Queen of Green: 3 Non-Toxic Nail Polish Lines for Less

Don't let the labels fool you: Even so-called "non-toxic" nail polish is still considered hazardous waste. Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, founder of  EcoStiletto and Shoestring's very own Queen of Green, shares her expertise so that we can make safer, more eco-friendly choices when it comes to that quintessential girly pastime: painting our nails.

Can nail polish be "natural?" Let's get real: No matter how many eco-friendly labels get slapped on the bottles, most of these products do contain chemicals, some of which can be dangerous to our health and to the environment. Don't let those labels fool you: Even so called "non-toxic" polishes should be disposed of as hazardous waste according to Earth911.com.

Remember, unless a beauty product is USDA Certified Organic, its manufacturer is not required to list ingredients on the label. Which is why we get the ambiguous listing of "fragrance," which can mean 3,100 different chemicals. Literally.

But what about "organic?" The omnipresent word is defined by the Random House Dictionary as "noting or pertaining to a class of chemical compounds that formerly comprised only those existing in or derived from plants or animals, but that now includes all other compounds of carbon."

Basically, "organic" material comes from formerly living substances and is not necessarily good for you. Think motor oil. Organic? Yes. USDA Certified Organic? No.

But, we digress. Even an ecoista uses nail polish at least once in a while! Here's what you need to know:

BYE, BYE BIG THREE: HELLO, RESIN

Most of the major polish brands are going "big three free," meaning they've taken the three most well-known toxic ingredients — formaldehyde, toluene, and dibutyl phthalate (DBP) — out of their formulas. But some still contain chemical solvents, typically acetate derivatives (that's the stuff that makes it stinky). And some have gotten flak for "hidden" ingredients like formaldehyde resin, which may not be listed on labels.

OPI
OPI is one of those brands: The industry's biggest name has taken the toxic trifecta out of their best-selling polishes, but they do include formaldehyde resin and acetate derivatives in their formulations. According to OPI chemist Paul Bryson, the difference between formaldehyde and formaldehyde resin can be confusing. "Formaldehyde is one of the raw materials that is used to make resin, but...when the resin is made, the formaldehyde molecule is torn apart: part of it becomes a water molecule and part of it is incorporated permanently into the resin molecule." Not to get all chemical on you or anything, but Bryson also notes that formaldehyde's highly reactive carbon-oxygen double bond also disappears in the process, meaning OPI's big-three-free polishes probably won't blow up if you light them on fire. (Ahem...please don't test this theory at home!)

A TRACE OF ACETATE

SpaRitual ($10 and up)
Orly revolutionized nails when founder Jeff Pink introduced the French manicure in 1975; daughter-in-law Shel Pink was one of the first, in 2004, to create a vegan polish that eliminated DBP, toluene, formaldehyde (and formaldehyde resin), and phthalate derivatives, synthetic dyes, parabens, and petrochemicals. Although the formulas do include butyl and ethel acetate, the color selection and hipness factor of SpaRitual polishes can't be beat.

Firozé ($14 and up)
Paraben-free Firozé claims to be the first polish company to have taken out DBP (in 1999). Their polishes do include butyl and ethel acetate but no toluene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin. Firozé also fortifies their polishes with herbs, vitamins, essentials oils and soy and rice polymers; their acetone-free polish remover is made with corn. And they never, ever test on animals.

What's the most non-toxic nail polish on the market? Find out more on EcoStiletto's beauty page and sign up for the weekly EcoStiletto newsletter, where Rachel and her team give away $250 worth of sustainable swag each week to one lucky subscriber!

Story: Copyright 2010, Shoestring LLC & EcoStiletto.com. Image: