If you came to this blog post for free nail polish, then you're in the wrong place. "Free" nail polish is polish that does not contain the "big 3" toxic ingredients. These polishes are called "3 Free", and they do not contain formaldehyde, dibutyl phyhalate, and toluene. I'm going to be honest, I can't pronounce most of those ingredients. These complicated-to-pronounce words are all carcinogens, AKA, substances capable of causing cancer in living tissue. There are also some companies that are going so far as to create "5 Free" nail polishes, which do not contain the big 3 as well as camphor and formaldehyde resin. Most polishes are 3 free or 5 free, but there are also a few brands that are going so far as to produce "7 Free" polishes that do not contain the big 5, as well as parabens and xylene.

Before you freak out and chuck all of your nail polish in your trash bin, fear not! Many nail polish brands have been making their products 3 free or 5 free these past few years. But this doesn't mean that you have to raid your nail polish stash and root out the oldies that aren't 3 or 5 free. Most of these ingredients will not give you any extreme damage or long term effects. Unless you have easily irritable skin, these ingredients may not effect you at all. So unless you're inhaling your older bottles to get a buzz, "free" polishes may not be much of a concern for you. The reason why "free" nail polish is important and a concern for many today is with all of these chemicals being used in cosmetics, and not fully knowing the long term effects of exposure, why risk their use? 

If you're interested in knowing which nail polish brands are 3 and 5 free, I've compiled a small list below of some of the bigger brands of polish. However, I cannot personally guarantee that all of these polishes and their formulas are 3 or 5 free, so please do your research before purchasing! I cannot iterate this enough, especially because some blog posts have claimed that certain polishes are not 3 free. However, some of these posts are a few years old and therefore outdated. Some new collections of polish are being made without these harmful ingredients now. So please, please, please, do your research, read the ingredients on the bottles before purchase, or try and contact the brand to make an inquiry!

I hope that you all enjoyed this post and found it helpful!