5 of the Best Clean Nail Polish Brands
Image: @jinsoon
As natural body products have flooded the market, so too has awareness has grown of the toxic ingredients we have been slathering ourselves with for decades.
While strides have been taken to educate ourselves and replace harmful products with all-natural alternatives, it seems that one area has been overlooked: Our nails. Don’t be fooled; nails are not as strong as you think. They are porous, which means they absorb the substances that are put on them. Nail polish, we are looking at you!
Sadly, no nail polish is totally free of chemicals, but several brands have strived to eliminate harmful ingredients like formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate, and toluene amongst others. Some brands utilise a 3, 5, 8, 10 and 12-FREE labelling system which refers to the number of potentially-harmful chemicals the nail polish is free of.
To help you replace those toxin-ridden polishes as well as trips to the nail salon, we have selected 5 of the best clean nail polish brands from both near and far.
The Best Clean Nail Polish Brands
Butter London
Image: @butterlondon
Butter London is a feel-good beauty brand inspired by the streets of London. The company was born in 2005 to offer a ‘toxin-free nail lacquer without compromising on colour, quality, wit or performance.’ Butter London found success with their 3-Free range of nail lacquers and has since gone on to become 10-Free.
The brand has amassed over 150k followers on Instagram, unsurprising given their collections of luxurious toxin-free lacquers with colours ranging from subtle sheer nudes, candy floss pastels and bold corals and reds.
Scout
Image: @scoutactivebeauty
Australian made and owned, Scout’s range of products are made "to provide a safer alternative to products that are laden with chemicals and harmful ingredients." The brand harnesses the power of Australian nature, using only the highest quality, sustainably and ethically sourced ingredients.
Scout offers a range of gorgeous colours from winter pinks and summer nudes to timeless reds and palm beach blues. The polishes are free from harmful chemicals and toxins and enriched with high-quality ingredients such as camellia oil, celery seed, bamboo and broccoli seed extract.
Sienna Byron Bay
Image: Sienna Byron Bay
Danielle Egan created Sienna Byron Bay in 2013. Her nail products, once sold at the Byron Bay Community Markets, are now stocked in 20 countries worldwide. Not only is the local brand luxurious but it's also sustainable, ethically produced, vegan and cruelty-free. The company is accredited by Safe Cosmetics Australia and are certified by Made Safe who have analysed every single ingredient, deeming Sienna Byron Bay the cleanest on the market.
The initial range of 13 nature-inspired colours has expanded to more than 40, with colours added seasonally. Collections include Summer Love, Enchanted Dreams, Poetry and Naturally Byron—of course.
Jin Soon
Image: @jinsoon
Jin Soon Choi, the New York ‘Nail Guru’ who had Sarah Jessica Parker as a regular, debuted her eponymous collection in 2012. As one of the world’s most influential nail artists, her range of luxe nail polishes tick all the boxes with their long-lasting, vegan-friendly and 9/10-Free formulations.
The brand is stocked at Mecca and offers an extensive range of elegant and fun colours from bashful powder pinks to dark, moody blues.
Smith & Cult
Image: @smithandcult
Founded by Dineh Mohajer and Jeanne Chavez, Smith & Cult is a clean, cruelty-free and gluten-free brand of nail polishes from the US. The brand oozes cool and prides itself on providing pigmentation to match your personality.
Their collection of innovative products is 8-Free and offers every shade under the sun from sugary whites and glittering silvers to chip-proof purples and pinks.
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