nails done, hair done, everything did.

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We all love a fresh mani {this post has nothing to do with hair, but "nails done" may not have cued Drake in your mind}. In case you were wondering (and if you weren't now you'll know), not all nail polish is created equal. Believe it or not, the toxins in nail polish is actually an oft-discussed issue, although we'll admit it isn't really something we've given much thought. After a little browsing last week, we decided from here on out, we'll bring our own base, color and top coat to the salon. Why?  We want all nail polish landing on our nails to be either "3 free" or "5 free."

You're probably thinking, um, what?  Never heard of such a thing. Beauty products are often chock full of chemicals and toxins... and if eating organic, we also want to be aware of what we're putting on our skin and nails {and for all you nail biters... your mouths}.

3 Free

Nail polish falling in the "3 Free" category does not contain dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene, or formaldehyde (obviously formaldehyde is the grossest item on this list at first glance... I immediately imagine being forced to dissect a frog in 8th grade at the mention of formaldehyde). 

Phthalates are plasticizers (therefore, often found in plastics [throwing out your tupperware is a topic for another day]) and endocrine disruptors (in other words, they mess up your hormone system, which can lead to cancerous tumors, birth defects, or other developmental disorders). Avoid phthalates, or basically any weird word you cannot pronounce that has "phth" in it. 

Toluene is added to gasoline. No further explanation is really necessary, but, as an FYI, toluene can damage the nervous system.

Formaldehyde is a nail hardener... it's also a known carcinogen.

A few of our favorite 3 Free Brands: essie, OPI, Butter London, Estee Lauder, MAC, Nars {Estee Lauder, MAC, Nars are also free of formaldehyde resin}.

5 Free

Five free nail polishes are free of DBP, toluene, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, and camphor. 

Formaldehyde resin uses formaldehyde gas in its production, but in reality, its a different chemical than formaldehyde gas. Its used as a hardener in nail polish. Not as toxic as formaldehyde, and really more of an allergen.

Camphor can cause irritation to the eyes and skin. It has been linked to liver damage (rarely) and can cause seizures. 

A few fave 5 free brands: Chanel {one of our all-time fave polishes}, Dior, Revlon, L'Oreal.

Some say these chemicals are harmless... However, since there are so many great options which contain less toxins, we'll be sticking to those.