Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish Review

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Written by Leigh Matthews, BA Hons, H.Dip. NT

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Leigh Matthews, BA Hons, H.Dip. NT

Sustainability Expert

Leigh Matthews is a sustainability expert and long time vegan. Her work on solar policy has been published in Canada's National Observer.

Updated:

Gabriel Cosmetics is a big cosmetics company with a wide range of less toxic nail polish. Here are the pros and cons of Gabriel Cosmetics polish.

Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish

Leaf Score

Highlights: Vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, very affordable, 10-free nail polish available in a wide range of colors and packaged in more sustainable materials. Recycling incentive program can net you free cosmetics!

Table of Contents
  1. Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish
  2. Overview of Gabriel Cosmetics
  3. What we don’t like about Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish
  4. What we like about Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish

What we like

  • Vegan and cruelty-free
  • Very affordable
  • Some of the least toxic nail polishes around
  • Available in more than 60 colors
  • Company uses FSC certified recyclable boxes and soy ink
  • Made in USA
  • Recycling incentive program with TerraCycle

What could be better

  • Still contains some undesirable colorants and ingredients
  • No ethical mica sourcing policy

At a glance:

Made in: USA

Ingredients: Ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate, stearalkonium hectorite, silica, benzophenone-1
May Contain: Aluminum powder, bismuth oxychloride, oxides, Red 34, Red 6, Red 7, Yellow 5 Lake, Iron Oxide, ferric ammonium ferrocyanide, mica, titanium dioxide, Violet 2

Certifications: Vegan, Cruelty-Free

Overview of Gabriel Cosmetics

Gabriel Cosmetics is a big cosmetics company that has taken the hint from smaller companies and created a line of 10-free nail polishes formulated without:

  1. Formaldehyde
  2. Toluene
  3. DBP
  4. Camphor
  5. Formaldehyde resin
  6. Xylene
  7. Parabens
  8. Fragrances
  9. Phthalates
  10. Animal by-products.

This doesn’t mean Gabriel Cosmetics nail polish is perfect, though.

What we don’t like about Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish

Although 10-free, Gabriel Cosmetics nail polish still contains trimethyl pentanyl diisobutyrate and benzophenone-1, which are chemicals to avoid in nail polish.

Furthermore, these polishes contain:

  • Ethyl acetate
  • Butyl acetate
  • Isopropyl alcohol.

While not quite as bad, these are still best avoided.

And, finally, these polishes use some FD&C and D&C colors, as well as mica of unknown origin, and aluminum powder and ferric ammonium ferrocyanide, none of which are ideal.

What we like about Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish

Gabriel Cosmetics offers some of the least toxic nail polishes around. The range includes more than 60 colors, and the bottles are very affordable, at around $12 for 14 mL.

It’s nice to know that these products don’t contain some of the most common carcinogens in polish. We also like that Gabriel Cosmetics aims to reduce packaging waste and has a recycling program in partnership with TerraCycle. If you return any 5 eligible Gabriel Cosmetics containers, you can receive a lipstick of your choice. The company collects the containers and sends them to TerraCycle to be turned into new products. 

Gabriel Cosmetics also uses FSC certified recyclable boxes, soy ink for printing, and biodegradable packing peanuts (Pelaspan Bio) made from vegetable starch. And it encourages customers to make use of its refillable powder compacts to reduce waste.

See our other top choices for non-toxic nail polish.

Gabriel Cosmetics Nail Polish

Leaf Score

Highlights: Vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, 10-free nail polish available in a wide range of colors and packaged in more sustainable materials.

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