9 Non-Toxic Nail Polish Brands For a Clean Manicure & Planet
A picture paints a thousand words—and conventional nail polish paints a thousand chemicals (literally).
But is there any non-toxic nail polish?
Yes and no.
To function the way we need it to, nail polish does need some chemicals, and while there are 100% natural iterations for children, they’re probably not suitable for adults’ needs.
Meanwhile, no one needs carcinogens or endocrine disruptors seeping into a lung or a nail bed.
So what’s a manicure lover to do?
The best solution is to remove the most harmful ingredients that could negatively affect our health, so really, it’s less a matter of finding toxic-free nail polish and more one of seeking less-toxic nail polish.
In the mani-pedi world, nail polish now comes labeled with a number and the word “free,” for example “10-free,” meaning it’s free of ten major chemicals in traditional nail products. (More on that later!)
Luckily, many natural nail polish brands are serving up the freshest contemporary nail looks without poisoning our health, or that of the nail technician’s.
Everything we recommend to you on Sustainable Jungle is independently researched and we ask all brands to confirm their claims. To avoid waste, we test products on an as needed basis. This post contains affiliate links. If you buy something through our links, we may earn a small commission. Learn more about why we do this here.
The Best Non-Toxic Nail Polishes to Paint On A Healthy Manicure
100% Pure sells 10-free, cruelty-free, and vegan non-toxic nail polish in gorgeous colors in support of homeless animals.
If you need the most all-natural nail lacquer that plants can provide, Nailtopia’s “all-free” formula is rich with botanicals, minerals, and vitamins that magically remains chemical and chip-free.
Looking for a mother-daughter manicure and pedicure?
Ella + Mila offer adorable sets for big ones and little ones to do their nails in tandem, as well as the non-toxic nail polish remover to take it off.
We promise it will be more exciting than watching (nail) paint dry skipping to the bottom to learn how we chose the safest nail polish brands.
The Full List Of Non-Toxic & Natural Nail Polish
1. 100% Pure
100% Pure’s Natural Nail Polish Colors
Price Range: $12
100% Pure offers natural nail polish that’s creamy in texture and glides onto nails smooth for a healthy shimmer.
It’s also at least 20-free, vegan, cruelty-free, made of ethically sourced ingredients in the USA, and naturally pigmented to avoid FD&C colorants and heavy metal dyes commonly used in traditional nail polishes.
Instead, they source pigments from veggies, tea, fruit, and cocoa.
We’re fans of the simplicity of natural color nail polish, so we went with the Camel-By-The-Sea when given the chance to try them out.
What we’re really impressed with, however, is its durability. While some organic nail polish brands sacrifice polish longevity for less toxic chemicals (which we 100% get!), this stuff actually stays put much longer than expected—even through the wear and tear of sustainable gardening season.
They also offer both a base and top coat non-toxic clear nail polish. The Horsetail Base Coat Polish is not only absent 20 common nail polish toxins, but is enriched with horsetail plant to strengthen nails.
About 100% Pure
100% Pure was founded by three friends who care about providing vegan, cruelty-free, palm-oil free natural beauty and skincare with conscience.
Because the definition of “natural” can be a murky one rife with greenwashing, 100% Pure provides their own:
“An ingredient or formula composed of plant, mineral, and/or marine vegetation that undergoes chemical changes due to biological processes such as fermentation, distillation, and cold processing.”
The California-based brand values philanthropy as much as they do a clean manicure, which is why they make pregnancy-safe makeup and skincare products (like organic tinted moisturizer) while also feeding homeless dogs and planting trees around the globe.
2. Nailtopia
Nailtopia’s Toxic-Free Nail Polish
Price Range: $5–$10
If you need the most non-toxic nail polish (pregnancy-safe included), Nailtopia calls their natural nail colors “all free” meaning they don’t miss just a few of the nasties—they manage to avoid them ALL.
These include toluene, xylene, acetone, phthalates (including DBP and DPHP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde releasers, tosylamide/formaldehyde resin, TPHP, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, glycol ethers of series E, organic sulfates, hydroquinone (HQ), 4-methoxyphenol (MEHQ), bisphenol A, parabens, methylisothiazolinone (MIT), triclosan, animal-derived ingredients, and gluten.
The brand goes above and beyond to ensure their ingredients replace petrochemicals and toxins with plant-based ingredients like wheat or potatoes, making them the closest thing to all-natural nail polish there is.
With a blend of real fruits, veggies, and superfoods that deliver vitamins, antioxidants, biotin, and minerals essential to nail health, reviews confirm this polish lasts a week before chipping.
More than fifty shades are available, ranging from metallic to matte and more. We love Green Goddess, which is a cream avocado green dream.
Wondering how long should you let your nails breathe between manicures?
It’s usually good to give them a break once a month, but Nailtopia’s polish is safe enough to not worry.
About Nailtopia
Nailtopia ensures they’re healthier for your nails by creating a PETA and Leaping Bunny-certified cruelty-free formula that is 85% bio-sourced and plant-based.
That makes Nailtopia a utopia, considering most brands come in at just 10% bio-based.
Nailtopia uses rigorous third-party audits on all manufacturers and verifies they have a green process for their bio-based lacquer biotechnology that reuses VOCs created by the incinerator and recycles 100% of solvents and water, all in all considerably reducing their carbon footprint.
Their nail polish caps our are biodegradable and degrade within six months.
3. Pacifica
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
Pacifica’s Natural Finger Nail Polish
Price Range: $10
Believe in magic with Pacifica’s Plant Magic Polish. It’s 80% bio-sourced, 16-free, and infused with bio-ceramics rich in calcium, magnesium, and trace elements to ensure a chip resistant formula.
Their polishes feature a flat brush that makes it easy to use, with full coverage in only a few swipes without bubbles, clumping, or streaking.
Available in more than twenty rich shades ranging from natural neutral nails shades to classic reds, vibrant holiday tones, and playful and trendy colors like Neon Watermelon or Tangerine Pop.
About Pacifica
Plant-based pioneer Pacifica comes from Oregon, offering beauty and skincare products that are 100% PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free and made of safe, clean ingredients.
What began 25 years ago with a VW van full of all-natural perfumes is now one of the most widely available vegan, safe nail polish and cosmetics brands around.
Pacifica is currently converting all shipping materials to 100% biodegradable boxes, containers, and packaging materials.
They support social causes like the ACLU, women and gay rights, voting rights, and animal wellness.
4. Ella + Mila
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
Ella + Mila’s Natural & Non-Toxic Nail Polishes
Price Range: $11–$16
Looking for nail polish you can wash the dishes in for a week and still have the perfect manicure?
Ella + Mila does just that in a chip-resistant, quick-dry and high-shine glass package.
This polish gives your fingernails a gorgeous look thanks to their pigment rich and smoothly finished 17-free nail colors–with fun names like Don’t Be Blue to boot.
Everything in their nail polish collection is safe enough for the fingers and toes of little ones, making it the perfect non-toxic nail polish for kids.
The brand’s Mommy & Me sets makes mother-daughter DIY manis simple by pairing a larger bottle with a littler, complementary color. And you can be sure every polish is 17-free, vegan friendly, and certified PETA cruelty-free.
We also love their soy-based natural nail polish remover.
About Ella + Mila
What began as an ode to the founder’s twins’ names and a quest for quality sustainable beauty became one of the hottest manicure brands.
The EWG gives many of the brand’s nail polishes a top score of 1, meaning it’s truly some of the safest and healthiest nail polish around.
Everything the brand offers is PETA-certified cruelty-free and vegan.
5. tenoverten
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
tenoverten’s Vegan Non-Toxic Nail Polishes
Price Range: $14–$18
Need the perfect red polish that glides on easily and stays on for days?
tenoverten’s nail polish in ruby-hued Ludlow is the perfect bold manicure.
If fire engine red isn’t your thing, the brand carries 44 different colors in total, all of which are 8-free and offer some good for our nails with harmful ingredients like vitamin E and aloe.
8-free means absent dibutyl phthalate, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and triphenyl phosphate.
Housed in a chic bottle, not only is tenoverten’s natural nail polish non-toxic, but gluten-free, vegan, cruelty-free, salon tested, naturally scented with essential oils, and made in the USA.
About tenoverten
In a market that oozes chemical-laden options, female-founded tenoverten sets their standards as sky-high as the Manhattan skyline where they first got their start.
For eleven years, the industry professionals have worked tirelessly to develop products with salon-quality results and safe ingredients.
Ingredients sourcing and shipping are likewise done consciously, plus they work with Chemwise to recycle any expired products, including every component of packaging like caps and brushes.
6. Habit
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
Habit’s Natural & Organic Nail Polishes
Price Range: $20
Make a habit of buying healthier beauty products with Habit, who sell 10-free, cruelty-free, gluten-free, and vegan nail color that’s made in the USA and infused with myrrh extract to improve nail strength.
This long-lasting non-toxic nail polish and non-toxic base coat nail polish is a home-pedicure and manicure favorite for its trendy colors like Terra.
What’s more, they’re sustainably packaged with an adorably eco-chic removable bamboo cap, recycled plastic inner cap, recycled plastic applicator brush, and FSC-certified paper boxes.
About Habit
Female-founded Habit was formed a decade ago when Aja couldn’t find a nail polish brand that ticked off her three boxes: a non-toxic formula that was actually good for her nails, with eye-popping on-trend colors, and sustainable packaging that would look chic on a bathroom counter.
After two years of scientific development, Habit was born.
Today, they’re the only polish brand using bamboo and recycled plastic packaging.
They’ve eliminated production on almost 300,000 pieces of traditional plastic components and saved 1,790 lbs of virgin plastic since 2014.
They’re also Leaping Bunny and PETA certified, and 1% For the Planet members, donating 2% of all sales to support ocean cleanup and fresh food equity.
7. Zoya
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
ZOYA’s Vegan Nail Polish
Price Range: $10–$14
ZOYA is one of the bigger names in the natural nail lacquer game, boasting a collection of 550+ colors—including various kinds of shimmery, glittery, or sheer natural nail polish like the Purity.
The cult nail polish pioneers began as 3-free, graduated to 5-free, and are now 10-free, plus vegan and cruelty-free.
It’s easy to find this non-toxic brand at most big stores and beauty salons, and there’s usually a choice of a thinner or wider brush depending on your preference.
While you know you’ll never find formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate, toluene, camphor, TPHP, parabens, xylene, ethyl tosylamide or lead here, Zoya does not publish a full formula list online. We’ll touch base for more details.
About ZOYA
ZOYA was created by Zoya herself (and her chemist husband) in her salon when she was pregnant, looking for a healthier formula for her baby, herself, and everyone else.
As the first 10-free, breathable nail polish created for extended wear on natural nails, few brands have managed to surpass what ZOYA has: smooth application, high quality finish, and a formula that lasts more than three weeks depending on use.
Nail enthusiasts realize what a unicorn this is!
8. Zao Organic Makeup
Zao Organic Makeup’s Non-Toxic & Organic Nail Polish
Price Range: $20
French brand Zao Organic offers clean nail polishes that are not only 10-free, vegan, and cruelty-free, but also 65% to 99% bio-based (from bamboo extract, corn, potatoes, manioc and wheat.)
Rich in organic silica, Zao’s nail lacquers make nail beds harder and stronger.
Nail brushes are broad and flat, which allows a perfect application of the varnish on the entire nail.
Their products dry quickly, feature great coverage, and they’re long-lasting, plus they sell a natural nail polish remover.
Given that the brand is French, we couldn’t resist the ooh la la organic glamor of their French Manicure set.
About Zao Organic Makeup
Zao Organic Makeup began in 2012 with four French friends who were lovers of nature and aware of the negative impact of our consumption on the environment. Together, they decided to develop a brand of organic makeup aligned with their values.
Everything is Ecocert certified and PETA certified animal testing free and without animal ingredients.
All ingredients used by this sustainable makeup brand are available online.
Packaging is more sustainable than most, featuring a biodegradable bamboo lid and reusable glass bottle.
Zao participates in a social project designed to promote food autonomy in Benin. Specifically, they’ve helped local women from two distinct communities set up their own farm businesses.
9. Sienna
*Note: We are confirming policies directly with this brand.
Sienna’s Non-Toxic Nail Polish
Price Range: $28
Modern and bold nails don’t need to hurt animals, our health, or the planet, and Sienna is here to prove it with non-toxic, Benzo-free, and breathable natural nail polish.
This cult nail polish brand is the first glitter free, microplastic free, and nano-particle free nail polish in the world.
Their recently launched plant-based formula includes ingredients like sugar cane, manioc, cotton, and corn with little to no waste by-product.
They’ve also replaced their former plastic caps with recycled timber wood ones, so nail-art-loving conscious consumers can choose from a wide range of colors with a conscience.
Our favorites of their quick drying polish are their bold summer matte-finish hues like Tango orange or Sunflower yellow.
About Sienna
To walk their talk, Certified B Corp Sienna ensures sustainability is at the core of everything they do, ranging from more conscious compostable and recyclable packaging to an office and warehouse powered by 100% renewable energy, to show their dedication to eco-friendly practices.
Sienna also bears Leaping Bunny and MADE SAFE certification.
Production happens directly with a raw ingredients green industry manufacturer in France and Sienna runs an in-house recycling program so customers can return their empties.
Sienna gives back by partnering with local charities like Future Dreamers and Rafiki Mwema through ongoing sponsorships.
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Why Choose healthy nail polish?
We get it. The terms “non-toxic,” “natural,” and even “organic” can be tricky in the clean beauty world, since they lack universal definitions and many brands claim them without certifications to back them up.
So what makes gel polish and nail polish toxic?
As more nail brands agree on what is toxic or not, ingredients are increasingly more transparent and there is an agreed upon list of what harsh chemicals to avoid.
Nowadays, non-toxic nail polishes most often come labeled as “3-free,” which means a polish is made without formaldehyde (a human carcinogen), toluene (a common solvent), and dibutyl phthalate (chemical irritant).
Then there are 4-free, 5-free, 6-free, and so on—all the way up to 21-free, meaning there are twenty-one common toxins eliminated from the nail polish formula.
Basically, the higher the number of “free,” the safer and more natural the nail polish is going to be.
In our non-medical professional opinion, the cocktail of confusing chemical names we most want to avoid when purchasing a new bottle are:
- Dibutyl Phthalate DBP: a chemical irritant that makes polish last longer.
- Toluene: dangerous to inhale. Common solvent.
- Formaldehyde: A known human carcinogen.
- Formaldehyde resin: Toxic inhalant. Harms organs and nervous system.
- Camphor: Gives polish a gloss. Causes nausea, dizziness, and headaches when inhaled.
- Parabens: A preservative that can disrupt hormones and might cause cancer.
- Xylene: Thins nail polish. Its inhaled vapors can cause skin and eye irritation, headaches, dizziness and nausea.
- Phthalates: Used for making nails less brittle, it’s a worrisome endocrine disruptor linked to hormone changes, diabetes, and thyroid irregularities.
- Triphenyl phosphate (TPHP): Used as a plasticizer, and is a suspected irritant that negatively affects the liver and kidneys.
- Tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP): Possibly toxic to lungs, blood, and liver.
- Ethyl tosylamide: banned from cosmetics in the EU, but still used in the US. Likely causes developmental and reproductive toxicity.
It’s not hard to find a 10-free polish now, which is why we suggest it as your bare minimum. (If you’re asking, “Is Essie polish non-toxic?”, the answer is it’s currently 8-free).
As for non-toxic gel nail polish…it doesn’t exist yet.
How We Chose The Best Natural Nail Polish
What’s the healthiest way to get your nails done?
Painting your nails for your next big life event doesn’t have to come with the toxic ingredients of bygone days.
Unless you’re reaching for a nail polish from twenty years ago or something from the dollar store, natural nail color is sold everywhere.
To choose the best non-toxic nail polish brands, we turned to our ethical and sustainable beauty criteria to apply the healthiest nail polish.
We want sustainable beauty brands to satisfy as many of these criteria as possible:
- Non-toxic
- Vegan and cruelty-free
- Palm oil free
- Ethical ingredient sourcing
- Thoughtful packaging: This was a tricky one for nail polish, but we were happy to find a few brands with an innovative sustainable approach replacing plastic caps with wooden ones.
Final Thoughts On Natural Nail Polish Ideas
Life is too short to have boring nails.
We want nail polish that makes us look bold and beautiful without poisoning our nail beds or salon technician… or our organs or reproductive systems.
We don’t need carcinogens, endocrine disruptors, toxic dyes, or petrochemicals like regular nail polish does to look hand model level gorgeous.
A shop for any one of these best natural nail polishes is a vote for a cleaner, healthier body and environment.
Plus, why not peruse around for some eco-friendly hand soap or zero waste lotions while you’re on the journey of beautifying your hands and feet?
Because when you join the clean beauty movement, you help clean the entire Earth—and your personal health and wellness.
Next time your pedicure-going pal asks, “What is the healthiest nail polish?”, slide this article into their inbox to brighten their nails with some non-toxic love.
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