Ideal Bite

Want to have sassy nails now that gardening season is coming to a close?

09.13.2005

Submitted by idealbite on Tue, 09/13/2005 - 5:00pm.

The Bite:

Regular nail polishes might be gorgeous, but they contain a hefty amount of toxins that can stay in your system. The CDC found that every person they tested during a recent study had some level of these toxins in their systems - and women of childbearing age had the highest levels of all: due in particular to nail polish use. While there is no nail polish that is completely natural, there are fortunately several alternatives out there that do not contain the worst chemicals, so take a step toward being a little more natural, without giving up a little glam.

The Benefits:

Odor-free and often water-based, allowing the nail to breathe.
Usually non-allergenic, containing no preservatives or synthetic fragrances.
Free of dangerous chemicals that have been known to cause birth defects of the male reproductive system: no formaldehyde, toluene or phthalates.

Personally Speaking:

There are some “peel-off” all natural versions that seem a little silly to us (it’s not like polish doesn’t chip and peel enough on its own). But the non-peel, phthalate-free ones are great, and seeing how we might want kids some day, we’re switching.

Wanna Try:

Sante Kosmetics has a great line of phthalate-free nail polishes and cosmetics for $9/bottle.
Honey Bee Gardens has a popular selection of water-based nail polishes at $10/bottle.
SpaRitual Nail Lacquer - Heather loves their Dramatic High Notes collection ($9/bottle).
The Green Guide - find out if your current polish contains phthalates and other chemicals.