What is the composition of natural nail polishes?
How does the composition of a natural nail polish differ from that of a traditional polish? Contrary to popular belief, the answer is not so obvious. Firstly, their composition is healthier and contains natural ingredients that respect both health and the environment. And then the polish formula can also contain beneficial ingredients for nails, which is rarer in nail polishes with conventional compositions. But let's take a closer look at the formulation of these "green" polishes.
The base of Clever Beauty polishes: biosourced solvents
Brands that design so-called "green" polishes offer natural alternatives to harmful products found in most polishes. Consequently, they are much more demanding in the composition of their natural polishes.
But what exactly do they contain?
We will take the example we know best: our polishes. First of all, they do not contain any animal-derived products, because our Clever Beauty polishes are all vegan, a value that is close to our hearts. But be careful, this is not necessarily the case for all ecological polishes. Our polishes all have a common base that may differ from other natural polishes on the market.
For us, this base is composed of biosourced solvents. What are they? A solvent is a substance that allows other materials to be diluted, dissolved, or extracted without altering them. If they are biosourced, it means that they are ingredients of natural origin extracted by bacterial fermentation. They come from various natural raw materials: cotton, corn, cassava, sugarcane, or potato. And they can also be found in natural nail polish removers. For nail polishes, biosourced solvents from cotton and cassava are preferred.
But why these specific natural materials?
Cotton, for example, helps to strengthen the bond between the different ingredients of the polish, ensuring a perfect hold for 4 to 6 days.
While cassava adds texture to the polish and is rich in vitamin C and B9 (the other name for folic acid). The former fights oxidation and the latter strengthens the immune and nervous systems as well as red blood cell formation, making it a particularly recommended component for pregnant and breastfeeding women.
And a quick word about corn, which adds shine to the polish due to its richness in vitamins A and E as well as antioxidants.
Natural ingredients that give polishes special properties
Now that we have the base, other ingredients can be added that provide special properties to the polishes. Important note, if you were wondering: these extracts do not affect the color, but only the function of the polish, such as top coats, base coats, or other treatment polishes.
Here are the ones we selected at Clever Beauty.
Durian
What a curious name, isn't it? Durian is an Asian fruit belonging to the Malvaceae family, quite unknown in the West.
It is particularly interesting for nails because it contains fibers, proteins, and lipids, as well as vitamins B1, B2, and B3. And all these elements strengthen the keratin that the nail is composed of. The nail then becomes more resistant and therefore has much less risk of breaking. This fruit extract is notably found in the formula of polish #13 Parfaite.
Red berries
We also use red berry extracts such as blueberry, blackberry, cherry, strawberry, and raspberry. They contain vitamins E and C, which provide better resistance to the nail against aggressions, especially from the sun and pollution. You can find these extracts in polish #14 Audacieuse.
Green tea
A component of polish #12 Green Top & Base, green tea is a super ingredient because it is rich in antioxidants. It therefore helps to purify and soften the skin and, in this way, reduce the hypersensitivity of the epidermis.
Avocado
Finally, let's finish with avocado which, for its part, gently but deeply nourishes the cuticles. And bingo! It is also found in the previously mentioned Green Top & Base polish.
What natural polishes do not contain, or 10-Free
Have you ever heard of "3-Free" or "4-Free" polishes, among others?
These are, in the cited cases, polishes that do not contain 3 or 4 of the products suspected of being harmful to health. Because, indeed, knowing what we put in our products is very good, but being informed of what we do not put in is just as important. Especially since these toxic products represent a significant part of the composition of most nail polishes.
For our part, we have opted for a "10-Free" formula for all our polishes. These are, moreover, the most natural and healthy polishes you can find today.
Thus, you will not find:
- formaldehyde;
- formalin;
- toluene;
- colophony;
- styrene;
- xylene;
- dibutyl phthalate;
- paraben;
- camphor;
- and benzophenone.
They are all banned from our polishes!
And it should be noted that the last four products mentioned are endocrine disruptors. A note concerning benzophenone, as it helps protect the color of the polish from the sun. But, to prevent the color from yellowing, it is enough to store your nail polish properly.
Can we then speak of organic polishes?
However, we do not wish to mislead you: it is not possible to call them organic polishes because an organic polish does not exist, at least not at present. Why?
In a natural polish, solvents, although biosourced, do not obtain organic certification.
Furthermore, in the case of our polishes, they contain a high percentage of minerals (as is the case with pigments, for example). However, a mineral such as sodium, potassium, calcium, chlorine, phosphorus, or sulfur is not plant-derived and therefore is not organic matter. Thus, it cannot be included in the calculation of a polish's naturalness. A component that is not organic is not necessarily bad for health, it all depends on what can be considered organic.
We are convinced that one day the world of cosmetics will see the birth of organic polishes. For now, brands like ours strive every day to offer much healthier products for consumers and for the environment.
Now you know a little more about the composition of natural nail polishes. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about one or more ingredients in our polishes. We will be happy to enlighten you and share our enthusiasm with you.
