The 15 Best Non-Toxic Nail Polish Brands of 2023 for a Healthier Mani-Pedi

Best Overall

JINsoon Quintessential Collection Nail Lacquer

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Created by celebrity manicurist Jin Soon Choi, JINsoon nail polish is a real fashion-girl must-have. While the brand is an InStyle fave for cuticle oil, nail stickers and nude polish, they also shine when it comes to their gorgeous color range. Quality over quantity is the name of their game: They have fewer color options than some of the other brands on the list (though they still have tons, let’s be real), but each is a beautifully curated shade inspired by flowers, art or architecture. It’s no wonder, then, that JINsoon is so often the nail polish of choice on NYFW runways.

As for its non-toxic properties, JINsoon boasts an impressive 21-free formula. While professional nail artists and healthcare providers are sometimes dubious about nail brands that claim to be free of such a large number of chemicals, JINsoon is super transparent about the 21 chemicals they never formulate with. Aside from animal derivatives, the vast majority of these are in fact chemicals often or sometimes found in nail products which have been shown to potentially have negative health effects. 

In particular, Dr. Dana Stern, a board certified dermatologist and nail health expert, cites the following ingredients as ones to stay away from (all of which are excluded from JINsoon’s formula): Formaldehyde, phthalates, toluene, formaldehyde resin, camphor, triphenyl phosphate, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, and parabens. 

This polish is also cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, plus it’s designed to be long-lasting, with many people finding it lasts up to several weeks without chipping. Um, amazing?

Price at time of publish: $18

Colors: 86 | Free Of: 21-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Budget

China Glaze Eco Glaze Nail Lacquer Collection

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If you’ve been a regular at your local nail salon at any point in your life, you’ll be very familiar with the ubiquitous China Glaze. That’s certainly the case for celebrity nail artist Kim Cao, who comes from a family of nail artists. “Being that I grew up in a nail salon, China Glaze is literally a household name,” she says. “Seeing that they're making strides towards conscious nail care through their vegan formula and bio-sourced materials shows me that the big wigs really listen to the people.” This planet-friendly line from China Glaze consists of polish that’s 14-free, vegan, cruelty-free, and made in the USA from natural ingredients including cotton and sugar cane.

It’s a high-performing product, too, of course. “The actual polish is heavily pigmented (giving the look of a gel manicure), fast-drying, and long lasting,” Cao adds. 

Take a close look at the shade before purchasing, as the colors can sometimes be lighter in person than they look online. 

Price at time of publish: $10

Colors: 41 | Free Of: 14-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Splurge

Hermès Les Mains Nail Enamel

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An ideal treat if you’re looking to splash out on a designer item but don’t have $30k for a Birkin, Les Mains also makes a great present for your besties — or your mom. Hermès’ signature nail polish is 8-free, compared to Chanel and Dior’s 5-free formulas, which is why one expert loves it so much. 

“On the luxury end, Hermès’ nail enamel is impressive with 71 percent of its ingredients from natural origin,” says celebrity podiatrist Marion Yau, whom you can find on YouTube as Miss Foot Fixer. “It is made without formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene, and TPHP.” 

However, I couldn’t find any information about whether or not they test on animals to make this polish, which frankly doesn’t inspire confidence. Though the line includes 24 color options, you’re not going to find every shade under the sun here. However, each one is obviously carefully thought out to complement various skin tones and perk up any outfit. 

I have a particular soft spot for Orange Poppy and Rose Coquille, and I also love that it comes in a gorgeous bottle, tucked away in one of the brand’s iconic orange boxes for good measure.

Price at time of publish: $45

Colors: 24 | Free Of: 8-free | Cruelty-Free: No | Organic: No

Best Long-Lasting

Nails Inc. Plant Power Vegan Polish

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Another 21-free product, Nails.INC’s Plant Power range gets a lot of things right. As well as being made without some of the main nasty ingredients, this product is also 73 percent plant-based, vegan, cruelty-free and halal-friendly. The wooden cap is also FSC-certified, meaning the trees used in the production process were harvested responsibly and the workers involved were treated fairly. 

If you’re excited to switch to non-toxic polish but concerned it won’t last as long without the extra chemicals, this range is proof you don’t have to choose. It glides onto the nail like a charm and legend (OK, the reviews section) has it that it can stay on for up to two weeks. We love it so much that we really need more colors.

Price at time of publish: $10

Colors: 42 | Free Of: 21-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Application

Lights Lacquer Nail Polish

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Lights Lacquer may be a smaller brand, but it gives the mainstream ones a run for their money, thanks to beautiful bottles, curated shades, and a commitment to ethical production. “I love that they are a minority-owned, female-founded small business,” says celebrity manicurist Julie Kandalec. “They are a vegan, cruelty-free nail lacquer brand that offers polishes, press-on nails, and nail care treatments.” 

Lights’ formula is 12-free, meaning the products don’t contain any of the main toxins often found in nail polish, and they work exclusively with factories that meet labor law requirements in the US and the EU.

As with every other polish on this list, this one doesn’t fall short performance-wise, either. “They have quality long-lasting pigment and I love the brush — it’s one of the best in the game,” Kandalec says. 

The brush is fan-shaped, so you can cover a larger area of the nail in one stroke, without compromising on precision. Lights is looking to expand into brick and mortar stores, but they’re only available from the brand website for the moment.

Price at time of publish: $9-$11

Colors: 136 | Free Of: 12-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Cruelty-Free

Orly Nail Lacquer

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The vast majority of non-toxic nail polishes are also cruelty-free (because the health of people and the health of the planet are so interconnected), but ORLY goes the extra mile on this front. They’re super transparent about their animal welfare policies, which includes never testing products or ingredients on animals, never using suppliers who test on animals, never funding animal testing, and never selling their products in countries that require animal testing. All of their products are also 100 percent vegan, i.e. made with zero animal byproducts.

The texture of this polish may take some getting used to — it can be too thick to spread, yet also not provide enough coverage once it’s on the nail, but it looks like that depends on the shade you pick. That said, Cao has actually found that this brand is great for those who don’t enjoy the process of getting a manicure. “A few of my clients struggle with sensory anxiety when getting their nails serviced,” she says. “In these cases, we do minimal filing and buffing, and ORLY has been proven to be the polish of choice for those who are allergy-prone or anxious.” This, she says, is because “the formula is lightweight and doesn't irritate the nail bed or cuticle.” Also, this polish is long-lasting, which extends the time between manicures, according to the expert.

Price at time of publish: $11

Colors: 18 | Free Of: 13-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Plant-Based

Nailtopia Plant-Based Bio-Sourced Chip-Free Nail Lacquer

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“With Nailtopia, the solution is thinner and more translucent — perfect for doing designs with regular polish because if you make a stroke in the wrong direction, it's easy to wipe off,” says Cao. The flipside of this is that it will probably not be the best choice for you if you want a really opaque finish and it may take three coats to get there. 

Thankfully, the brand has plenty more going for it. “The available color palette gives me late ‘90s nostalgia,” says Cao. “They're the type of polishes you would pick out when your mom used to have you tag along to get a mani-pedi. Only, in this case, you don't have to wait under the nail dryers for 30 minutes, because the current formula dries pretty quickly.”

Importantly, this is a super clean polish, free of 19 toxins plus animal-derived ingredients and gluten. That means it’s also cruelty-free and vegan-friendly, as well as packed with nail boosting natural ingredients such as orange and spinach leaf extracts. The result is a formula that delivers calcium, biotin, proteins and vitamins, all of which are thought to promote healthier, stronger nails — at least in supplement form. All in all, this product is wonderful if you’re looking to go as natural as possible, even with sky blue or hot pink nails.

Price at time of publish: $10

Colors: 98 | Free Of: 21-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Indie

Blü Nail Lacquer

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Who doesn’t love a great independent business? Blü is Black-owned, based out of North Carolina, and born out of sheer love for nail polish. Creator ​​Keyah used her background as a science teacher to start coming up with the exact shades of polish she wanted to wear. As she learned to create her formula, she became committed to offering a vegan, non-toxic product, which is free of 10 common harmful ingredients and is never tested on animals. The result is a gentle polish made with plant-derived ingredients where possible. 

They carry a respectable 72 colors and though most of the existing range consists of shimmery brights, the best thing about Blü is that you can send them a swatch and request any color you want, which is so much fun. While the brand is only available in select brick and mortar stores in Charlotte, you can order it online from across the United States.

Price at time of publish: $12

Colors: 72 | Free Of: 10-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Color Range

Olive & June Nail Polish

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Olive & June is quickly becoming a cult brand thanks to their non-toxic nail polishes, mani-pedi systems, press-ons and more. Courtney Moseley, a board-certified physician assistant known as The Plastic PA, loves the brand’s 15-free nail polishes, which are also vegan and cruelty-free, so you can always feel good about using them.

Both Olive & June’s Long-Lasting and Quick Dry collections are formulated to last a week or more, offering a shiny finish that looks like you’re wearing gel. The Quick Dry polish is designed to dry in just a minute, which, big if true! And according to the reviews, it really does do as advertised — the only thing is the finish is a little less glossy on the quick-drying formula, but people are really happy with the result anyway.

Olive & June also carries a very respectable number of shades for a smaller brand, but they get extra brownie points for curating each one to inspire a mood (confidence, fun, coziness) or to remind you of something beautiful (a jewel, a season, a flower). “For those of us who want to do our nails at home but need more experience, they break down their colors into three levels: easy, intermediate and advanced,” Moseley explains. “This way, you can choose based on your skill level.” 

I also love that they have tutorials from founder Sarah Gibson Tuttle on their website for a little extra — ahem — hand-holding, if you need it.

Price at time of publish: $9

Colors: 120 long-lasting + 20 quick dry | Free Of: 15-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Glitter

Zoya Vegan Nail Lacquer

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The sheer number of shades Zoya carries is almost ridiculous, so there’s bound to be something for everyone. That said, I find where they really ~shine~ (sorry) is in the glitter department. They have fine shimmers, metallics, solid glitters, iridescents, foil-flecked colors, sparkly top coats, all in every color you could possibly imagine — from a galactic purple glitter that would have made my seven-year-old heart sing to a much more subdued pale pink with a touch of shimmer. It can also last up to two weeks without chipping, which is seriously impressive.

While many of Zoya’s nail polishes are a respectable 10-free, the brand is weirdly secretive about its formula, with little information to be found on their website. Based on a little digging, it looks like all of their polishes are at least 5-free, but only shades that are listed as Big 10 Free Breathable Formula on their individual product page can be trusted not to contain 10 of the main toxic ingredients commonly found in nail polish. Just something to double-check if it’s important to you! With that in mind, both Dr. Stern and Kandalec recommend the brand as an easily accessible, reliable, vegan polish option.

Price at time of publish: $12

Colors: 684 | Free Of: 5-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Pastel

ella+mila Nail Polish

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Browsing through ella+mila’s color collection seriously feels like choosing a fruity popsicle flavor on a sunny beach in the summer. Lemon sherbet? Check. Key lime pie? Check. Strawberries and cream? Check, check, check. These happy colors come in a cute elephant-adorned square bottle and are formulated without 17 key toxins often found in mainstream nail polish, which means they’re safe for everyone from your young niece to your expecting bestie. They’re also vegan, cruelty-free, PeTA-certified and made in the USA.

Like so many non-toxic brands these days, ella+mila nail polish is also simply a great product: Celebrity nail artist Trenna Seney loves how easy it is to apply this polish flawlessly, and Cao agrees. “The brand is easily accessible and easy to use for the earliest of nail novices,”  says Cao. 

You’ll often only need one coat to achieve opaque coverage, and Seney says it dries faster than any other brand she uses — though if you want it to stay on nicely for a few days, make sure you also use a base and top coat (which is good practice anyway) or it’ll chip after a couple days.

Price at time of publish: $11

Colors: 205 | Free Of: 17-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Red

Essie Nail Polish

4.9

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“Essie is a drugstore brand that is committed to transparency in their ingredient choices,” says Yau. “They are 100 percent vegan and 8-free, and formulated without formaldehyde, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, formaldehyde resin, camphor, ethyl tosylamide, xylene and triphenyl phosphate.” 

That goes for every Essie nail polish — including their original Nail Enamel, longwear Gel Couture, and quick dry Expressie ranges. Some people find the original formula can take a little longer to dry, so go for the Expressie if you’re worried about smudging. “The non-toxic polish takes me back to my training days given that the paddle brush is perfect for beginners,” Cao adds, which is always good to know for those of us with less than steady hands.

Though, as Cao puts it, Essie offers a “wide array of opaque and translucent colors,” their selection of reds stands out, with a shade for everyone — because red may be the most common nail color, but that doesn’t mean every red is a winner for you. Essie has poppy reds, magentas, oxbloods and more to suit every style of red polish-wearer, and most are super highly rated. Plus, their website makes it super easy to find the exact shade you’re after thanks to a handy drop-down menu.

Price at time of publish: $8

Colors: 37 | Free Of: 8-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best Black

Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab Pro

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If nothing less than a dark-as-night black will do, Deborah Lippmann’s Fade To Black full coverage nail color is as good as it gets. The whole Gel Lab Pro Color range is beloved for its mock-gel effect without the extra chemicals and damage from heat lamps. It’s 10-free, cruelty-free and vegan, and contains lovely strengthening ingredients such as keratin, biotin and bamboo. It’s also just a really well thought out product, which glides on easily, dries fast, delivers gel-like shine, and stays on without chipping for a week or even two for some people, though some shades unfortunately don’t stay on as well as others and will chip within days. 

Apart from that, there’s not much else I would look for in a nail polish, but there is the added bonus that the brand was founded by a celebrity nail artist who has worked with everyone from Kate Winslet to Penelope Cruz, so you’ll love it if you’re prone to practicing your Oscars speech in the bathroom mirror.

Price at time of publish: $20

Colors: 80 | Free Of: 10-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No

Best White

sundays Nail Polish

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Sundays doesn’t have a huge range of nail colors, but their white is called No.01, so you know they mean business with this one. While creams and off-whites are great, there’s nothing quite like a white-white nail color, and they really nailed it here (pun intended).

Beyond the shade itself, white nail polish can often feel like you’re applying Wite-Out to your nails, with a clumpy, rough texture, so you’ll be happy to hear that’s decidedly not the case here. It provides even, glossy coverage and also makes a great base for getting creative with nail art or perfecting your French tips. 

There are a lot more reasons to love sundays than just their ability to make a perfect white polish: It’s a BIPOC-founded company dedicated to delivering non-toxic products that are safe to use, and their nail colors are 10-free, vegan, never tested on animals, and made in New York. Lots of wins, in short.

Price at time of publish: $18

Colors: 61 | Free Of: 10-free | Cruelty-Free: Yes | Organic: No