The Best Clean Nail Polish

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All of us ladies like to look good, but at what cost? Most people probably don’t realize that there are harmful chemicals in nail polish that can affect your health. Nails appear to be hard so people might think that they don’t absorb chemicals that are put on them, but this is not the case. Nails are actually porous and absorbent. In addition to nails, the skin around the nail is also sometimes affected, and of course, there are nail polish fumes. Just smelling them, you should realize you are using something toxic.

I personally haven’t been to a nail salon in 7 years since before I started my clean living journey. Would I go if I was forced to go for a social event with friends? Sure, but I would probably try to at least bring my own nail polish and remover. Mainstream nail polishes contain all types of chemicals that can cause cancer, issues with the immune system, developmental issues, and reproductive issues. The fumes also have the potential to cause acute symptoms such as headaches.

What Are The Harmful Chemicals In Nail Polish?

Most companies categorize their nail polish as being 3-free, 5-free, 7-free, or 10-free. This refers to being free of 3 toxic chemicals, 5 toxic chemicals, and so forth.

3-free nail polishes are free from dibutyl phthalate (DPB), formaldehyde, and toluene.

5-free is free from dibutyl phthalate (DPB), formaldehyde, toluene, formaldehyde resin, and camphor.

7-free is free from dibutyl phthalate (DPB), formaldehyde, toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, and xylene.

10-free is free from dibutyl phthalate, TPHP, toluene, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, parabens, and gluten.

Other nail polishes claim that they are free of even more than 10 harmful ingredients. Even though a company says that their nail polish is 10-free, it’s still important to look through the ingredients. Other harmful chemicals could be hiding in there! These companies that say their nail polish is 3-free, 5-free, etc are generally talking about oil-based or solvent-based nail polishes. What about water-based nail polish?

Is Water-Based Nail Polish Non-Toxic?

There are two types of nail polish, water-based and oil-based (solvent-based). Water-based nail polishes are typically cleaner and safer to use. I’ve looked at the ingredients and some water-based nail polishes contain as little as 3 to 4 ingredients! It’s a lot easier to look through the ingredients of a water-based nail polish than it is to look through a solvent-based one. Solvent-based nail polishes are made up of more chemicals, however, some brands are better and safer than others.

Water-based nail polish dries quicker than solvent-based, is less prone to chipping, and it’s better for the environment. Did you know that regular solvent-based nail polish has to be disposed of properly because it’s considered a hazardous waste? (Contact your town/city for further instructions on this).

With that said, my list below is mainly made up of water-based nail polishes with Zoya being the only one that is solvent-based. The water-based ones that I’ve included below do not say that they are 10-free, 7-free, etc. This is because they don’t contain any harsh chemicals.

Even though some of these nail polishes are considered clean and non-toxic, there is no perfect nail polish. It just doesn’t exist. Therefore, I would use any nail polish in moderation, but at least the brands listed below are free from the very harmful ingredients. I am all about non-toxic living, but I still need to paint my toes in the summer!

Below you’ll see my list of clean nail polishes. Hopefully, you’ll find one that works for you!

1. Piggy Paint

Piggy Paint markets itself as being better than 10-free or 17-free. Their polishes are free of all toxic chemicals. This clean nail polish is meant to be used by kids, but anyone could use it. If you are looking for a brand for yourself, your baby, your toddler, or your child of any age, this non-toxic, cruelty-free, and vegan nail polish may be for you. It’s also a water-based formula and it’s odorless. Because it’s water-based, it doesn’t stay on quite as long as solvent-based polishes, but I think it’s well worth the trade-off for a non-toxic, eco-friendly, odorless polish.

It’s free of all harsh chemicals: no formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, no toluene, no phthalates, no parabens, no sulfates, no acetone, no bisphenol A, no ethyl acetate, no camphor, no alcohol, no ethyl tosylamide, no glycol ether of series E, no nonylphenol ethoxylate, no triphenyl phosphate, no xylene, no styrene, and no gluten.

Piggy Paint has a lot of colors. I’ve included some in the button below, but if you are looking for a different color, search for more on the button below.

2. SOPHi Nail Polish

SOPHi nail polish is made by Piggy Paint. (I can tell when I look at the ingredients!) It markets itself for women although it can also be used for any age. This water-based, hypoallergenic, clean nail polish is a great non-toxic option, and like Piggy Paint, it’s free of all toxic chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), or ethyl acetate. It is non-flammable, cruelty-free, vegan, and has a low odor.

3. Honeybee Gardens

Like Piggy Paint, this non-toxic nail polish is water-based and free from all toxic chemicals including formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrance, nitrocellulose resin, animal ingredients, triphenyl phosphate, and benzophenone-1. Their website says their nail color works best with their primer/sealer. Apply the primer/sealer, two coats of nail color, and then another coat of primer/sealer. It also works best if it dries overnight. This nail polish is gluten-free, vegan, cruelty-free, odorless, contains no VOCs, and it can be thrown in the trash. Conventional nail polish needs to be disposed of through a hazardous waste program, but Honeybee Gardens degrades cleanly leaving no toxins behind. I’ve used this before and have been very happy with it. Check out all their nail colors at the link below!

4. Acquarella Nail Polish

Sorry that I don’t have a picture for this one. I’m not an affiliate of this company, but I wanted to include it on my list because it is a very clean option. It’s water-based like the other choices above and free of all toxic chemicals. I’ve used this one and liked it very much! It’s a little different than other nail polishes and you have to apply it and let it dry fully overnight. It’s free of all harsh chemicals including formaldehyde (and derivatives), toulene, ketones, petrochemicals, DBP, phthalates, TPHP, polyurethanes, parabens, camphor, mercury, lead, coal tar, hydrocarbons, and gluten.

5. Klee Kids Water-Based Peelable Nail Polish

This safe nail polish for kids is different than the others because it peels off! This can be a good thing if you don’t want to use nail polish remover on your child. This is a water-based nail polish like the others on this list and it’s free from all harsh chemicals. This non-toxic nail polish has no smell and dries within 30 seconds. This non-toxic nail polish is made in the USA and is a great choice for your child.

6. Zoya

This is the only nail polish on that list that isn’t water-based. This clean nail polish is classified as 10-free. It’s free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, DBP, toluene, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, and lead. It is also vegan. Zoya nail polish works best with its own base coat, top coat, and nail polish remover which you can find here. It comes in a lot of colors and has good ratings on Amazon. Click below to shop.