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.

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 7-free (or even 11-free!) being the least toxic.

If you don’t want to see the entire list and you’re just interested in which ones are the best, so far, I recommend the following.

100% Pure

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

I tested the colors: 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: ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆

Trust Fund

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: ☆ ☆ ☆

I compiled this list in 2015 and updated it in 2018. If you have information that differs from this list, please email me or share it in the comments (citing your source), so that I can make sure my list is as accurate as possible.

Note: The following list doesn’t include brands (like wet n wild or julep) that have some vegan and some non-vegan.

Brand Toxicity 100% pure 10 free 1143 H2O 7 free 786 Cosmetics 11 free A beautiful life (ABL) A-dorn 5 free Acquarella 7 free Aila 11 free All Heart 7 free American Apparel 3 free Authority cosmetics 5 free Bad Bitch Polish (BBP) 3 free Beauty without cruelty 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 3 free China glaze 3 free Ciate 3 free Cienna Rose 12 free Color club 4 free Color me Earth 4 free Cult 5 free Dazzle dry 5 free Deborah Lippmann 5 free Dream by PS 7 free Dr’s Remedy 5 free E.L.F. Ella & Mila 5 free Exurbe cosmetics 5 free Floss gloss 3 free Furless Gabriel 5 free Ginger + Liz 5 free Gloss & Co 5 free GLOSSWORKS 9 free Habit cosmetics 5 free Hard Candy 3 free I Scream Nails 5 free James Robert John (JRJ) 5 free Joshik 5 free Karma Hues 4 free Keeki Kester Black 5 free Kia-Charlotta 14 free Kitty got claws 5 free KL Polish 12 free Kure Bazaar 5 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 9 free Lustre 5 free LVX 5 free Madam Glam 5 free Manic panic 3 free Milani 3 free Mineral fusion 5 free Mischo Beauty 10 free Models own Moonstone 5 free Moov 7 free NCLA 5 free Night Owl Lacquer 5 free No miss 5 free Northern Nail Polish 7 free Nubar 3 free Obsessive-compulsive cosmetics (OCC) 5 free Organic glam (OG) Orly 3 free OZN 7 free p2 cosmetics Pacifica 7 free pear nova 5 free PiCture pOlish 5 free Piggy paint 7 free Play ♥ Laugh (play love laugh) 5 free Pretty serious Prissy cosmetics 5 free Priti NYC 5 free Pure euphoria 5 free Rainbow honey 3 free Scotch naturals 7 free Sheer Lust 5 free Sheswai 3 free SHINE 10 free Soulstice spa 3 free Sparitual 5 free Superchic Lacquer 5 free Trust fund 5 free Vivre Cosmetics 10 free wHet 3 free wikkid polish 5 free Willow Byron Bay 5 free Wrenn 5 free Zahara 5 free ZAPORA 5 free Zoya 5 free

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.