Vegan Nail Polish

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Scotch Naturals nail polish display

This list of vegan and cruelty-free nail polish brands rates how clean they are, from 3-free all the way to 21-free (free of 21 harmful toxins).

Table of Contents

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I really like having cutely painted nails. This goes back to when I used to DJ at college radio stations, and it would make me happy to see my fingernails when I was running the board. Now it translates to seeing my fingers on my keyboard at work or in posts on my website. It just makes life happier.

When I found out that not all nail polish was vegan, I looked online for a comprehensive list. To make things even more complicated, I don’t really like to use a ton of chemicals, so I wanted to know which polishes are the least toxic. When I couldn’t find what I was looking for, I created this list.

Reviews of Vegan Nail Polish Brands I’ve Tried

If you don’t want to see the entire list and you’re just interested in which ones are the best vegan nail polishes I have tried so far, read this section. I order the following reviews from best to worst.

100% Pure

100% Pure vegan nail polish

I tested the colors: green tea ice cream, mint, and seafoam
Brush rating: perfect
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1 for the blue, 2 for the greens
Chipping started: day 2 - 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

786 Cosmetics

786 Cosmetics vegan nail polish

I tested the 786 nail colors called Java Halal (black) and Lahore Halal (gray).
Brush rating: good
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1-2
Chipping started: on day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Dream by PS

I tested the color: Silver glitter
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1
Chipping started: on day 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

duri

I tested the color: Love stories
Brush rating: perfect
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2
Chipping started on day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

côte

côte vegan nail polish

I tested the colors: No. 10 (pink) and No. 28 (red)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 4-5 for the pink
Chipping started on day 4
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Trust Fund

Trust Fund vegan nail polish

I tested the colors: Sex Tape (pink), Beverly Thrills (blue glitter), Money Buys Happiness (light pink), Celebrity Crush (yellow)
Brush rating: perfect size on 3 out of 4 bottles
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 7 for yellow; 2 for dark pink
Chipping started: day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Yapa

Yapa vegan nail polish

I tested the color: Vanessa (peach)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2
Chipping started: day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Sally Hansen Pure plant based nail polish

Color I tested: Clear Top Coat
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 1
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Mineral Fusion

I tested the color: Meteor Shower (purple glitter)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2-3
Chipping started: n/a (glitter worn over other polish)
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Ciate

I tested the color: Fun Fair (pink)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 3-4
Chipping started: day 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Zoya

I tested the color: Marley (lavender)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 2-3
Chipping started on day 2 or 3
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

1143 H2O

1143 H20 vegan non-toxic nail polish

I tested the color: Mint 2 Be
Brush rating: it was too wide, but the company said that was a defect
Odor rating: almost non-existent!
Coats needed: only 1
Chipping started on day 1
Total score: ☆ ☆ ☆

Hard Candy

I tested the color: Sky (light blue)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 4-5
Chipping started: day 2
Total score: ☆ ☆

Sparitual

I tested the color: Peach and Harmony (white)
Brush rating: average
Odor rating: average
Coats needed: 5
Total score: ☆ ☆

Piggy Paint

I tested the clear base coat.
Brush rating: too thin
Odor rating: Horrible!
Coats needed: 1
Total score: ☆ ☆

A Complete List of Vegan and Cruelty Free Nail Polish Brands

This alphabetical list includes vegan nail polish that is cruelty-free and also free of at least 3 of the harmful toxins usually found. Each brand lists how many toxins the company excludes from their polish, 3-free being the minimum required to make it onto my list, and 21-free being the least toxic. Back in 2015, 7-free or 11-free was the best you could find. It’s so awesome to see so many new vegan brands and so many that are non-toxic.

The following list doesn’t include brands (like wet n wild or julep) that have some vegan and some non-vegan. I did include REVLON, even though they aren’t cruelty-free since they still have to test when they sell in countries that require animal testing, but I made a note next to their name in the list.

I compiled this list in 2015 and updated it in 2018, and then again in 2023. If you have information that differs from this list, please email me, so that I can make sure my list is as accurate as possible.

Brand Toxicity
100% pure 20 free
1143 H2O 7 free
786 Cosmetics 11 free
A beautiful life (ABL)
A-dorn 5 free
Acquarella 7 free
Adorable 14 free
Aila 10 free
All Heart 7 free
American Apparel 3 free
Authority cosmetics 5 free
AZA 10 free
Bad Bitch Polish (BBP) 3 free
Beauty without cruelty (BWC) 3 free
Bella Pierre 3 free
Benecos 5 free
Berenice Beauty 5 free
Bion cosmetics 5 free
Black Dahlia Lacquer 5 free
Booty Babe 3 free
Butter London 10 free
China glaze (eco glaze line only) 14 free
Ciate 3 free
Cienna Rose 12 free
Cirque Colors Creme Nail Polish 10 free
Color club 4 free
Color me Earth 4 free
côte 10 free
Cult 5 free
Dazzle dry 11 free
Deborah Lippmann 10 free
Dream by PS 7 free
Dr’s Remedy 5 free
duri 7 free
E.L.F. 3 free
Ella & Mila 7 free
Entity Clean 24 free
Essie 8 free
Eternal 21 free
Exurbe cosmetics 5 free
Floss gloss 3 free
Foxology by Artic Fox 15 free
Gabriel 10 free
Ginger + Liz 5 free
Girls Like You (glu) 10 free
Gloss & Co 5 free
GLOSSLAB 6 free
GLOSSWORKS 9 free
Habit cosmetics 5 free
Hard Candy 3 free
heroine.nyc 9 free
Holo Taco 5 free
Honeybee Gardens WaterColors 3 free
ILNP 5 free
I Scream Nails 5 free
James Robert John (JRJ) 5 free
JINsoon 21 free
Jolie Vegan 11 free
Joshik 5 free
Karma Hues 8 free
Keeki 3 free
Kester Black 5 free
Kia-Charlotta 14 free
Kitty got claws 5 free
KL Polish 12 free
Kure Bazaar 5 free
L.A. Colors 3 free
Lauren B Beauty 5 free
LAW Beauty Essentials 5 free
Leesha’s Lacquer 5 free
Lillian Eve 5 free
Lime Crime 3 free
Lisa lacquer 4 free
LiveOliv 5 free
Londontown Lakur 16 free
Lustre 5 free
LVX 10 free
Madam Glam 5 free
Manic panic 3 free
Mersi 11 free
Milani 3 free
Mineral fusion 5 free
Mischa 10 free
Mischo Beauty 10 free
MO Nails 12 Free Gel Nail Polish 12 free
Models own 3 free
Mooncat 10 free
Moonstone 5 free
Moov 7 free
Nails.INC 21 free
Nailtopia Bio-Sourced Chip Free Nail Lacquer 10 free
Nailtural 16 free
NCLA 7 free
Night Owl Lacquer 5 free
No miss 5 free
Northern Nail Polish 7 free
Nubar 3 free
Obsessive-compulsive cosmetics (OCC) 5 free
Olive & June 15 free
OPI (nature strong line only) 9 free
Organic glam (OG) 3 free
Orly 3 free
OUL’ISI 21 free
Ownest Miss Cheering 3 free
OZN 7 free
p2 cosmetics 3 free
Pacifica 7 free
Paint 5 free
pear nova 10 free
PiCture pOlish 5 free
Piggy paint 17 free
Play ♥ Laugh (play love laugh) 5 free
Pluchke Adorable 14 free
Pretty serious 3 free
Prissy cosmetics 5 free
Priti NYC 5 free
Pure euphoria 5 free
Rainbow honey 3 free
REVLON Ultra HD Snap (not cruelty-free) 17 free
Sally Hansen (Pure line only) 16 free
Scotch naturals 7 free
Sheer Lust 5 free
Sheswai 3 free
SHINE 10 free
Sienna Byron Bay 12 free
Smith & Cult 8 free
SOPHi 6 free
Soulstice spa 3 free
Sparitual 5 free
Sparitual 10 free
Superchic Lacquer 5 free
Ten Over Ten 8 free
Trust fund 5 free
Vivre Cosmetics 10 free
wHet 3 free
wikkid polish 5 free
Willow Byron Bay 5 free
Wrenn 5 free
Yapa 10 free
Zahara 5 free
ZAPORA 5 free
Zoya 10 free

1143 H20 vegan non-toxic nail polish

If you’re looking for a polish that has no odor whatsoever, I recommend 1143 H2O. It’s the only vegan nail polish I’ve ever tried that has no odor.

Brands of Vegan Nail Polish Remover

Some of the brands above also make vegan and cruelty free nail polish remover. I’ll list some brands that do below.

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