Honeybee Gardens WaterColors Nail Polishes

Your typical nail polish contains a toxic cocktail of chemicals directly linked to cancer and birth defects: phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is also known to cause itching and burning of the skin and has been banned for use in cosmetics in Japan and Sweden, while toluene is known to cause brittle, chipped nails.

Toss out toxic offenders. You can still have pretty polished nails with safer polishes that look just as good and are available in just about every color under the sun.

In this guide, you'll find recommendations for polishes, polish removers, polish alternatives, and what to look for at a salon.

Safer Nail Polishes
Give these polishes a try. They contain no phthalates, toluene, or formaldehyde, and work exceptionally well.

    Kaia House Bio-Polish
    in San Francisco

• Kaia House carries thousands of natural products that they screen ingredient by ingredient for toxic chemicals. The company has its own brand of Bio-Polishes in seven shades ranging from a clear top and base coat, light nudes, and beautiful brights, including a wonderful pink called San Francisco and a bold coral called St. Barths. I’ve tried these and found that they look as good and last as long as any polish. They’re available for $9.80 a bottle at KaiaHouse.com.

• Jessica Cosmetics polishes have been free of the toxic trio since 2004 and wear beautifully. This line includes more than 200 shades with new colors out each season, as well as a host of nail care products, including special products just for pedicures and many nail treatments. These polishes also wear just as well as a traditional polish. The line is available in more than 28 countries in salons, spas, stores, and at jessicacosmetics.com. $7 a bottle.

• SpaRitual has a gorgeous selection of more than 80 colors with new fashion-forward shades introduced each season – everything from an icy white to a deep chocolate brown. These also wear just as well as a traditional polish. They're available at higher end salons and spas, like ZaZa Nail Spa in South Park, TipToes in Potrero Hill, and Nordstrom Spas. $9 a bottle.

      Jessica, SpaRitual, and Acquarella Polishes

• Water-based polishes – like those by Acquarella and Honeybee Gardens – are perhaps the safest of all and the most pleasant to use. Water-based polishes are either totally or mostly odor-free – yes, a polish that won't stink up a room – because they're made without chemical solvents. These look just as lovely as other polishes but I found that they don’t tend to last as long. Still they're a great choice if you can't stand that nail polish smell, and want something even safer and less likely to cause irritation. Acquarella Nail Polishes are $18 a bottle. Honeybee Gardens are $6.99.

Other brands to consider are Sante Kosmetics, Priti Organics, and Zoya. Some lines sold at drugstores, like Revlon and L’oreal, have even come out with polishes free of phthalates, toluene, and formaldehyde so check those ingredient listings.

     Honeybee Gardens Odorless Polish
     Remover

Safer, More Gentle Polish Removers
Some companies also make safer, more gentle polish removers that work very well even though they’re made without harsh solvents, like acetone, so they don’t have that awful remover smell and are gentle on nails and the surrounding skin – no burning or drying. Try Kaia House Soy Polish Remover ($9.50), Honeybee Gardens Odorless Nail Polish Remover ($6.99), Aquarella Remover ($6, just for water-based polish).

Other Products to Consider
You can undo the chemical damage from conventional polishes by drawing out the toxins from other polishes and getting rid of the yellowing caused by most bright polishes with Acquarella Conditioner ($18), according to a company representative. It’s also designed to moisturize and strengthen nails. Another option is to skip polish altogether. You can get a beautiful look just by using a buffer. The Acquarella Buffer Kit ($4.55) gave my nails amazing shine. Buffers also help polish stay on better and revitalize the shine of polish you’re already wearing.

When Visiting a Salon
“If you are having your mani/pedi done, avoid salons where you can smell the nail polish vapors,” recommends Julie Gabriel, author of The Green Beauty Guide. “Check if the room has decent ventilation and at least try not to inhale the fumes.”