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Eco-Friendly Nail Polish: Our Favs

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If winter’s got you down, there’s nothing like a pretty shade of pink to perk a gal up. A pink nail polish, that is. If you haven’t read our previous post on doing your own eco manicure, you’ll want to start there. In four easy, inexpensive, DIY steps, you can prep those nails for any shade under the sun. But before you pick out a pleasing color, consider the dangerous chemicals contained in traditional nail polishes: dibutyl phthalate (DBP), used to prevent chipping in nail polishes, formaldehyde, a preservative, and toluene have all been known to cause cancer in lab animals, as well as developmental and reproductive toxicity

Best Eco-Friendly Nail Polish

And they looked so innocent in their colorful bottles, displayed like candy for our tootsies!

No fear…there are a handful of great companies that offer safe alternatives to the chemical-laden nail polishes of the past. Get your fingers on one of these brands and you can relax, like a good manicure should allow.

1. Manufactured in the U.S., water-based and non-toxic, åcquarella nail polish is also non-flammable and free from toxic fumes. Acquarella comes in twenty-five shades, including metallics, crèmes and shimmers. They retail for $18.

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2. Polished Mama water-based nail polishes were designed for moms-to-be (which is, of course, is code for this is so safe you can have it near your unborn child). A true family business, Polished Mama was started by an RN, with help from her husband and his father, and organic chemist. The polish is available in twelve colors and retails for $8.50 a bottle.

3. Zoya is not only free of all the aforementioned nasty chemicals, it’s also vegan friendly. Of the brands highlighted here, Zoya is the most recognized and easily found in nail salons, and their website is the most accessible as well (try their live chat customer service if you need help – ahhh, a real human being, how retro). Zoya offers nail polishes in a plethora of colors. Purchase them in packs of six for $36 for the best savings. Individually they sell for $7.

4. If you’re lucky enough to be located near them in New York City, you should go to Rescue Beauty Lounge to get a clean, good pedicure. Not from NYC? No prob…you can still benefit from Rescue Beauty’s awesome line of nail polishes. When you see colors like Frugalista, a gunmetal color shot through with purple glitter, or Grunge, described as “a moody pinkish grey with a dash of lilac” you won’t mind the $18 cost per bottle.

5. The most eco-friendly nail polish, overall, goes to Priti nail polish. Priti’s entire product line is non-toxic with ingredients derived from organically grown sources. Promotional and marketing materials for the company are printed on 100% recyclable paper, their nail polish bottles are completely recyclable, and even their website utilizes ThinkHost, a web host that provides solar and wind powered energy. Priti nail polishes are available in over 100 colors and cost $12.50 per bottle. Four Priti Princess colors, targeted at young girls, cost $10 a bottle.