Last year a blog reader informed me that nail polish is one of the most toxic things we put on our bodies. So, when I started to consider switching to a more natural beauty routine this year, polish was the first thing I addressed.
I quickly noticed that natural polish is typically twice if not three times the price of a drugstore brand. Over the past few months, I’ve been testing several brands and I wanted to share what I found with you today. Hopefully my advice can help steer you in the right direction so you don’t have to waste money on products that aren’t as good as others.
And as always, I want to open up the comments to your thoughts and opinions. I’ve already had several good recommendations from you guys!
I Love NP (both bottles pictured above with black handles)
This Etsy shop offers 3-Free (free of toluene, formaldehyde, or dibutyl phthalate) polishes in fun colors and holographic finishes. My favorite color I’ve purchased from them is Juliette, a rose gold holographic polish. It’s a pretty pink glitter that is easy to wear and looks amazing in the sunlight. I also like their coral neon, which is pictured above. I will definitely try more in the future.
My friend, Natalie, introduced me to Habit. They have amazing colors to choose from and really cute bamboo lid packaging. So far I have tried Tabou (a bright orange-y red) and Belle Epoque (dark lavender). I also tried their top and bottom coat.
I am super pleased with the quality of both these polishes and want to try more colors. I’m curious how the lighter colors will hold up, and I want to try Bardot next.
Also, Laura’s nail color in the photo above is Mineral Fusion in Pebble (this is a good brand that dries quickly).
This is actually the first brand I tried. They are 8-free (free of formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and parabens), which is one of the best I’ve seen. For my personal taste, they also have the best packaging.
I like the colors a lot, but some bottles are better than others. Their black is AMAZING. Wouldn’t recommend their white (still looking for a full coverage true white if anyone knows of one!)
When I wear the darker colors, I tend to need to touch them up about once a day. I’ve always had issues with keeping my nail polish “perfect” for more than a day or two. So, this isn’t a deal breaker for me. I’ve been an Essie wearer in the past (the durability of these is equal, if not better).
With that said, I fully expected these natural products to suck and they do not. They are honestly all pretty equivalent to what I’d normally buy.
Well, these are all my experiences so far! If you want to get started with a more natural nail polish regimen, I suggest Habit or TenOverTen. They both have a top and bottom coat you can buy, which helps it last longer. I will definitely keep collecting colors from both those brands. I will also keep shopping at I Love NP for glittery and holographic finishes.
I am a true believer in these products and am really glad I invested a little time and money into figuring out what works best for me. I love wearing nail polish, so once I found out how toxic it was, it was constantly bugging me. Now I can enjoy it again!
Next we want to try a natural nail salon (we just found out about this one in Nashville!) to see if we can pick up some helpful tips and recommendations.
And speaking of recommendations, please let us know if you have tried any nail products that have impressed you! xoxo- Elsie
Credits//Author: Elsie Larson. Photography: Laura Gummerman. Photos edited with A Beautiful Mess actions.
All the colors are amazing. Thanks for this beautiful blog.
Elsie — what’s your impression of the effect of natural vs. normal polishes on the integrity of your nails? I have pretty weak/flimsy nails that crack a lot and I look for a polish that strengthens them. Do natural polishes do a better job of that?
Kerster Black – Australian brand that is vegan and free of all the toxic stuff! They have a beautiful Instagram as well.
Butter London, Julep, Zoya, Ten over Ten, & Kure Bazaar are my faves. If you are ever in Denver, and want a toxin-free all natural mani/pedi, Base Coat Nail Salon is the best.
Side note…another game changer for me was purchasing a glass nail file. They last forever, and are more sanitary. Bonus: you can file in any direction and it won’t tear your nails! I picked up mine at Sephora.
When I lived in the US, I remember taking my friend for a pedicure for her birthday. I was having a manicure. It was at Karma Organic Spa in Ridgewood, NJ. It was a few years back but I remember quite a variety of colours and it held rather long so if anyone interested is in the area, I think you should give them a go.
Nail salons are rather new in France so I bet we’ll need another few years before we think organic (we only started to find essie in some stores when I got back to France, 5 years ago…)
What a great post, we do nail art as part of our face painting in Bath and it might be good to offer a natural range as well especialy for children.
I’d recommend Aquarella, they have nail polish, a conditioner and a remover. I usually can wear them for 3 days before I need a touch-up which is usual for me anyways. They have a good range of colors.
Essie makes a white that is totally opaque.
Love this post!
Keri
I use Julep’s Brigitte for a nice, opaque white 🙂 they are 4-5 free! http://refer.julep.com/v2/share/6262459930657986385
Thank you! I want to try it now!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Thanks!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Thank you so much, Sarah! I want to go get some to try tonight!
Laura
http://laurelandfern.com/
Great post! So far I like the 5-free Treat Collection nail polishes (German brand) the best! They perform just as well as my old OPI polishes 🙂 My picks are “Paris, Paris” for a gorgeous Spring tomato red, and “Fabulous” for a bright pink. They have a really modern and chic colour range that I love! (I just wish they didn’t have Benzophenone1) Also, I highly recommend the Treat Collection soy Nail Polish remover, it is amazing!!! Would like to try Kure Bazaar, Pacifica, and Tenoverten next! The “Think Dirty” app is the best! 🙂
Love this post! Yes, there are a lot of nail polish that’s super toxic. If you’re looking to make the switch, we also recommend trying SUGARLOOM Cosmetics. We’re fairly new, however, have a lot of pretty cool shades, encourage nail health / beauty and our instagram @sugarloomcosmetics has nail tutorials every Tuesday!
Visit here: http://www.sugarloomcosmetics.com
My friend started a line of really great polishes with cute food names.
http://www.palatepolish.com/
From her site: “Palate Polish is a small batch 5-free and vegan line with food inspired names.”
She has the best colors and is the sweetest human alive, it is worth checking out.
Just decided to do the same a few weeks ago. I tried two colours from the Body Shop and pretty happy with them ?
For a more comprehensive color range, I enjoy using Jamberry polishes (technically, lacquers). They may not come to mind as a natural nail polish, but they are also 5 free and are very vivid and lasting.
I fell in love with Jamberry Nail products. Even their TruShine Gel Enamel System is 5 Free and is salon quality. The variety and quality is amazing. Never had I purchased from a direct sales company, but I loved Jamberry Nail products so much that I became a consultant. Being able to use the products on my young daughter without worry sealed the deal.
https://sigsjam.jamberry.com/us/en/
Toxic nail polish?!? Now I don’t feel like such a schlub for never painting my nails! (I prefer them short, tidy, and natural pink). I do get the urge to paint them once in a blue moon, though…I’ll have to try one of these natural brands next time that happens.