Nail polish: ingredients to look for, and what to swap to
Nail polish is one of the 43 product kinds in Detox My Life's swap catalog: the things people most often replace when they start reading labels. Below is what the app's engine has researched in this kind of product, with the level each ingredient gets for the way it reaches you, and the alternative types the catalog suggests.
Researched ingredients in nail polish
| Ingredient | Use researched | Level (Cautious) | Concerns · favour | Where it turns up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| dibutyl phthalate (dbp) | On skin, left on | Swap | 2 · 1 | plasticiser, nail polish, endocrine disruptor |
| camphor | On skin, left on | Swap | 4 · 0 | plasticiser, nail polish, strong scent |
| toluene | On skin, left on | Swap | 3 · 0 | solvent, nail polish, neurotoxic concern |
| nitrocellulose | On skin, left on | Swap | 2 · 0 | film former, nail polish base, common |
| acetone | In indoor air | Watch | 4 · 1 | solvent in cleaners, nail polish remover |
| triphenyl phosphate (tphp) | On skin, left on | Watch | 3 · 0 | plasticiser, nail polish, endocrine disruption |
| ethyl acetate | On skin, left on | Watch | 2 · 0 | solvent, nail polish, quick dry |
| polyurethane-11 | On skin, left on | Watch | 2 · 0 | film former, nail polish durability, common |
| acrylates copolymer | On skin, left on | Watch | 2 · 0 | film former, nail, mascara adhesion |
| shellac | On skin, left on | Watch | 1 · 0 | natural film former, mascara, nail treatment |
| acetyl tributyl citrate | On skin, left on | Low | 1 · 0 | plasticiser, nail polish flexibility, common |
| butyl acetate | On skin, left on | Low | 1 · 0 | solvent, nail polish, smooth application |
Levels come from the app's deterministic engine under its default Cautious lens (consensus plus emerging evidence). Open an ingredient for every claim, its tier, confidence and sources, and the level in the other lenses.
What the catalog suggests instead
Alternatives are types, never brands, and there are no affiliate links anywhere in the app or on this site.
The catalog suggests alternatives per product when you scan one, as types rather than brands.
In the app's swap catalog, replacing nail polish counts as a medium step for a home. That weighting is the catalog's own first-pass judgement used to rank your plan, not a sourced claim; the evidence lives on the ingredient pages.
How a swap is credited
When you scan the product that replaced your nail polish and tap This replaces…, the app logs the swap, counts the old product as a clean slot in its room and moves your Detox Score by exactly the promised impact. Fifty is a typical home in your region, so the number is yours to beat, not an absolute nobody reaches.
Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.
See also: all swap categories · ingredient index · paste a label to check it