Switching to a Mani-Pedi More Planet-Friendly

Taking care of ourselves is key for our overall well being but we need to choose the right products to ensure we protect our body and our planet.

Painting our nails may seem like an innocent part of our beauty routine, but inside those colorful bottles we can find toxic chemicals that can do serious damage to our health and the planet.

Before going into details, let’s clarify: Are nail polish bottles recyclable? Unfortunately, most curbside recycling programs don’t accept nail polish bottles because they’re considered hazardous waste and can’t be recycled due to the toxic chemicals swarming within that bottle of shimmer and shine.  

You may be able to find a recycling facility (depending on where you live, remember that for recycling is key to get the right information) that accepts empty glass nail polish bottles but most nail polish lids and brushes aren’t recyclable.

Now the question is: How to switch to a Mani-Pedi that is friendly with the environment?

1️⃣Look for sustainable nail polish bottles made with recyclable lids, or purchase from brands that have a recycling program. Sienna uses wooden caps. OZN vegan uses lids and safety cap made of lignin (lignin is a class of complex organic polymers that form key structural materials in the support tissues of most plants).

2️⃣Buy Eco-Friendly, Vegan Nail Polish that are non-toxic, vegan, and 10-free. 10-free nail polish means they are free from 10 harmful ingredients including formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene, parabens, fragrances, phthalates, or ingredients derived from animals.

3️⃣Avoid glitter nail polish, even if they claim to be 10-free and vegan. Glitter in nail polish are essentially micro-plastics that don’t break down and end up in our oceans.

4️⃣Choose Vegan Nail Polish Brands with Recycling Programs. Tenoverten is one of them. They work with Chemwise, a company that has a chemical recycling and disposal program.

5️⃣Search ALWAYS local brands no mater where you’re located. If you can’t find vegan brands where you live, try to shop in the nearest places.

Other Brands to try: Manucurist, Gitti, Kurebazaar, Zoyanailpolish, Benecos

Remember these tips and take care of yourself!

Gaby