Beneath The Varnish

Warm weather and days spent at the beach invite the inevitable desire to gloss on a bright summer nail polish. But before you open up that bottle of 'Bermuda Blue' consider the common chemicals found in nail polish.

The Problem

There are three big 'Uh Oh' ingredients commonly found in nail polish: formaldehyde- a known carcinogen, dibutyl phthalate- a suspected reproductive toxin, and toluene- known for skin and respiratory irritation. In addition, to remove the polish you need to use a remover containing a new chemical cocktail.

What Can I Use Instead?

A variety of companies have begun to formulate polish without these three chemicals. Avoiding these chemicals doesn't mean you have to skimp on colour options or quality- I recommend Cheeky Monkey polish, which is formulated without formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, camphor and parabens. Natural removers can be difficult to find, but I recommend Suncoat's Natural Nail Polish Remover Gel. 


I suggest taking a look at the Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to find more products and options to make your manicure worry-free.