The short answer is...
No.
But we think you probably already knew the answer to that ;) The cosmetics industry hasn’t managed to come up with a totally natural nail polish yet, but they’re working on it.
So if nail polish is something that we can’t switch to natural, what can we do?
3, 5, 7, 8, 9 and 10 Free
This is an idea that nail polish brands have created to show how some nail polishes are safer than others.
For now “10 Free” is meant to be the best as this means your glorious little pot of colour is free from these 10 things:
- Formaldehyde
- Toluene
- Phthalate and Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
- Camphor
- Formaldehyde resin
- Xylene
- Parabens
- Fragrances
- Ethyl tosylamide
- Animal ingredients.
These all all thing that you want to leave out of ALL products you use - not just your nail polish - because there are big concerns about their effect on your health (except animal ingredients, that is, we choose to avoid those for other reasons).
When you’re comparing nail polishes another thing to think about is whether it’s water and oxygen permeable. Traditional nail polishes would completely seal your nails likes Dulux house paint does for your weatherboards. This is a no-no because your nails need oxygen and water to stay healthy. Without it they’ll become weak, brittle and prone to other problems.
Reality check
There’s no independent organisation which double checks the claims of “10 free” and really there is nothing stopping someone coming out with a “20 free” nail polish. We hope that if it does happen the new free points are relevant like being Benzophenone -1 and styrene free.
You really need to do some of your own research into the brands to make sure they are genuine
There are good apples out there. Even though they can’t make natural polish just yet they are doing their best to make them as safe as possible.
One good apple isHanami Cosmetics.
They do everything we mentioned above, so they tick all of our boxes. Even though they’re technically “12 free” they stick with the more conservative “10 free” claims and their polish is breathable and water permeable.
Did we mention that they are also Australian made, cruelty free & vegan? Definitely worth checking out :)
