Nail polish can be a fashion statement or some consider it a necessary part of their outfit. Doing my nails is my hobby and I am obsessed with nail polish. Let’s be honest: I probably do them 2-3 times a week when I’m not overwhelmed by schoolwork. There are quite a few blogs and tutorials about how to accomplish different techniques and designs. There are so many people who love nail polish as well and there are many groups to join to find the best sales and best brands. But how does this apply to you? Are you a vegetarian or a vegan? Just don’t like cruelty to animals? Or maybe you want to learn why there has been all of hype around 3- and 5-free polishes. I’ll address some of those questions here.

I will begin by talking about the vegan nail polishes that spurred that question. In order for a brand or specific nail polish to be considered vegan, they must not test on animals and they cannot contain any sort animal by-product. Well, aren’t all polishes vegan? No. The metallic colors or the sparkles you love are usually made from fish scales. Having a lot of friends who are vegetarian or vegan, I know this makes a huge difference to them.

Another thing that people don’t know about nail polish what some are made from. You may see brands that say 3- or 5-Free. What does that mean? It means that they are free of that many toxic chemicals that one normally finds in nail polishes. First is the dibutyl phthalate (DBP) which can cause reproductive impairments, mostly in males. Toluene can lead to liver and kidney damage and can cause damage to fetuses. Formaldehyde, which they use to embalm bodies and prolonged exposure has been linked with leukemia. The 5-Free polishes are without the previous toxins as well as camphor and formaldehyde resin, which also cause negative effects on the body. Read more here!

But one day I was asked, “How is that sustainable?” That is a very good question, so I began to research it. I was able to find a list of polish brands that are 5-free, vegan, and they are sustainable!

You can see the list here: Sustainable Nail Polish?  One of the brands that made the list is Zoya, which is my favorite brand of polish and products. They have a huge array of colors and their polish remover does not smell horrid like others. Zoya tries to promote sustainable efforts and every year (around Earth Day) they will let you exchange your unwanted polishes for a half-price discount on just as many new Zoya polishes in order to be able to dispose of the nail polish responsibly.

So next time you think about polishing your nails, think about how that polish was made and what the ingredients are. Being conscientious and knowledgeable about what you use and how you live your life can lead to a better life for everyone on the planet.

-Danielle Woodberry, Sustainability Intern

Read more about Danielle’s nail polish endeavors on her blog!