The Best Non-Toxic Nail Polish & Top Coat of 2026

We scored 15 nail polish & top coat for PFAS forever chemicals and other hazards, then ranked them safest first. The top pick is OPI Opi GELement at 75/100. Every score below links to the full breakdown of what earned it.

How to read these scores. PFAS Authority is a scoring system, not a laboratory. We do not test products ourselves. Each grade is a model-based assessment built from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, brand disclosures, recalls and third-party lab results where they exist. Read the full rubric to see exactly what adds and removes points.
73% of the 15 nail polish & top coat we scored fail our PFAS and toxin screen.
PFAS Authority, September 2026. Free to cite with a link. See the full dataset.

The safest PFAS-free nail polish & top coat we have scored

  1. 1
    Opi GELement

    OPI

    GELement

    gel polish (acrylates, oligomers, resins)

    PFAS Grade75Excellent
    Overall Grade53Good
    ⚠️

    UV/LED light exposure (cumulative)

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Unreacted acrylate monomers (contact sensitization)

    Limited concern

    70
    💨

    Respiratory irritation from uncured vapors during application

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Nail plate thinning and brittleness (physical damage from removal)

    Moderate concern

    45

    Lower concern for PFAS; no brand transparency on formula.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  2. 2
    Ella+Mila What The Gel? Gel-Like Top Coat

    Ella+Mila

    What The Gel? Gel-Like Top Coat

    gel-like acrylate polymer top coat

    PFAS Grade75Excellent
    Overall Grade63Good
    💨

    Acrylate monomer exposure (skin/inhalation)

    Limited concern

    70
    💨

    Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent inhalation

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Uncured polymer residue and skin sensitization

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower-concern cosmetic; brand offers no PFAS transparency.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  3. 3
    ella +mila Jelly Collection Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish

    Ella+Mila

    ella +mila Jelly Collection Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish

    organic pigments, resins, solvents in vegan nail lacquer

    PFAS Grade75Excellent
    Overall Grade49Poor
    💨

    Volatile organic solvent inhalation (toluene, xylene, or replacements)

    High concern

    20
    🧠

    Lead

    Limited concern

    70
    🧴

    Phthalates

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower concern; vegan formulas typically avoid Teflon-family coating.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy
  4. 4
    ella +mila Come Fly With Me Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish

    Ella+Mila

    ella +mila Come Fly With Me Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish

    Nail polish lacquer (organic solvents and resins)

    PFAS Grade75Excellent
    Overall Grade67Good
    ⚠️

    Volatile organic solvent exposure

    Limited concern

    70
    ⚠️

    Skin irritation or allergic contact dermatitis from resins or additives

    Limited concern

    70

    Lower PFAS risk for typical nail polish; no brand transparency.

    ⚠Risky category by default

    Why this gradeBuy

Every nail polish & top coat that passes, side by side

Sorted by score. Higher is safer.

#Nail Polish & Top CoatScoreRatingMade of
1OPI Opi GELement75Excellentgel polish (acrylates, oligomers, resins)
2Ella+Mila Ella+Mila What The Gel? Gel-Like Top Coat75Excellentgel-like acrylate polymer top coat
3Ella+Mila ella +mila Jelly Collection Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish75Excellentorganic pigments, resins, solvents in vegan nail lacquer
4Ella+Mila ella +mila Come Fly With Me Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish75ExcellentNail polish lacquer (organic solvents and resins)

The nail polish & top coat we would skip

Lowest scoring in this category, worst first.

Gelish Glamour Queen Soak-Off Gel Polish

Gelish

Glamour Queen Soak-Off Gel Polish

proprietary gel polish formulation

PFAS Grade40Poor
Overall Grade0Bad
⚠️

Uncrosslinked acrylate monomers and oligomers

High concern

20
⚠️

Contact sensitization and allergic dermatitis

Moderate concern

45
⚠️

Acetone exposure during removal

High concern

20
⚠️

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent emissions

Limited concern

70

Skip until brand discloses ingredients or testing confirms safety.

⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating

Why this gradeSafer picks →
Gelish Gel Polish

Gelish

Gel Polish

gel polymer resin (acrylate-based coating)

PFAS Grade40Poor
Overall Grade2Bad
⚠️

Acrylate monomer sensitization and contact irritation

Moderate concern

45
⚠️

Incomplete curing and sticky layer residue

Limited concern

70
💨

Occupational inhalation exposure in salon environments

Moderate concern

45
🎨

Pigment and colorant identity opaque

Limited concern

70

Insufficient disclosure; gel polish chemistry opaque to consumers.

⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating

Why this gradeSafer picks →
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish

Sally Hansen

Miracle Gel Nail Polish

gel polish resin base (proprietary formula)

PFAS Grade40Poor
Overall Grade14Bad
⚠️

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)

High concern

20
⚠️

Skin sensitization from methacrylates

Limited concern

70
⚠️

Photoinitiator residues

Limited concern

70

Skip or contact Sally Hansen; nail polish PFAS remains unregulated.

⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating

Why this gradeSafer picks →

What we check on nail polish & top coat

  • Confirmed PFAS, PTFE or fluoropolymer content, which is the heaviest penalty we apply.
  • Stain, water or grease resistant treatments, which usually mean fluorinated chemistry.
  • Whether the brand discloses what is in the product, or stays silent behind a “clean” claim.
  • Independent lab results and certifications where they exist.

Full point-by-point rubric on the methodology page.

The nail polish & top coat brands that will not say

4 of the brands here publish nothing about PFAS at all. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is why none of them score well on disclosure.

Ella+Mila, Gelish, OPI, Sally Hansen.

Common questions about PFAS-free nail polish & top coat

Is nail polish & top coat PFAS free?

Mostly not. Of the 15 nail polish & top coat we have scored, 73% fail our PFAS and toxin screen, which leaves 4 that pass. The highest scoring is OPI Opi GELement at 75 out of 100. The lowest is Gelish Gelish Glamour Queen Soak-Off Gel Polish at 40.

What is the safest nail polish & top coat you have scored?

OPI Opi GELement, at 75 out of 100, which we band as Excellent. It is gel polish (acrylates, oligomers, resins). The runner up is Ella+Mila Ella+Mila What The Gel? Gel-Like Top Coat at 75.

Which nail polish & top coat should I avoid?

The three lowest scoring we hold are Gelish Gelish Glamour Queen Soak-Off Gel Polish at 40, Gelish Gelish Gel Polish at 40, Sally Hansen Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish at 40. The problem with the first is that skip until brand discloses ingredients or testing confirms safety.

Which nail polish & top coat brands will not say whether they use PFAS?

4 of the brands we scored in this category publish nothing about PFAS at all, including Ella+Mila, Gelish, OPI, Sally Hansen. Silence is not evidence of harm, but it is the reason those brands cannot score well on disclosure.

Do you lab test nail polish & top coat?

No. We score from published ingredient lists, materials, certifications, disclosures and third party lab results where they exist. Where a product has been independently tested we use that result and say so.

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