Non-Toxic Nail Polish for Beautiful Summer Nails

Oh, how I love approaching the summer months. People seem open to new adventures, carefree and less stressed.

Just recently we spent time in Byron Bay and I couldn’t help but notice so many women and girls had painted toe and fingernails.

It might have been because only a few months ago we launched our new SCOUT 5 Free Nail Polish and I was more attuned to noticing these things. It was terrific to see the vibrant, fluorescent shades the young girls were flaunting and I enjoyed experimenting myself with some of the more daring shades we have in our range.

The Birth of SCOUT Nail Polish Range

When I was thinking of introducing a SCOUT nail polish into our range of products, I tried some of the various polishes available on the market.

The water-based nail polishes were streaky, light and patchy. Durability was compromised and they chipped and flaked within hours of application. They are also difficult to remove and in our busy lives, who has time to avoid immersing your hands in water for up to five hours after application? Disappointing as I was hoping this might be a good solution to healthier nail polish.

Efficacy and safety are paramount when I am introducing a product to the SCOUT range and sometimes you have to meet somewhere in the middle. Which is what we have done with our nail polish range. Our non-toxic nail polish doesn't contain dangerous chemicals like formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, formaldehyde resin, camphor, and it's also free from parabens.

What Makes Up a Nail Polish?

The four basic ingredients you need are:

Solvents: such as ethyl acetate and butyl acetate and alcohol. These are used to dissolve and mix the other ingredients in the polish
Film formers: Almost all nail polishes on the market contain nitrocellulose. It is what we have to thank for the smooth surface of the polish when dry.
Resins and plasticizers: These two ingredients are used to make the polish adhere to your nail bed as well as create flexibility and durability. A combination of amyl and butyl stearate, castor oil, glycerol, fatty acids and acetic acids are those most often used.
Pigment: This is what gives us the colour to the polish.

So once the polish is applied to the nail and thus exposed to air the solvent (ethyl acetate) dissolves turning the liquid hard.

Ok, so without going too far into it. These 4 basic ingredients are needed to get a product to market that ticks all the boxes and in basic language works.

I’m thrilled with the result and I hope you will be too when you try SCOUT Nail Polish Collection.

Sylvie X