Conventional Nail Polish A Toxic Cocktail Compared To Eco-Beany Blends

Isn't it amazing how many unusually different things can be made with soy? Now we can add eco-friendly nail polish to the list, and it's a good thing too because the stuff that we normally paint our nails with may make them look pretty, but their ingredients list is anything but.

Traditional nail polish is made with a laundry list of unpronounceable chemicals, but the top components used are film forming agents, resins and plasticizers, solvents, and coloring agents.

Nitrocellulose (cellulose nitrate) cotton is normally the main ingredient, the very same highly flammable and explosive item used to create dynamite.

It is dissolved into either ethyl acetate or butyl acetate (both solvents) and then blended with coloring pigments.

Resins and plasticizers are then added, such as castor oil, amyl and butyl stearate, and mixes of glycerol, fatty acids, and acetic acids.

The phthalates, formaldehyde and toluene normally used in the formulation of nail polish have been under scrutiny due to their potential toxicity, and while some manufacturers have stopped using dibutyl phthalate altogether, formaldehyde is still being used.

Since nails can absorb chemicals just as effectively as skin, it is probably really wise to go for natural formulas if at all possible.

Cue Priti Nails, a line of soy based organic and biodegradable colors (with a companion nail polish remover) that lack all of the funny business -- meaning no petroleum products, no carcinogens and absolutely no DBP, formaldehyde, or toluene.

Their collection of eco-nail colors (priced at $12.50) and totally earth/human friendly polish remover (priced at $22.50) will ensure that your nails live long and prosper (along with the rest of your body).

Priti Nails isn't the only eco-game in town, though -- you might also want to keep your eyes open for other brands like Piggy Paint, Aquarella Polish, Earthly Delights, Kaia House Organics, Honeybee Gardens, and Nubar.

Has anyone here tried any eco-friendly nail polish brands, and if so, do you have any recommendations or cautionary tales to share?