Favorite 3, 4 and 5-free nail products

I'm a nail polish junkie. There's nothing I love more than a fresh mani and I'm constantly painting and repainting to switch things up based on my mood.

Ever since getting pregnant, I've been making small changes to make sure I'm doing everything I can to ensure that baby Cog is healthy. One of those things is swapping out a few of the nail products I was previously using for products that are 3, 4 or 5-free. Granted, I honestly don't know how bad all the "regular" stuff is for you, but if it makes even the slightest difference then I'm all about it. These are great products whether you're pregnant or not, and I'll probably stick with them post-baby, so I obviously wanted to share!

Nail Polish Remover

Let's start with nail polish remover. I took a chance by ordering this one by Scotch Naturals, and I'm so glad I did! It's soy-based so it's all natural and doesn't have that harsh smell or impact of regular nail polish remover. I will say that it's a little bit more expensive than what you'd find in the drug store, but I still have a third left in the 2 oz. bottle I bought back in September and I use it about once a week. It also takes a little bit more time to get all the nail polish off (it sprays on so I usually have to spray my nails once per coat of polish), but it absolutely does the job of the regular remover, if not a better one. My darker polishes come off so cleanly and I never have to worry about it leaving those ugly stains. Plus, it doesn't leave your hands feeling awful afterwards! I swear my cuticles have been consistently healthier since using this.

Nail Polish

A lot of nail polish companies -- such as favorites like Essie and OPI -- have switched to 3-free formulas, meaning they don't include formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP). (Four-free expands to exclude formaldehyde resin and five-free excludes both the resin and camphor). So it seemed like divine timing when D.C.-based beauty blogger extraordinaire Kitiya King launched her line of 5-free Mischo Beauty nail polish last fall. The colors are stunning and the polishes are so high quality. They've been featured everywhere, and for good reason! I could go on and on about how amazing her polishes are and how long they last, how fast they dry, etc., but I'd rather you just check them out! Her back story -- and credentials -- are pretty awesome, too!

Topcoat

We all know how coveted a good topcoat is. It can be the difference between a week-long mani and chips or cracks after one dish washing session. A few months before getting pregnant, I was using this one. I'm not going to deny that it's magical. It dries in about five seconds and makes your nails hard and shiny for days. But the warning on the back of the bottle about cancer and birth defects? I'd rather not take my chances. Especially with a little one on the way. Then, while waiting in line at Sephora one day (they always get me with those mini products), I happened to pick up the Julep Freedom Polymer Top Coat. I had totally forgotten that all of their polishes are 4-free and I absolutely how well this one works! It's by far the closest I've come to what I was using before. It's dries in minutes, gives your nails a gel-like shine and doesn't smudge your polish when you're applying it. Win!

These are just a few of the products I've found that work great for me -- and I'm so happy that they're free of harsh chemicals that can have negative impacts we might not even know about. If you try any of them, I'd love your feedback! And if you have any favorites that fit into these categories, I'd love for you to share :)

xoxo,
Alison