Guides
Ingredients and safety
What is in a bottle, what the free-from numbers mean, and what EU law says about nail products.
Complete guide
What is in nail polish, ingredient by ingredient
Nail polish is a solution of a film former, usually nitrocellulose, in fast-evaporating solvents such as butyl acetate and ethyl acetate. Plasticisers keep the dried film flexible, resins make it stick and shine, pigment…
3-free, 5-free and 10-free nail polish, explained
10-free nail polish leaves out ten substances the brand has chosen, from formaldehyde to TPHP. What each count excludes and what EU law already requires.
How the EU cosmetics regulation applies to nail polish
Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 governs every nail polish sold in the EU: prohibited substances, the responsible person, the CPNP, labels and the TPO ban.
Fragrance in nail polish: the solvent smell and the scented kind
The smell of nail polish is its solvents, ethyl and butyl acetate. Scented polish adds a perfume released once dry. In the EU it is listed as parfum.
HEMA allergy: why gel nails cause it and regular lacquer does not
HEMA is a methacrylate monomer in gel polish. Uncured gel on skin can cause a lifelong allergy. EU law limits it to salon use. Regular lacquer has none.
How nail polish works: from wet coat to hard film
Nail polish works by evaporation. Solvents leave, nitrocellulose chains lock into a film, plasticisers keep it flexible. Why thin coats dry harder.
How to dispose of old nail polish
Old nail polish is flammable and never goes down the sink. In the Netherlands the glass bin usually takes it; in the UK and US it is hazardous waste.
How to read the INCI ingredient list on a nail polish
An INCI list names every ingredient in descending order of weight. Below 1 percent the order is free. Colours are CI numbers after a plus-minus sign.
Nail polish during pregnancy: what is known and what to do
Nail polish dries on the nail plate and very little is absorbed. Pregnancy charities see no reason to avoid it. What to know about fumes, gel and lamps.
Natural origin percentages on nail polish, explained
A natural origin percentage is the share of a polish, by weight, from plant or mineral sources, counted with ISO 16128. In polish the solvent sets it.
Nitrocellulose, the polymer that makes nail polish a film
Nitrocellulose is the film former in most nail polish. What it is, where it came from, why it gives gloss and hardness, and what water-based polish uses.
Plant-based nail polish: the claims and the chemistry behind them
Plant-based nail polish uses solvents fermented from cassava, corn or sugar cane and cellulose from cotton. Pigments and resins stay synthetic.
Toluene, formaldehyde, DBP, camphor and TPHP: what they did in polish and where the EU stands
Toluene was a solvent, formaldehyde a hardener, DBP and camphor plasticisers, TPHP a plasticiser still in use. What each did, the concern, the EU status.
The TPO ban in gel polish: what changed in 2025
TPO, the photoinitiator in gel polish, has been prohibited in EU cosmetics since 1 September 2025 under Regulation (EU) 2025/877. What salons and users do.
Vegan and cruelty-free nail polish: what the words mean
Vegan nail polish has no carmine, guanine, shellac or other animal ingredients. Cruelty-free is about testing, banned in the EU since 2013. How to check.
Water-based nail polish: the pros, the cons and who it is for
Water-based nail polish uses an acrylic emulsion in water in place of nitrocellulose and solvents. Low odour, slower drying, shorter wear, peels off.
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