Zoya: Finally a Greener Option for Nails

For the last year, I have been on a bit of a mission to “green up” my makeup routine.

I’ve replaced my foundation with a more natural option.

I’ve switched to a more natural-based cleanser and moisturizer.

I’ve ditched standard lip gloss for one that has ingredients I can pronounce.

But there’s one area of my beauty regimen that has been difficult to conquer: nail polish.

It should come as no surprise that most nail polishes on the market these days are pretty toxic brews. (After all, an “all-natural nail polish” kind of sounds like a contradiction in terms.) And although some companies like Revlon, L’Oreal, Lumene and Estee Lauder have done a good thing in removing formaldehyde and dibutyl phthalates from their polishes, there are still plenty of other ingredients that give me pause, including solvent acetone and toulene.

When I’ve tried “greener” nail polishes in the past, the results were far from impressive. Color selection was minimal. The color didn’t stay on. It went on unevenly. It was thick and icky.

But then, I read about Zoya.

Aesthetician Zoya Reitzis was pregnant when she first came up with the idea to create a nail polish that would protect herself and customers from toxic fumes. Voted Longest Wearing Natural Nail Polish by Women’s Health Magazine, Zoya Nail Polish is free of toulene, formaldehyde, dibutyl phthalate and camphor. The line features a mind-boggling array of polishes (over 300!) ranging from white to black and everything in between.

Desperate to see if this might be the answer to my green beauty prayers, I contacted Zoya and they sent me three bottles:

AVRIL (a pale pink creme):

ALIX (the most perfect red I’ve ever seen):

And PARIS (a deep burgundy):

What surprised me about this polish is just how smooth it goes on — even without a base coat. The consistency is perfect. The quality of the polish easily beats drug store counterparts and more than holds its own against higher-end brands like OPI. I painted my toe nails with ALIX right before Christmas and my pedicure lasted throughout the holidays without a single chip. The staying power on fingernails was equally startling — no chips, just a little wear off the tip after several days. Color me impressed.

Great staying power. None of the nasty stuff. And at $7 a bottle, it doesn’t cost me much more than many of the other non-green brands I’ve used in the past.

Nail polish might not be the most natural product in my beauty routine, but Zoya has taken the time to remove the truly toxic stuff, which is why it’s in my makeup drawer to stay.

Zoya is available at salons and spa nationwide, or online here.