Polish up on the best eco-friendly and natural nail polish removers for healthy nails and a healthy planet – from the acetone-free to plastic-free brands.
I’ve covered lots of topics in my eco-friendly health and beauty section, yet never nails. One of the main reasons for this is that I’ve never been a big nail polish wearer. It just isn’t my thing. I never mastered that particular skill. Whenever I tried to do my nails, it always looked like my nails had been done by a two-year-old, on a pogo-stick, with their eyes closed. So it’s never been something that I’ve put any thought into.
But then I had two daughters. And now one of them is very into painting her nails. Suddenly she’s bringing home nail polish from trips out with her friends and asking me to buy her nail polish remover. It put me in full-on research mode, trying to find out more about natural and sustainable nail polish removers that won’t harm her nails or skin.
As I’ve been in prime research mode, let me share with you the best natural nail polish removers I’ve come across.
What’s Up With Regular Nail Polish Remover?
First up, you might be wondering what’s wrong with regular nail polish remover. Regular nail polish remover is made from acetone and/or ethyl acetate. Acetone is a chemical that’s often produced in nature – for example by trees. Acetone is also produced and disposed of in the human body, as part of our metabolic processes. As such, acetone is normally present in blood and urine.
This means the ingredients themselves aren’t toxic. However, we shouldn’t get complacent. Both acetone and ethyl acetate are dangerous when ingested.
Breathing in large amounts of acetone or ethyl acetate can also cause health problems. These include nose, throat, eye, and lung irritation, dizziness, headaches, nausea and vomiting, and more.
Health issues aside, exposure to acetone can also dehydrate the nail plate, cuticles, and surrounding skin. As such, nails can become dry and brittle, and cuticles can become dry, flaky, red, and irritated. It’s not what you want when you want your nails to look their best. And not what I would want to use on a child’s nails and skin.
Guide to Natural Nail Polish Removers
The good news is that there are now lots of eco-friendly alternatives available that avoid these harsh ingredients. Many also come in glass bottles, allowing you to ditch the plastic associated with your nail care routine. Use the quick links to jump to a specific brand, or keep scrolling for the full list of recommendations:
- Benecos
- Manicurist Green Flash
- Zao
- Kure Bazaar
- Dear Sundays
Benecos
Benecos Natural’s certified organic nail polish remover (£6.25 for 125 ml at Ethical Superstore) is acetone-free. Instead, this vegan-friendly blend uses organic orange peel oil and organic lavender oil to naturally and gently remove your nail polish.
As it is made without acetone, this remover won’t leave your skin and nails feeling dry. On the downside, it does come in a recyclable plastic bottle rather than glass. However, this is the cheapest eco-friendly nail polish remover I have found. If you are on a budget, then this might have to be a trade-off that you make.
I’ve found it works best on natural nail polish brands. For conventional brands of nail polish, then it may not be strong enough to take on the task.
Manucurist Green Flash
Manucurist (£16 for 100 ml at Cult Beauty) is a new French vegan and cruelty-free brand. The brand prides itself on swapping harsh ingredients for natural, eco-friendly alternatives that promote glossy, long-lasting manicures and healthy nails.
Manucurist Green Flash nail polish remover is acetone-free, making it much less damaging to your nails. It’s also packed with 97% bio-sourced ingredients, making it hydrating and gentle on your nails. What’s more, it has a delicate floral scent that’s nothing like its acetone-based counterparts. And it comes in a glass bottle, rather than a plastic one.
Do note that it is formulated especially to remove Manucurist plant-based gel polishes with ease, so it might struggle with removing conventional nail polish.
Zao
Zao’s vegan-friendly and water-based nail polish remover (£19.75 for 100 ml at Plastic Freedom) gently and easily removes polish without drying out or harming your skin or nails. This is because it’s formulated without acetone and ethyl acetate.
Instead, it is made with much milder, and certified organic, ethyl lactate, and organic bamboo water. These help to strengthen and fortify your nails while gently removing your nail polish.
This nail polish remover is free from parabens, triclosan, phthalates, mineral oils, animal testing, genetically modified ingredients, artificial colors, and fragrances. What’s more, it is made in Europe and comes in a recyclable glass bottle topped with a bamboo lid. No plastic here!
On the downside, it does contain palm oil. However, Zao says that this has been sustainably sourced. It also contains mica. I’m not big on mica. It’s a common ingredient in beauty products, yet is linked to forced child labor. However, again, Zao says it only uses certified ethically sourced mica.
Kure Bazaar
Kure Bazaar nail polish remover (£15.20 for 100 ml at Naturisimo) is free from acetone and ethyl acetate. Instead, it’s made in France from solvents such as wheat, corn, and cane sugar. Containing rose, rosehip oil, and patchouli, its scent is also light years away from traditional stinky nail polish removers.
Its oil-like texture is a little different from using traditional acetone nail polish removers. However, it does remove nail polish and nourishes your nails rather than stripping them of their natural oils and leaving them brittle. It doesn’t whiten or dry your nails or hands either, instead leaving nails feeling hydrated and soft.
This vegan-friendly product has not been tested on animals and is cruelty-free. It is also packaged in a recyclable glass bottle and cardboard box, making it a good plastic-free alternative.
Dear Sundays
Dear Sundays soy-based nail polish remover (available at Amazon) gently removes your polish while nourishing your nails with vitamins A, C, and E as well as natural grapefruit essential oils.
It has a thicker consistency compared to conventional nail polish remover. It is more like olive oil. And it does take a little more scrubbing to remove polish. However, my top tip for any soy-based nail polish remover is to let it sit on your nails for at least 30 seconds before rubbing it off. This helps it to penetrate the nail polish for easier removal.
What’s to love is that this vegan and cruelty-free product also comes packaged in a stylish glass bottle. You won’t want to hide it away, unlike those blue bottles of nail polish remover! The downside is that this is the most expensive natural nail polish remover in this roundup.
Found any more natural nail polish removers? Do let me know – I’m always on the lookout for effective non-toxic alternatives for my daughter!