clean beauty
Non-toxic nail care
Find non-toxic nail polish & zero waste nail care products
If you want truly zero-waste, non-toxic nail care, that would most likely involve skipping nail polish altogether. Although there are some great companies who are using vegan ingredients, petrochemicals are hard to omit, as well as other synthetic substances. But if a good mani-pedi is your favorite way of pampering yourself and you’re not willing to forego the indulgence, there are plenty of safer products available to decrease your exposure to other chemicals.
Learn more about how to find sustainable, non-toxic beauty products here.
Non-Toxic Nail Polish
A 2015 study found that chemicals from nail polish can absorb through our nails and into our bodies. The three worst chemicals to avoid are formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate. Polishes without these ingredients are often labeled “three-free.” Other companies go even further removing additional chemicals, and you will find other numbers before the -free.
A 100% natural nail polish doesn’t exist, at least that I have found, but the following brands are the some of the top-rated non-toxic nail polish brands I have discovered.
- Karma Naturals – 21-free – vegan and PETA Approved
- Ella + Mila – 17-free – Their polish is also vegan and Leaping Bunny and PETA certified. This brand can also be found at Target.
- Terra Beauty Bars – 10-free – This company is Latina, veteran, female-owned, and family operated. Their plant-based, vegan products are cruelty-free, Leaping Bunny & PETA Approved. Items are handmade and packaged to be plastic neutral. The company also works with the non-profit One Tree Planted. Terra Beauty Bars is also available on Grove.
- Essie – 8-free – products are 100% vegan with no animal testing. Their LOVE by essie nail polishes are made from 80% plant-based sources, such as sugar cane, corn and cotton. These replace the conventional petrochemical based formulas. The other 20% include mineral based and organic pigments, mineral suspension agents that keeps pigments suspended in the formula, and synthetic ingredients to improve shine and performance. Essie brand products are also found on Amazon.
- Ten Over Ten – 8-free – polishes are vegan, cruelty-free, and they work with Chemwise to recycle past-their-prime products.
Glamour has a great article and list of 21 non-toxic polish options.
How to recycle nail polish bottles
Nail polish bottles are very difficult to recycle. It is technically possible to recycle the glass bottle if you are willing to put in the work–pouring nail polish remover into the bottle, shake, and dump out the contents, repeating until clear. I’m not sure how the eco-friendly this practice using lots of polish remover and water compares versus just tossing it.
- Cote accepts their brand’s empty bottles will give you 10% off a future purchase.
- Glo Recycling offers a beauty bucket for purchase that will recycle nail polish & remover bottles, as well as empty cologne/perfume bottles.
Non-Toxic Nail Polish Remover
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics recommends avoiding acetone, as well as methyl ethyl ketone and n-methyl-pyrrolidone. Read their article here.
- I like this acetone-free, soy oil and lavendar polish remover by Karma Naturals. Also available for purchase on Amazon.
- Terra Beauty Bars makes a similar option, which is also available from Grove.
I personally don’t like using my reusable cotton pads for removing nail polish. Make sure you have 100% cotton or bamboo rounds in plastic-free packaging. Organyc cotton rounds are made from organic cotton and come in biodegradable/compostable packaging.
Recycle polish remover bottles
Both of these polish removers are packaged in glass bottles, which are recyclable wherever glass is accepted. The Karma Naturals bottle has an aluminum cap that can be recycled curbside; the Terra Beauty Bars would have to be recycled with other beauty packaging at a drop-off like Nordstrom Beautycycle.
Eco-Friendly Nail Tools
Nail Clippers
- Terra Beauty Bars stainless steel flat edge nail clippers come without outer packaging. They also offer a 7-Piece Minimalist Starter Nail Kit or 9-Piece Essentials Nail Kit, with the same contents plus a Top/Base Coat & Color of Choice.
- Public Goods set of 2 clippers, in matte black stainless steel, and lead-free.
Can you recycle nail clippers?
Stainless steel clippers are recyclable, although their small size is limiting and they may need to be taken to a scrap metal recycler.
Zero Waste Cuticle Cream
- Badger Balm Cuticle Care – USDA Certified Organic + GMO-free ingredients, including shea butter. Packaged in a tin. Also available from Grove & EarthHero.
- Burt’s Bees 100% Natural Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream – Also available at Grove
Recycle
Metal tin can be recycled curbside; Burt’s Bees free Terracycle program, or Nordstrom Beautycycle.
Zero Waste Nail File
Ditch the disposable emery boards and buy a reusable nail file.
- I am currently using this OPI Crystal nail file. I really like it, except for that it arrived inside a plastic tube.
- Terra Crystal Nail File is another glass option. Available from Grove as well.
- Tenoverten’s The Shaper nail file is made from stainless steel.
Recycle
Disposable emery boards cannot be recycled. Broken or dull glass nail files are recyclable with other glass.
Eco-Friendly Nail Brush
Zefiro Bamboo Soft Nail Brush – made from bamboo and natural boar bristles; compostable. Available to buy on EarthHero.