The Truth About Nailpolish

Let´s be honest, do you read the ingredients of the cosmetics you use? And do you know what are those ingredients? Well, I never cared. Why would I? I grew up using creams, shampoos, make-up and my favorite: nail polish. I was never aware of the ingredients until I started to walk this conscious path of mine. I do my best to stay away from animal products in my food, and now I am doing the same to stay away from cosmetics that have animal ingredients in it or has  been tested on animals. One day, out of curiosity, I took a nail polish bottle and I was surprised that I actually did not know any of these ingredients. While doing research I found out that some of the bottles containes toxic ingredients like:

-Toluene: a solvent, degreases the skin and may lead to inflammation.
-Dibutyl phthalate and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP): a plasticizer.
-Formaldehyde- resin: a colorless, flammable, strong-smelling chemical that is used in building materials and to produce many household products.
-Colophonium: a sticky flammable substance.
-Paraben: a chemical preservatives. It´s not proven to be bad, but also not proven to be totally ok to use it on a regular basis.
-Xylol: a solvent. May be a health hazard when absorbed through the skin and the respiratory tract.
-Acetone: a chemical solvent.
-Silicone: Recognize by the names that end in -cone or -siloxane.

Besides, some of the bottles contains animal-derived ingredients. Why on earth would there be animal-derived substances in your nail polish?! Still, I´m in shock. Animal-derived ingredients that can be found in nail polish are:

-Guanine: It might be listed as ‘pearl essence’. But guanine is derived from fish scales and acids that are located in animal tissue. You’re most likely to find it in products that have a shimmery, pearly effect. Or in glitter polish colors.
-Carmine: Red hues of nail polish are a warning sign, they often contain carmine. By boiling and crushing beetles, the red color is created and that’s what gives the color.
-Oleic Acid: Comes from the hard fat found at the animal’s kidneys, stomach, and other organs. In cosmetics, oleic acid can be used to thicken a solution.

One of my new goals is to find as much as possible animal-friendly products and add them to my daily basis. While searching for a vegan and non-toxic brand,  I found the German brand OZN. They are an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional nail polishes.

The nail polish looks just like a regular one. Though the smell is less strong and the covering is as good as a normal one. The paint dries very fast. When I used the color pink, I needed two coats, whereas the color red and black only needed one. The biggest surprise for me was the nail polish remover. It is odorless! And after I used it I felt my nails rather soft and oily than dry.

As you see above, OZN has a wide color palette. A bottle costs 14,90€.
You can shop them online HERE or at The Beauty Editor in Amsterdam at the Eerste Van der Helstraat 1 A25

I hope you enjoy this post and please let me know in the comments below if you know of any other vegan, cruelty-free and less toxic nail polish brands.

With love,

Alisson