Best Way to Do Natural Nail Polish

Having elegantly painted nails can give you instant confidence, but truly natural nail polish does not exist. So if you want a high-gloss, colorful manicure, be informed about your choices.

Increasingly, nail-polish manufacturers are leaving certain chemicals out of their formulations. According to the American International Agency for Research on Cancer, toluene and formaldehyde, both widely used as preservatives and bonding agents in cosmetic polishes, can cause nose and throat irritation, rashes, headaches, nausea, and asthma. What’s more, according to experts, formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Even though painting your nails hardly qualifies as the “extreme exposure” that brings real risk, natural health advice is to minimize contact with these chemicals.

Manufacturers, including Avon and Clinique, are now formulating their polishes without these chemicals, often proclaiming the polishes to be “toluene- and formaldehyde-free” on the labels (otherwise, scan the ingredient list.) Even so, it only takes a whiff to tell you that even “natural” polishes contain strong chemicals, so you may prefer to buff your nails to a shine rather than rely on polish. And if you do use polish, avoid applying makeup or touching your skin until the polish has dried, or you may risk skin irritation. In the meantime, watch out for news of a revolutionary “green” polish, the result of research by French scientists, based entirely on water and safe enough for use even by children, who are attracted at an ever younger age to painted fingers and toes.

Look for nail polish removers that are “acetone-free”; acetone is extremely drying to nails. The London natural pharmacy, Farmacia, has produced a natural nail-care line that includes gentler polish removers.

Think hard before you use a nail hardener, meanwhile. Nail hardeners, which feature harsh chemicals, work by drying out the nail, making it tough – yet prone to breaking. The best treatment you can give your nails is each night, before bedtime, to anoint your cuticles with oil. The massage action boosts circulation, while the oils condition the nail, resulting in improved flexibility – so your fingernails don’t snap when challenged by such tasks as filing, gardening, and carrying suitcases.

Be sure to store nail polish removers well out of the reach of children. Many contain acetronile, which breaks down into cyanide when swallowed. Likewise, all nail polishes should be kept out of children’s way.

Eating for healthier nails

Nails need the same nutrients as skin and hair – and if your diet falls short, your nails will show it. A common cause of brittle nails is thought to be iron deficiency. Too little vitamin A and calcium also cause nail dryness and brittleness, while an inadequate intake of B vitamins results in excessive dryness and nail fragility.

Tiny white spots that move up the nail as it grows out can signal zinc deficiency. For details of foods you can eat to help combat these nail problems.