Nail Polish & Top Coat, ranked by PFAS safety
15 products graded from Bad to Excellent, safest first. 4 grade Good or better and are worth buying.
Start here
The best non-toxic nail polish & top coat, ranked safest first
Bad · Better · Best nail polish & top coat
The quickest read, what to skip and the top-graded picks worth buying instead.
Sally Hansen
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polish
Skip or contact Sally Hansen; nail polish PFAS remains unregulated.
OPI
Opi GELement
Lower concern for PFAS; no brand transparency on formula.
Worth buying Good or Excellent, safest first
OPI
GELement
gel polish (acrylates, oligomers, resins)
UV/LED light exposure (cumulative)
Limited concern
Unreacted acrylate monomers (contact sensitization)
Limited concern
Respiratory irritation from uncured vapors during application
Limited concern
Nail plate thinning and brittleness (physical damage from removal)
Moderate concern
Lower concern for PFAS; no brand transparency on formula.
⚠Risky category by default
Ella+Mila
What The Gel? Gel-Like Top Coat
gel-like acrylate polymer top coat
Acrylate monomer exposure (skin/inhalation)
Limited concern
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent inhalation
Limited concern
Uncured polymer residue and skin sensitization
Limited concern
Lower-concern cosmetic; brand offers no PFAS transparency.
⚠Risky category by default
Ella+Mila
ella +mila Jelly Collection Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish
organic pigments, resins, solvents in vegan nail lacquer
Volatile organic solvent inhalation (toluene, xylene, or replacements)
High concern
Lead
Limited concern
Phthalates
Limited concern
Lower concern; vegan formulas typically avoid Teflon-family coating.
⚠Risky category by default
Ella+Mila
ella +mila Come Fly With Me Vegan Quick-Dry Nail Polish
Nail polish lacquer (organic solvents and resins)
Volatile organic solvent exposure
Limited concern
Skin irritation or allergic contact dermatitis from resins or additives
Limited concern
Lower PFAS risk for typical nail polish; no brand transparency.
⚠Risky category by default
Graded and flagged Poor and Bad, we’d swap these
Gelish
Gelish Gel
gel polish (resin/polymer blend)
Residual acrylate monomers (HEMA, methacrylates)
High concern
Photoinitiator sensitization (aromatic ketones, benzoyl peroxide, or camphorquinone)
Limited concern
Lead
Limited concern
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) during application
Moderate concern
Skip until transparency improves; no PFAS standards for gel polish.
⚠Risky category by default
OPI
GELements Pompeii Me in Nails Gel Nail Polish
gel nail polish (acrylate-based resin system)
Uncrosslinked acrylate monomers (if undercured)
Limited concern
Nail plate damage and brittleness from prolonged wear
Moderate concern
Acetone exposure during removal
Limited concern
UV lamp safety (skin exposure cumulative risk)
Limited concern
Insufficient PFAS transparency; typical gel polish lacks known PFAS triggers.
⚠Risky category by default
OPI
GELements Gel Polish Como Se Dice Gel-ous?
gel polish (oligomers, resins, solvents, pigments)
Photoinitiator and uncured monomer exposure
Moderate concern
Solvent inhalation (glycol ethers, esters)
Limited concern
Lead
Limited concern
Skin sensitization from fragrance or additives
Limited concern
Skip until OPI discloses PFAS data; gel polish formulations remain opaque.
⚠Risky category by default
Sally Hansen
Miracle Gel Nail Polish Sally Hansen
nitrocellulose-based polish with proprietary gel resins
Volatile organic compounds (toluene, xylene)
High concern
Dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or replacement plasticizers
Limited concern
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Limited concern
UV/LED lamp exposure during curing
Limited concern
Skip until Sally Hansen discloses gel resin chemistry or testing.
⚠Risky category by default
Sally Hansen
Nail Polish Sally Hansen Miracle Gel
nitrocellulose, plasticizers, resins (typical nail polish formulation)
Phthalate plasticizers (likely dibutyl phthalate or regulated alternatives)
Limited concern
Formaldehyde / VOCs
Moderate concern
UV/LED curing photochemical exposure
Limited concern
Acetone exposure during removal
Limited concern
Insufficient data; typical nail polish PFAS risk unclear without disclosure.
⚠Risky category by default
Sally Hansen
Salon Pro Gel Nail Polish
Gel polish (acrylate-based lacquer)
Methacrylate monomer sensitization (skin contact & inhalation)
Moderate concern
UV exposure during curing
Limited concern
Acetone toxicity during removal
Moderate concern
Coating adhesion degradation & microabrasion
Limited concern
Insufficient transparency; nail polish PFAS risk unclear.
⚠Risky category by default
Sally Hansen
Miracle Gel Nail Color Quartz & Kisses
nitrocellulose-based gel nail lacquer
Phthalates
Limited concern
Solvent volatility and inhalation exposure
Limited concern
LED/UV lamp exposure
Limited concern
Low public data; gel formulas occasionally contain fluorinated compounds.
⚠Risky category by default
Sally Hansen
Miracle Gel Pearl Nail Polish
Gel lacquer (acrylics, resins, film-formers)
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent exposure
High concern
UV/LED curing radiation exposure
Limited concern
Heavy metals
Limited concern
Microplastic shedding during wear and removal
Moderate concern
Skip or check label; gel polish formulations opaque.
⚠Risky category by default
Gelish
Glamour Queen Soak-Off Gel Polish
proprietary gel polish formulation
Uncrosslinked acrylate monomers and oligomers
High concern
Contact sensitization and allergic dermatitis
Moderate concern
Acetone exposure during removal
High concern
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and solvent emissions
Limited concern
Skip until brand discloses ingredients or testing confirms safety.
⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating
Gelish
Gel Polish
gel polymer resin (acrylate-based coating)
Acrylate monomer sensitization and contact irritation
Moderate concern
Incomplete curing and sticky layer residue
Limited concern
Occupational inhalation exposure in salon environments
Moderate concern
Pigment and colorant identity opaque
Limited concern
Insufficient disclosure; gel polish chemistry opaque to consumers.
⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating
Sally Hansen
Miracle Gel Nail Polish
gel polish resin base (proprietary formula)
Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
High concern
Skin sensitization from methacrylates
Limited concern
Photoinitiator residues
Limited concern
Skip or contact Sally Hansen; nail polish PFAS remains unregulated.
⚠Undisclosed proprietary coating
Get the safe list, free
The products we score each week, and the safest alternative in every category.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.