Let’s be honest: natural and organic beauty don’t quite go hand in hand with nail polish. Nail polish has arguably some of the most toxic and harmful ingredients when it comes to beauty products. Enter the world of “non-toxic” nail polish. In this guide, I’ll be breaking down what ingredients are removed from 3-free, 5-free, and 10-free nail polishes to make them a little less toxic.
Does non-toxic nail polish exist?
I’ll start with a preface that when I say nontoxic nail polish, what I really mean in context here is less toxic nail polish. Almost all nail polishes are formulated with polymers and solvents. There’s really no such thing as completely nontoxic natural nail polish (unless you’re rubbing beetroot to stain on your nails, let’s be real)! Ultimately, you want nail polish with lower chemicals for a healthier manicure.
Navigating buying nail polish can be super confusing with all the marketing terms thrown around. Be wary of buying nail polish just because it claims to be “XX-free,” nontoxic, or toxic-free, as it can be misleading.
So what does 3-free, 5-free, and even 10-free nail polish really mean?
What is 3-free nail polish?
3-free nail polish takes away the following ingredients:
Formaldehyde
Toluene
DBP
What is 5-free nail polish?
5-free nail polish takes away the following ingredients: formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, and…
Formaldehyde resin
Camphor
What is 7-free nail polish?
Taking it up another notch, there’s 7-free nail polish which removes not only formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, and…
Xylene
Ethyl Tosylamide
What is 10-free nail polish?
Finally, 10-free (and more!), which excludes all of the above ingredients, plus they may exclude a variety of ingredients such as:
Phosphates
Parabens
Benzophenones
Hydroquinones
Phthalates
Synthetic Fragrance
Acetone
Silicones
Haloorganic Compounds
Bisphenol A (BPA)
Microplastics
Mineral Oil
Gluten
Insert my favorite nail polish and care brand, Gelcare!
“We’re Gelcare, a nail care brand, and it’s time to become your own nail artist. Our mission is to elevate the at-home experiences, focusing on providing beauty lovers with a refined approach to nail care.”
“Gelcare is stocked exclusively at Gelcare’s flagship salon and store, Le Manoir. Founded in 2012 and based in Montreal, Le Manoir is recognized as one of the top nail salons in Canada. It is our founder’s signature manicure techniques and unparalleled standard of service that have established her and her team as best in class. Le Manoir artists are renowned for their impeccable artistry and unprecedented ability to grow and strengthen their customers’ natural nails. Through Gelcare, our goal is to pass along this expertise to you.”
Gelcare not only provides good-for-you gel nail polish but a library of colors to suit every mood, event, and spring tone.
While my sheer obsession with Gelcare might sound sponsored, it is absolutely not! Before I found Gelcare, I was constantly searching for a good-for-you gel polish that was top-tier in quality and actually lasted on my nails. Gelcare ticks all of the boxes for me, and the colors are the icing on top of the cake! Here are a few of my favorites:
Barbara Pink
Kelly Green
Rosewater
Rosso Corsa
South Sea Pearl
