nail Polish
Its easy to get confused by the onslaught of terms used in product marketing today, so figuring out what exactly is vegan can be challenging. For starters, dont be fooled by labels like clean, green, or non-toxicproducts with this wording can still include the use of animals, animal by-products, or animal testing. In order to be considered truly vegan, a product must not contain any animal-derived ingredients or animal by-products.
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Hi Im So Glad Youre Here
Since 2015, ethical elephant has been a place to share all things related to cruelty-free beauty and vegan fashion + now expanding into sustainability!
My friends call me Vy! And this is a one-woman operation. I do all of the research, reaching out to every brand, writing, and designing everything you see on this blog and on social media!
That also means this is 100% funded by me.
If you found any of my resources or posts helpful, please kindly consider supporting me so that I can continue to keep producing helpful and awesome content.
I appreciate your continued support and if you ever have any questions or feedback, the best way to reach me is by email.
Will This Affect The Curing Process
All WowBao gel polishes are manufactured and tested to cure perfectly with the WowBao lamp, so there will be no issues with curing. These are soak-off gel polish and can be applied on natural nails, gel nails, acrylic nails, or press-on tips. It needs to cure for 30 – 60 seconds under an WowBao lamp or 2 minutes under a UV lamp.
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Customer Questions & Answers
Disclaimer: While we work to ensure that product information is correct, on occasion manufacturers may alter their ingredient lists. Actual product packaging and materials may contain more and/or different information than that shown on our Web site. We recommend that you do not solely rely on the information presented and that you always read labels, warnings, and directions before using or consuming a product. For additional information about a product, please contact the manufacturer. Content on this site is for reference purposes and is not intended to substitute for advice given by a physician, pharmacist, or other licensed health-care professional. You should not use this information as self-diagnosis or for treating a health problem or disease. Contact your health-care provider immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem. Information and statements regarding dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or health condition. Amazon.com assumes no liability for inaccuracies or misstatements about products.
How We Researched
To compile this list, our team of editors and contributors spent hours researching the best products on the market in this category, evaluating their key featureslike ingredients, shade range, or designin addition to reviews from customers and other trusted sources. We then used this research to assign a star rating from one to five to certain products on the list.
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How Does A 10
Aside from some slight differences in thickness , both formulas get the job done and do it well.
“I do find that these formulas are a bit thinner than traditional formulations,” Idehen shares. “But the product is just as efficacious at this point because a lot of nail brands have spent a lot of time researching and developing product formulations that are able to last just as long.”
Plus, Kandalec adds that you’re likely already using a polish free of some of the previously listed chemicals. You may just not know it yet.
“Every modern-day traditional nail polish brand now is at least 3-free, if not 5-free, and is just as effective,” she explains. “It’s rare to find something that is not free of at least toluene, formaldehyde, and dibutyl phthalate unless you find an old polish at a dollar store from 20 years ago. From there, it moves on to the 5-free, where it is free of chemicals such as formaldehyde, resin, and camphor.”
Bare Hands Dry Gloss Manicure
If youre wary of using any kind of polish on your nails, you arent alone.
But forgoing the polish doesnt mean giving up on pretty, put-together nails. The Dry Gloss Manicure a natural nail care protocol that supports the health of the nails and skin is gaining traction, and its not hard to see why.
Simple tools, like The Polisher and ultra-rich cuticle oil, are designed to leave a glossy nail and hydrated cuticles for a chic effect.
Aesthetics entirely aside, theres a huge benefit to naked nails: The fingernail has been called a window to health, and its true.
Nail condition can offer insight into all kinds of changes to your health. When youre the back-to-back-to-back manicure type, and your natural nails havent seen the light of days for months or worse, years, you may be missing a key indicator of your own health.
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How Long Does Vegan Nail Polish Last
Just because many vegan formulas are plant-based doesnt mean that they dont have some serious staying power. Many vegan nail polishes can last up to two weeks, with pigment as fresh as the first swipe. Like all polishes, vegan or not, how long your nails remain chip-free depend largely on application and using base and top coats to really seal in the shade and shine.
Ready to give your nails the vegan treatment? Shop our best picks below.
Sally Hansen Good Kind Pure
vegan
The most shocking discovery of this entire study was realizing Sally Hansen made it to our top 5. I mean, GO SALLY!
Sally Hansens polish touts itself as the first plant-based 16-free vegan nail polish . It comes in 30 shades, is 77% naturally derived and also includes a new plant-based brush. And Ive gotta say, the brush is actually everything here. Its wider than normal but not clunky and it delivers a seamless, dare I say, PRO application.
Sally Hansen GOOD. KIND. PURE is formulated without the aforementioned concerning nail polish ingredients and its also void of benzophenone-1 and benzophenone-3 as well.
In fact, Sally Hansen goes above and beyond adding the following nourishing ingredients into their polish formulas:
- Methylthioppopylamido acetyl methionine: An antioxidant peptide that has DNA protection, cell protection and light protection benefits.
- Persea gratissima fruit extract: An effective skin conditioner.
- Camellia sinensis leaf extract: Contains antioxidants and is effective for protecting skin cells against damage from sun exposure.
- Spinacia oleracea leaf extract: An effective skin conditioner.
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Everything You Should Know About Hema Free Gel Polish
Hema Free Gel Polish is considered best because of the reduced possibility of adverse skin reactions. According to the British Association of Dermatologists , the number one allergen product in cosmetics and nail products is HEMA.
The monomers that are used to polymerize UV gels are hydroxyethyl methacrylate. On the other hand, HEMA has significantly smaller molecules and is more able to penetrate the skin.
HEMA may be safe when used properly on the nail plate, according to a report by the European Scientific Committee for Consumer Safety . They concluded that, as long as their use is restricted to the nail plate only and contact with the surrounding skin is avoided, concentrations of up to 35% are not likely to constitute a risk and cause sensitization.
For complete peace of mind and Zero HEMA, professional Hema free gel polish manufacturer WowBao Nails offer a variety of colors. You can choose from more than 300 colors available on our website. Its application process is very simple and can be dried with a UV or LED lamp.
How Many Shades Are There In The Wowbao Hema Free Range
Our Hema free gel based nail polishes range includes 300+ color options, so you do not have to compromise on color. There are various categories available such as nude, shimmer, neon, glitter, white, etc, to help you choose your color easily.
Do I need to carry out any special procedures when using Hema Free?
No, applying it is simple. Here’s the guide for using it.
- Apply the WowBao hema free base coat to your nails.
- Cure your nails.
- Apply its thin layer again and please keep it for 30 to 60 seconds under a Wowbao pro lamp.
- Apply the topcoat and please keep it for 30 to 60 seconds under a WowBao lamp.
If you’re looking for the perfect Hema Free Gel Polish or unique shades, you can find it all with WowBao nails. For more information, you can contact us freely.
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Nail Polish Ingredients Today
This also means that mainstream nail polishes are evolving. Mainstream brands hear consumers want safer options and they adjust. When I sat down to start researching this post, I looked at mainstream brands too like Revlon, Chanel and Maybelline and honestly, I couldnt find not even one formula that still included toluene or dibutyl phthalate.
This is important to note because when brands are making claims like 10-free or 8-free or listing all of their NO ingredients, its not really setting them as much apart from the mainstream as these marketing tactics suggest.
Finding a cleaner nail polish really means taking a look at whats in the formula rather than whats not.
In addition to this, more thoughtful brands have not only stripped out the more dangerous ingredients, theyve also started adding in beautiful, nourishing ingredients too. This post is an opportunity to look at and celebrate these decisions as well.
RELATED:Summer 2022 nail colors and trends and The best polish free manicure ideas.
Make A Point Of Reading Ingredients
But dont stop there look them up! The Environmental Working Group maintains a robust database, and its quick and easy to plug in an ingredient or specific polish for a rundown on any concerns. Thats really the best way to avoid the most harmful ingredients.
Remember, the front of the package can be, and often is, misleading, but the ingredients can tell a very different story, Blum says.
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Sally Hansens First Plant
COLORBUTYL ACETATE, ETHYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ISOSORBIDE DICAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, ALCOHOL, CALCIUM ALUMINUM BOROSILICATE, STEARALKONIUM BENTONITE, SYNTHETIC FLUORPHLOGOPITE, ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL, SILICA, DIACETONE ALCOHOL, TIN OXIDE, PHOSPHORIC ACID, , FERRIC AMMONIUM FERROCYANIDE , MANGANESE VIOLET ].TOP COATETHYL ACETATE, BUTYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, ISOSORBIDE DICAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, ALCOHOL DENAT., SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, n-BUTYL ALCOHOL, ETOCRYLENE, DIMETHICONE, RIMETHYLSILOXYSILICATE, TRIMETHYLPENTANEDIYL DIBENZOATE, D& C VIOLET NO. 2 .HARDENERETHYL ACETATE, BUTYL ACETATE, NITROCELLULOSE, ADIPIC ACID/NEOPENTYL GLYCOL/TRIMELLITIC ANHYDRIDE COPOLYMER, ISOSORBIDE DICAPRYLATE/CAPRATE, ALCOHOL DENAT., n-BUTYL ALCOHOL, ETOCRYLENE, AQUA/WATER/EAU, GLYCERIN, HEXANAL, CAPRYLIC/CAPRIC TRIGLYCERIDE, METHYLPROPANEDIOL, PROPYLENE GLYCOL, METHYLTHIOPROPYLAMIDO ACETYL METHIONINE, TRIMETHYLPENTANEDIYL DIBENZOATE, PISTACIA LENTISCUS GUM OIL, PERSEA GRATISSIMA FRUIT EXTRACT, CITRIC ACID, CAMELLIA SINENSIS LEAF EXTRACT, HYDROLYZED VEGETABLE PROTEIN PG-PROPYL SILANETRIOL, SODIUM BENZOATE, SUCROSE ACETATE ISOBUTYRATE, POTASSIUM SORBATE, EDTA, SPINACIA OLERACEA LEAF EXTRACT , D& C VIOLET NO. 2 .
The Wild West Nail Polish Industry
The landscape of nail polish can be challenging to navigate at best.
Lets be clear that nail polish is essentially paint, says Suzanne Shade, the founder of Bare Hands, a polish-free method of natural nail care.
If you think of it in terms of household waste, all paints are classified as toxic substances and cannot be safely put in public landfills regardless of being labeled non-toxic, Shade continues.
And for the record, while many nail polish manufacturers tend to keep their formulas top secret, the ingredients in just about every bottle of polish can be broadly categorized into:
- coloring agents
Then there are the issues of labeling and marketing claims.
Nail polish formulation is tricky, and, sometimes, the packaging or marketing around a formula can be misleading, says Olivia Van Iderstine, the vice president of content and creative at Olive & June.
Worse, vague references to being clean, non-toxic, or free of 3, 5, 7, 10, or even 15 worrisome ingredients are largely unregulated. This means nail polish companies are essentially free to say what they want.
Additionally, its important to know that neither the Food and Drug Administration nor the Federal Trade Commission approves nail polishes before they come to market.
The only exception that requires FDA approval is color additives . Otherwise, manufacturers can use any ingredient as long as:
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