A picture paints a thousand words—and conventional nail polish paints a thousand chemicals (literally). Yet to function the way we need it to, nail polish does need some chemicals, so the trick isn’t so much finding 100% natural nail polish, but non-toxic nail polish.
The best solution is to remove the most harmful ingredients that could negatively affect our health. No one needs carcinogens or endocrine disruptors seeping into a lung or a nail bed, after all. To this end, 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.
In seeking natural nail polish brands moving forward, we’ll be launching our new Brand Rating System to extend what we look for to 22 criteria. Ingredient safety aside, these include supply chain safety concerns, diversity considerations, and much more that you can learn about here.
We independently research all featured brands and we ask them to confirm their claims. In many cases we personally review recommended products. This post contains affiliate links which means we may earn a commission if you buy something. Learn more 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.
Index: Non-Toxic & Natural Nail Polish
- 100% Pure Jump to brand
- Nailtopia Jump to brand
- Pacifica Jump to brand
- Ella + Mila Jump to brand
- Tenoverten Jump to brand
- Zoya Jump to brand
- Zao Organic Makeup Jump to brand
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 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, thanks to natural beauty items that they define as:
“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, while also feeding shelter dogs and planting trees around the globe.
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. 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.
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.
Pacifica
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 began 25 years ago with a VW van. They come from Oregon, offering beauty and skincare products that are 100% PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free. They support social causes like the ACLU, women and gay rights, voting rights, and animal wellness, and are currently converting packaging to biodegradable materials.
Ella + Mila
Ella + Mila’s Natural & Non-Toxic Nail Polishes
Price Range: $11–$16
Ella + Mila makesnail polish you can wash the dishes in for a week and still have the perfect manicure, all 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 became one of the hottest manicure brands. The EWG gives many of their products a top safety score of 1, meaning it’s truly some of the safest and healthiest nail polish around. Everything is PETA-certified cruelty-free and vegan.
Tenoverten
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, it’s 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.
Zoya
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. It’s relatively easy to find this brand at most big stores and beauty salons, and there’s usually a choice of a thinner or wider brush depending on your preference.
The cult nail polish pioneers began as 3-free, graduated to 5-free, and are now 10-free, plus vegan and cruelty-free. 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.
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.
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. Or for some ooh la la organic glamor, don’t miss 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. 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.
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.
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. It’s not hard to find a 10-free polish now, which is why we suggest it as your bare minimum.
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: Chemical irritant that makes polish last longer.
- Toluene: A dangerous to inhale but 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, but these endocrine disruptors are 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.
As for non-toxic gel nail polish…it doesn’t exist yet.
