You know you should use 5-free nail polish to avoid those toxic chemicals. But you really want a long-lasting gel manicure. What if you could have both?

The dilemma we green gals face with polish is, of course, the nasty chemicals used to make them. You use No-VOC paint on your walls, right? You surely want something safe for nails.

Nail polish may not be a beauty necessity, but what would life be if we couldn’t indulge in pretty things? And one favorite beauty rite amongst females, and even some males, is definitely a good mani/pedi.

Non-toxic polish has come a long way since its thin, watery beginnings. That’s great, but today we strive for long-wearing, glossy finish manicures. Regular polish, 5-free or not, may just not cut it these days.

The best way to go for manicures is choosing 5-free polish. These are exempt from the main toxic ingredients commonly used in nail polishes: DBP, toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, and formaldehyde resin. These toxins are linked to hormonal disruption, skin and respiratory irritation, organ toxicity, and cancer.

Thankfully, there are healthier options. Still, how often do you consider going in for a gel mani just so you don’t have to repaint so often?

Meet SpaRitual Gold line of polishes. This is a simple two step system of Flexible Color and Flexible Topcoat. Not only are these beauties vegan and 5-free, but give that gel-like mani you love. No drying light or icky toxins required.

Can non-toxic polish truly behave like gel? The short answer here is yes! I tried SpaRitual Gold personally and love them. Beautiful, glossy color that dries quickly and has staying power. The topcoat works like a charm, and the shades are rich and beautiful. Another thing I love about these polishes – the grippy handles make for quick application. Brilliant!

I recently spoke with Shel Pink, founder of SpaRitual, and here is what she has to say on the Gold line.

Liz Thompson: Your Gold nail lacquers are vegan and 5-free. How else are they different from conventional polishes? (I noticed they are not as obnoxiously scented as regular polish…they almost smell like salt?)

Shel Pink: Yes! Regarding the smell. That is a nice benefit of the Gold formulation. I would also say dry time is super fast. Traditional formulas will take up to 1 hour for a complete dry through the layers. Gold dries in 8 minutes. If you feel like painting your nails before you go to bed you will not wake up with sheet marks on your nails. A huge bonus!

LT: Gel manicures are the thing right now for durability and long lasting color. What all women want to know … how long does a manicure last with Gold?

SP: Gold doubles the wear of your manicure. For example, If you typically wear for 3 days Gold will take you to 5-6 days.

LT: Any special application tips?

SP: It is effortless to apply Gold, not only because of the ergonomic cap but also for the mindful brush. The brush contains over 600 bristles that fan out on the nail providing maximum control and precise application.

LT: Which lacquer colors are hottest for the season?

SP: Cool blues, icy greys and warm plums. Check out the SpaRitual holiday color collection – Awakening.

If you’ve been bored with the same old colors, chipping, and short-lived mani, this is what you’ll be putting on your digits in 2016.

Related on EcoSalon

Best Organic Makeup Brands Consumer Guide

Totally Organic Edible Nail Polish Finally Exists

5 Ways to Spice Up Your Holiday Party Looks

Image of pretty nail polish via Shutterstock

The post Non-Toxic ‘5-Free’ Nail Polish That Performs Like Gel? Meet SpaRitual Gold appeared first on EcoSalon.

To gel or not to gel? One woman’s journey.

It started on Facebook, as many first-world tragedies do. It was 2010. One moment I was staring in half-focus at the organic burrito a friend says is the best thing she’s ever eaten. An instant later, I snapped to attention. Former fearless EIC of EcoSalon, Sara Ost, had posted a picture of the Manicure to End All Manicures. Her colorful nails looked like they had each been individually sculpted by DaVinci—they were uniform, strong, and bold.

Who did your nails, NASA? I texted Sara. She replied, mysteriously: It’s a gel.

A gel manicure. This was the first time I had heard of such a thing, and I was completely hooked. A gel polish, also known as a shellac, is best described a nail polish on steroids. Gels dry quickly, don’t smudge, and last much longer than a regular manicure.

I have yet to indulge in a gel. Instead, I’ve spent much of my time with my nose pressed up against the windows of nail salons, staring lovingly at the perfect parade of nails like Gwyneth Paltrow stares at gluten-free scones. Though I covet the look of gel-perfect nails, I can’t bring myself to get them.

And here’s why.

Chemicals and Cancer
Could the perfection of the gel be toxin-free? I was dubious. Curious to learn about a safer gel manicure, I contacted several less-toxic nail polish companies that are “3-free,” meaning they are free of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde. While none of the lines carried a gel, not one would go on record to comment on them.

Does this mean there’s a great conspiracy theory about the toxicity of gels? No, but it did make me suspicious that they weren’t the cleanest tool in the makeup shed. Dr. Susan Taylor is a dermatologist who recently investigated gel manicures. She reports that gel polish may contain methyl acrylate, which can cause contact dermatitis. Further, cancer-causing butylated hydroxyanisol (BHA) is also found in some gels.

If You Gel: Ask your nail technician about the gel ingredients and proceed according to your comfort level.

Your Personalized Hand-Tanning Bed
Gel manicures often require that the user sit with her hands under a UV lamp for an extended period of time to set the nails. Do you want your hands to look like they belong on a New Jersey reality TV show doing Jell-O shots? Probably not.

Dermatologists at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston and the University of Texas Medical School recently presented an article on nails lamps. According to the Washington Post, “It appears that exposure to UV nail lights is a risk factor for the development of skin cancer; however, this observation warrants further investigation.” Others say the research is flawed.

If You Gel: Use sunscreen for your trip to the nail lamp. Sure, studies are conflicted, but is it really so hard to slather on some safe sunscreen? Your nail technician will probably even rub it on your hands for you.

Acetone, Be Thy Slayed
To remove a gel polish, fingers or sometimes, entire hands are soaked in acetone for 10 to 15 minutes. As the Washington Post shares, some technicians use “acetone-soaked cotton pads inside Band-Aid like wraps for removal.” In other words, get comfortable with acetone.

When I was in high school, I had to collect bugs for a science project. A classic Tracy Flick-style student, I was out hunting big bugs in a cornfield like Teddy Roosevelt in the Rockies. How I was instructed to kill the doomed insects? I sealed them in a glass jar with a tissue soaked in nail polish remover, aka acetone.

But the bugs have gotten their karma revenge on me. Because now, whenever I strip my nails of polish, I might as well be looking at the ghosts of laughing dead bugs buzzing around my fingers. Skin Deep gives acetone a rating of a “3”, a “Fair,” which means that its risk is between low to moderate. For some, that’s likely safe enough. For me, it means the bugs have won forever.

If You Gel: Only soak your fingertips in acetone, and don’t let the technician soak your entire hand. Since acetone is very drying, make sure you moisturizer as much as possible to avoid brittle nails.

photo credit: trec_lit via photopin cc

The post How Safe Are Gel Manicures? appeared first on EcoSalon.