It’s a pretty controversial area to touch on but honestly sometimes it’s tough being an eco-conscious female. Due to our passion and commitment to a lifestyle that sustainable of the earth and all of her living creatures, you’ll find that we have to make a pass on quite a few ‘fun girly activities’ and set our vanity issues aside because they are so damaging to all involved; but we are all girls and deep down inside we all want to look pretty/our best.
I’m not referring to anything drastic like surgery or diet pills. The fun girly stuff I’m talking about is like the little things such as having perfect nails decorated with beautiful nail art.
The perfect nails industry is a thriving one but at the same time it is also one of the deadliest as you’ll find it nearly always involves the toxic compounds of neurotoxins, carcinogens, and hormone disrupters. But I do turn green with envy when I see someone walk in with indeed the perfect set of nails…
Which leads me to the gratitude for an eco-sustainable lifestyle – this means there are many out there who like me strive to find a formula that will allow for us green girls to lead a ‘normal vanity indulging’ life yet not break our vow on putting sustainability first.
So without further ado… here’s how you can paint and decorate your nails without the guilt.
- 1. Like skin, it all starts with moisture. So you need a cuticle cream that is safe for both you and the environment. You may try Badger Cuticle Care which you can get for under $6.
- 2. The gloss pot – well the conventional ones will kill you so turn to those that are water-based and non-toxic. I can suggest the following:
–Peace-Keeper Cause-Metics Nail Paint which is ranked by The Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetics Safety Database.
– Honey Bee Gardens ‘ WaterColors Non-Peel Off Polish. They are odorless, based on a non-toxic earth-friendly formula that contains - NO:FD&C colors, toluene, dibutyl phthalate, xylene, or formaldehyde.
3. The artsy bits – well unless you have all the time in the world and happen to be very handy with the paint brush, you’d probably, like me cheat when it comes to nail art and make good with a ‘decoupage’ system. You can opt to use stencils or simply get stickers/nail jewels that are eco friendly (non toxic ink & adhesives).
