Toxic free gel polish

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DONSLJ

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Hey

Could I please have some suggestions on the least toxic, vegan, cruelty free gel polish brand available on the UK please?

I’ve researched but it’s getting a little confusing!

Many Thanks x
 
Pretty much all artificial nail products are vegan. Only exception some soak-off liquids contain Lanolin (from sheep). Cosmetic products sold in EU and ingredients can't be tested on animals for some years. Older products may have been. Products sold in China may have been.

Any cosmetic sold in Europe can only use legal ingredients and colourants, and in some cases the ingredients are limited by volume. Used as directed, they are safe for the specific application intended. However, if you question is which gel polishes are specifically design to reduce the possibility of allergies, there are three to my knowledge available in the UK:

CND - Shellac
Light Elegance - P+
IKON.IQ Nails - PRIMA

P+ and PRIMA are "pure gel" gel polishes i.e. don't contain a solvent like a hybrid gel polish. PRIMA has the advantage that only one colour coat is required, which saves time and money, and means it is great for nail art and one-stroke. No need to buy gel paints.
 
Biosculpture!
 
Shellac isn’t! It’s from small insects
 
Shellac isn’t! It’s from small insects

No its not, Shellac is a type of crushed insect used in some foods, etc. But it's also the name of a type of yacht varnish which is high gloss, it'sthe high gloss, durable finish that CND Shellac takes its name. There are no insects in CND Shellac
 
Thank you everyone, bobsweden that’s a very thorough reply which I really appreciate although I’m essentially wanting the brand with the least chemicals I understand the use of legal ingredients but as I am a vegan, chemical free salon I’m trying to find a gel polish brand that fits as closely to that ethos as possible.

Again thanks for all the reply’s I’ll look into biosculpture, I previously used shellac but fancy a change x
 
DONSLJ,

TBH, the number of chemicals is not the problem. It is which chemicals and if they are used in safe amounts. In many products you will find the ingredient HEMA (also called 2-HEMA). This is stated by the British Association of Dermatologists as the #1 allergen in nail products in the UK:

http://www.bad.org.uk/media/news

Dermatologists issue warning about UK artificial nail allergy epidemic

In an audit of 13 UK and Irish dermatology units during 2017*, a total of 4931 patients were tested for (meth)acrylate allergy. 1.5 per cent tested positive to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA), the most common (meth)acrylate to cause allergic sensitisation, and 2.4 per cent tested positive to at least one type of (meth)acrylate. After 2-HEMA, the next two top acrylates eliciting a positive reaction were 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (1%) and ethyl acrylate (0.9%); the latter can also be found in medical and other adhesives.

Our products don't contain these three ingredients, not the next 10 most common ingredient allergens. If you are interested to protect your health, I recommend checking that the supplier brand understands these issues - because the majority don't.

Also bear in mind that nitrile gloves offer little protection. I have an article that explains why.

Wish you all the best in your search xx
 
DONSLJ,

TBH, the number of chemicals is not the problem. It is which chemicals and if they are used in safe amounts. In many products you will find the ingredient HEMA (also called 2-HEMA). This is stated by the British Association of Dermatologists as the #1 allergen in nail products in the UK:

http://www.bad.org.uk/media/news

Dermatologists issue warning about UK artificial nail allergy epidemic

In an audit of 13 UK and Irish dermatology units during 2017*, a total of 4931 patients were tested for (meth)acrylate allergy. 1.5 per cent tested positive to 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (2-HEMA), the most common (meth)acrylate to cause allergic sensitisation, and 2.4 per cent tested positive to at least one type of (meth)acrylate. After 2-HEMA, the next two top acrylates eliciting a positive reaction were 2-hydroxypropyl methacrylate (1%) and ethyl acrylate (0.9%); the latter can also be found in medical and other adhesives.

Our products don't contain these three ingredients, not the next 10 most common ingredient allergens. If you are interested to protect your health, I recommend checking that the supplier brand understands these issues - because the majority don't.

Also bear in mind that nitrile gloves offer little protection. I have an article that explains why.

Wish you all the best in your search xx

Many Thanks, it is such a minefield! Yes it is purely for health reasons that my interest is coming from for both myself and clients.

Again thanks so much for your help x
 
No its not, Shellac is a type of crushed insect used in some foods, etc. But it's also the name of a type of yacht varnish which is high gloss, it'sthe high gloss, durable finish that CND Shellac takes its name. There are no insects in CND Shellac


Oh ok , I’m sure I read that but I stand corrected
 
Oh ok , I’m sure I read that but I stand corrected

You probably did. There's a lot of confusion about CND Shellac because its name (uncapitalized) is an already existing product. The secretions of the female lac insect is processed into flakes and added to alcohol to create the wood finish shellac. It is also a color pigment. It's been used since pre-Biblical days and it is extremely shiny and durable. It's also used to french polish furniture, which probably extended the confusion. CND trademarked the name Shellac (capital S), but the confusion lingers.
 
You probably did. There's a lot of confusion about CND Shellac because its name (uncapitalized) is an already existing product. The secretions of the female lac insect is processed into flakes and added to alcohol to create the wood finish shellac. It is also a color pigment. It's been used since pre-Biblical days and it is extremely shiny and durable. It's also used to french polish furniture, which probably extended the confusion. CND trademarked the name Shellac (capital S), but the confusion lingers.

While you are right CND Shellac does not contain crush insects, they do sell in countries where they admit their products are tested on animals. Since they allow their products to be knowingly tested on animals in order to make more money, it makes CND not cruelty free, and therefore not vegan either. Since the topic owner asked for products that were also vegan, I thought I would just mention it. CND is still low risk in terms of allergies though.
 
My recommendation is Ikon.iQ Nails Prima. Not just because it's peachy to work with but because I've so far been able to offer it to three new clients who had given up on gels due to allergies.

I do a test nail and wait 48 hours if no reaction then I get to make someone's day by applying the first set of gels a lady has been able to wear in months or years. Not seen any reactions at all so far. It's great to see their excitement! [emoji5]

I offer Bio Sculpture too but compared to the Ikon.iQ products it's not as satisfying to work with. Ease of use has definitely been well thought out with this brand and it has serious staying power too. The system is very comprehensive so I can also offer hard gels, soak off gels and acrygels for overlays and extensions. All hypoallergenic and cruelty free.
 
My recommendation is Ikon.iQ Nails Prima. Not just because it's peachy to work with but because I've so far been able to offer it to three new clients who had given up on gels due to allergies.

I do a test nail and wait 48 hours if no reaction then I get to make someone's day by applying the first set of gels a lady has been able to wear in months or years. Not seen any reactions at all so far. It's great to see their excitement! [emoji5]

I offer Bio Sculpture too but compared to the Ikon.iQ products it's not as satisfying to work with. Ease of use has definitely been well thought out with this brand and it has serious staying power too. The system is very comprehensive so I can also offer hard gels, soak off gels and acrygels for overlays and extensions. All hypoallergenic and cruelty free.


Why isn’t Biosculpture as satisfying to use sorry? I ask this with interest as I’m not experienced in the gel nail field. Iv only just trained with bio and that was because I felt safe in the fact it is a good product that is ethnically good , vegan and cruelty free
 
Thank you all so much I’ve now registered with ikon.IQ really looking forward to sharing this with my clients x
 
Why isn’t Biosculpture as satisfying to use sorry? I ask this with interest as I’m not experienced in the gel nail field. Iv only just trained with bio and that was because I felt safe in the fact it is a good product that is ethnically good , vegan and cruelty free

Hi Robin, It’s just the way Ikon.iQ gels go on. When I first tried it I put a base coat on a pop stick, nice texture, well behaved, so far so good... then I applied the colour coat, WOW! I tell you, I didn’t even bother to wait for it to come out of the lamp or try out the top coat. My decision was already made.

I have never encountered anything like it, super high colour opacity so only one coat and good to go, a really smooth gel that has no messing about going on at the edges ie no loss of pigment density and no shrink back. You can paint this to within a hairs breadth of the cuticle and side walls and the edge will stay put and stay perfect.

Bio Sculpture is good but it’s not THAT good!

Since then I’ve tried out the Prima gel and the Polytek acrygel and I’m just as impressed by those. Next I want to try the soak off builder gels so I can offer my allergy ladies extensions, as I pick up they all seem to prefer soak off products.

Personally I’ve switched my usual acrylics for the Polytek, originally as a test, but as it’s proving to be just as hard wearing I’ve stuck with it, I’m on my fourth infill now without having had any issues.
 
Super ethics Robin, kudos to you. xxx

But pretty much all nail enhancement products are Vegan, and since the EU stopped animal testing on cosmetic products or ingredients some years ago, most are cruelty free.

What is less ethical is the price some companies charge. More than £xxx for 5ml of colour gel or more than £xxx for 30ml of sculpting gel. NT need to earn money too, or? When the ingredients cost the same as other gels, why price-gouge your loyal customers - especially if the R&D was done years ago?

Is it any surprise that so many NT move to cheaper products from who knows who and where from, suppliers?

TBH it is no surprise that many NT move to lower price suppliers when the "premium brands" offer little value. Where are the free goodies for being a loyal £xxx per month customer for years?

[Moderator note: no trade pricing please - thank you]
 
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Super ethics Robin, kudos to you. xxx

But pretty much all nail enhancement products are Vegan, and since the EU stopped animal testing on cosmetic products or ingredients some years ago, most are cruelty free.

What is less ethical is the price some companies charge. More than £xxx for 5ml of colour gel or more than £xxx for 30ml of sculpting gel. NT need to earn money too, or? When the ingredients cost the same as other gels, why price-gouge your loyal customers - especially if the R&D was done years ago?

Is it any surprise that so many NT move to cheaper products from who knows who and where from, suppliers?

TBH it is no surprise that many NT move to lower price suppliers when the "premium brands" offer little value. Where are the free goodies for being a loyal £xxx per month customer for years?

[Moderator note: no trade pricing please - thank you]


Yes this is what I’m finding.

What’s R&D ? And NT ? Lol
 
Lol that’s so obvious now! Thanks
 
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