A Toxicity Review of Essie Nail Polish (& My Testing)

Essie has made strides in reformulating its products to eliminate many harmful ingredients.

I’m going to look closely at their ingredients with our resident toxicologist to report on the toxicity of their main nail polish formula.

I compare the best non-toxic brands (and test them for wear time) here.

Nail Polish is Not “Perfect”!

Keep in mind nail polish will never be perfectly “clean”, 100% natural, nor plastic-free.

But the risks of the best non-toxic brands, especially when dry, are extremely low.

My Experience

I have been able to use Essie myself, starting from when I had moderate chemical sensitivities until now (I no longer have sensitivities).

Many sensitive folks can use this because the alcohol solvents cure really fast (based on our perception and the science).

This article contains affiliate links, upon purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Summary:

We would say Essie is overall non-toxic (though not toxin-free). The solvents are potentially the biggest risk though they use less toxic solvents and they flash off fast. It did not make my top 7 list due to Octcrylene (may act as an endocrine disruptor at high doses and can degrade into benzophenone, a potential carcinogen). Other risks are low – dust from sanding it (avoid sanding, or wear PPE), risk from ingestion (avoid biting your nails when you have polish on), risks from absorbing anything through your skin (rare, as little gets on the skin and the nail plate is not very permeable), and like so many products, a dermal allergic reaction is possible but relatively rare.

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Essie’s Ingredient Profile

Ingredients Eliminated

Essie has taken significant steps to enhance the safety of its nail polishes by removing several known toxic ingredients from its formulations.

The brand’s current “8-free” formula excludes: ​

• formaldehyde
• toluene
• dibutyl phthalate
• formaldehyde resin
• camphor
• ethyl tosylamide
• xylene
• triphenyl phosphate
• all of which actually used to be in some nail polishes.

They are also free of ingredients that they say were never in nail polish that other brands add to their lists like:

• Parabens (Essie says they are free of parabens but that it’s not a typical ingredient in nail polish but I did find brands with parabens).
• Gluten
• Surfactant sulfates
• Styrene (as a monomer)
• BPA (BPA is used in epoxy formulas, but there may not be any free BPA in the final product)
• Glycol ether of series e
• Nonylphenol ethoxylate
• Lead – while lead is not intentionally added to Essie, or any nail polish brands (it’s prohibited in cosmetics in general), it can be a natural contaminant in all brands that contain earth elements like bentonite, diatomaceous earth, and iron oxides, though not at any significant level (especially since nail polish would use cosmetic-grade ingredients).

source https://www.essie.com.au/nail-polish-ingredients

So whether a brand is “8-free” or “16-free” does not tell us much about how they compare. You could make a “millon-free” if you wanted to. You can add a long list of toxins a product is free of that were never in nail polish in the first place.

Ingredients Used In Essie Nail Polish (Standard Line):

• Butyl acetate
• Ethyl acetate
• Nitrocellulose
• Adipic acid/neopentyl glycol/trimellitic anhydride copolymer
• Acetyl tributyl citrate
• Isopropyl alcohol
• Stearalkonium bentonite
• Styrene/acrylates copolymer (not the same as styrene monomer, and generally considered safe when polymerized says Dr. Mudgal toxicologist)
• Acrylates copolymer
• Silica
• Diacetone alcohol
• Octocrylene (may degrade into benzophenone, but typically present in trace amounts says Dr. Mudgal)
• N-butyl alcohol
• Hexanal
• Synthetic fluorphlogopite
• Lithothamnium calcareum extract/lithothamnion calcareum extract
• Calcium sodium borosilicate
• Phosphoric acid
• Dimethicone
• Mannitol
• Colophonium/rosin/colophane
• Trimethylsiloxysilicate
• Diatomaceous earth
• Barium sulfate
• Tin oxide
• Zinc sulfate
• Ci 77891/titanium dioxide
• Ci 77491
• Ci 77492/iron oxides
• Mica
• Ci 77266/black 2
• Ci 77742/manganese violet
• Ci 19140/yellow 5 lake
• Ci 15850/red 6 lake
• Ci 15880/red 34 lake
• Ci 77510/ferric ammonium ferrocyanide
• Ci 12085/red 36
• Ci 73360/red 30
• Ci 15850/red 7 lake

Remaining Ingredients and Potential Risks

Despite these improvements, Essie’s polishes still contain certain ingredients that are not considered perfect. Dr. Mudgal, Toxicologist reviews them:

Inhalation risks are highest during polish application (wet)—particularly from volatile solvents (butyl/ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, diacetone alcohol, n-butyl alcohol). Alcohols, however, flash off very fast.

Dust Risks: Fine particles such as silica, titanium dioxide, mica, and tin oxide pose inhalation risks only in dust form (e.g., if polish is sanded or buffed, not in the liquid or dried/cured state). Titanium dioxide and similar pigments are not hazardous when bound in the film.

Dermal exposure to non-volatile film-formers (nitrocellulose, acrylates, plasticizers) poses minimal systemic risk once cured. However, colophonium and acrylates are known skin sensitizers and may trigger allergic reactions in sensitive individuals.

Nitrocellulose vapors or dust (not typical in consumer use) may irritate skin, eyes, and lungs.

Octcrylene may act as an endocrine disruptor at high doses and can degrade into benzophenone, a potential carcinogen – but exposure via nail polish is minimal and well within regulatory limits, says Dr. Mudgal.

“Dermal exposure to octocrylene is possible, particularly during application when the polish contacts the skin around the nails, but the amount absorbed is minimal due to the small surface area and low formulation concentration,” says Dr. Mudgal.

Ingestion (e.g., nail-biting) of cured polish fragments can introduce dyes (Yellow 5 Lake, Manganese Violet) and plasticizers, but generally at trace levels unlikely to cause acute toxicity.

Environmental concerns center on octocrylene’s aquatic toxicity and solvent disposal—avoid dumping polish liquid into drains or the environment.

These ingredients are primarily a concern during application due to the potential for inhalation. Once the polish dries, the risk diminishes significantly. ​

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Exposure Pathways and Toxicity Considerations

Inhalation Risks

The primary exposure risk from nail polish ingredients is through inhalation during application. Adequate ventilation is essential to minimize respiratory irritation from volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in the polish.​

Dermal Absorption

The nail plate is relatively impermeable, reducing the likelihood of significant dermal absorption of nail polish ingredients. However, prolonged or repeated exposure, especially with damaged nails, may increase absorption risks.​

Ingestion

Ingestion of nail polish, such as through nail-biting, can lead to the intake of harmful substances. While occasional ingestion is unlikely to cause severe harm, chronic exposure could pose health risks.​

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Drying and Curing Times

Most solvents in Essie’s formulation, such as butyl acetate, ethyl acetate, and isopropyl alcohol, are low-boiling and evaporate rapidly within a few minutes of application.

Diacetone alcohol and n-butyl alcohol evaporate more slowly but still flash off within minutes under typical indoor conditions.

The blend is engineered to balance ease of application with fast drying time, says Dr. Mudgal.

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Comparison with Other Popular Non-Toxic Nail Polish Brands

I review and compare, plus test out wear time the top non-toxic nail polishes here.

Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.