Our Fav Non-Toxic Black-Owned Nail Polish Brands For The Fall Season
In celebration of the late great Flo Jo (whose birthday is in exactly one month) we had to share some of our favorite BLACK-OWNED & NON-TOXIC nail polish brands! Especially with the holiday season right around the corner, we wanted to show love to some indie polish brands that don't generally make on bloggers and editors "top vegan nail polish" list!
All of these brands are at least "5 free" - meaning they are FREE from toxic chemicals that are found in many leading brands that can cause respiratory issues, reproductive issues, and a whole host of other problems that are unnecessary while just trying to keep our nails poppin'. There is no formaldehyde, no formaldehyde resin, no toluene, no dibutyl phthalate, and no camphor.
One of our favorites of course is Ginger + Liz, but here are 6 more black owned health conscious brands that we love:
PEAR NOVA
"There aren't many cosmetic companies owned by women of color or companies producing a variety of options for women of color - Ms Fenty saved us - and I think being a woman of color allows me to involuntarily choose shades that celebrate brown skin."
"When I became pregnant with my second son, I was more conscious of all the extremely harsh chemicals that are found in nail polishes. I thought that there should be a company offering non-toxic polishes that still had bold, beautiful colors. And when I couldn’t find that on the market, I said, I’m going to create my own!"
"Everything about us and our brand is Brooklyn from the look of the bottle, the colors and even more so the names."
"As a woman of color, I was tired of purchasing shades of nail polish at the local drug store or beauty store just to get home, put 5 coats of it on and being left with a streaky, sheer color that does not contrast well with my brown skin."
And let's not forget that these conscious melanin babes have the coolest polish names ever!
"It's Brick" by Breukelen
"Unbothered" by Mischo
" Sweet Potato Pie" by D.I.D
"Bye Felicia" by Lisa
"Twinkle" by GLH
"Michelle Our Mama" by Pear Nova
OH ... BUT WAIT ... YOU DIDN'T THINK WE CHATTED WITH ALL OF THESE POLISH BRANDS WITHOUT INTERVIEWING THE "1ST GREEN AMERICA CERTIFIED NAIL SALON" IN BROOKLYN DID YOU?
The Nail Belle founded by Karla Carrington, is a black owned upscale and eco-friendly nail boutique. Carrington, a Southern belle, originally from Charlotte, North Carolina opened this unique space in May 2016. With determination to do things a little differently then conventional salons, The Nail Belle focuses on cleanliness, customer service and health standards.
“I can bring the professional experience from the salons on Madison, with the warmth of Southern hospitality and combine that with Bedstuy flair?”
Her salon is all about positive vibes, good energy and a welcoming experience. Karla is keen on promoting other black-owned businesses, so she hosts several events in partnership with local businesses. Living in Bedstuy for 11 years, Karla is all about community! She works with homebound senior citizens, by doing free manicures. "Just because their homebound, doesn't mean they don't want to be cute", says Karla. Additionally, she has a free lunch program for neighborhood kids that she feeds a mentors.
When we asked her why she started an eco-friendly salon, her blunt response was ...
"Girl I'm old lol. I ain't got nothing at almost 50 and I don't want nothing."
“In nail tech school you have to take a chemistry class - and in class they started talking about the chemicals in nail polish and in the same year I was in school - Duke published an article about some nail polishes having chemicals that can hurt women’s reproductive systems and that’s serious. After doing more research on the toxins in the nail industry - I modeled myself after a salon in California (LA) that these two Asian sisters owned for 17 years - this was in the early 2000’s. The younger of the two sisters had suffered several still births and they couldn’t figure out what it was. When they started doing the research and testing - it turned out it was the chemicals in their salon were the problem - so they changed their whole format. ”
As the First Green America certified salon in ALL of Brooklyn, Nail Belle took pride on creating the standard! This certification verifies that all of chemicals in all of the products are safe.
We all know how toxic acrylic is (you can practically smell the poison the second you walk into a nail salon). What's beautiful about this salon is that they provide a healthier alternative. Their powder dipping system (NexGen) and gel system (Cal Gel) allows for nail extensions that have the same durability without the toxicity.
"Just because we're a green salon - it doesn't mean that we don't do extensions - we do! We just don't use acrylic!" - Karla Carrington
Additionally, with a hygiene and cleanliness a huge priority - Karla doesn't use anything twice that can't be sterilized. Therefore in the vein of being eco friendly, instead of throwing away the buffers and emery boards, every client takes home their own. Everything in the shop is digital (appointments, employee pay-stubs etc. ) to eliminate the use of paper.
Although the majority of her clients are not eco-friendly or health conscious per say - they appreciate good service and the zen atmosphere of the place. A lot of clients come with their kids and they don't have to worry about the exposure to acrylic.
Whether it's her reclaimed wood and vintage furnishing or the entire black team - the atmosphere is unparalleled!
So as you can see. It is very possible so support black-owned nail polish brands and nail technician businesses that focus on nail health!
All photos courtesy of MelaninASS