Organic nail polish remover. Non-toxic. Acetone-free. Natural ingredients. You want to talk about it in a soft voice as pure and natural as the blue sky above.  Right before the clouds filled with acid rain move in.

Some of the biggest toxic offenders in the cosmetics business are the ingredients found in finger nail polish remover.  It’s basically diluted, fragranced paint thinner.  Horrible to the smell, extremely flammable and poison to boot.  So we are always looking for nail products that are even mildly environmentally aware.  G2 Organics caught our eye recently for not only billing itself as “organic, odorless, non-toxic, good for the environment and good for you,”  but also as spiritually enhanced. Yes, for $15.95, there are reiki-charged (healing energy) crystals in every 4-ounce clear glass bottle.

G2 tells you that it is 95 percent organic, with the ingredients aloe vera, butyl diglycol (from corn), embittering agent (so children won’t drink it), ethyl alcohol (from grain), and vitamin E (from bee pollen), and we think that’s great.  The truth is, any product can call itself organic – only true organics have a USDA certification label and have passed rigorous protocols.  Hence, there are actually quite a few “organic” nail polish removers out there, mostly soy-based, all with good intent. They play up the fact that they don’t include three highly hazardous chemicals:  dibutyl phthalate (DBP), toluene and formaldehyde, all of which are known cancer-causing agents, and will set you on fire if combined with smoking.

Most “regular” nail polish removers have eliminated these ingredients as well. Some of them are even acetone-free products. But a quick check on the Environmental Working Group’s Cosmetic Safety website,  shows that both acetone and several different acetates commonly found in nail polish only rank 4 or 5 on the hazard scale. And of the 38 non-organic nail polish removers EWG rated for hazard, only two of them, both by Polish Off, were flagged in the high-hazard category because of fragrance and an ingredient called triclosan.

The new acetone-free products are better because they are less likely to dry out nails and cuticles.  Often they include moisturizing oils and antioxidants, like the highly praised Priti brand.  It lists its ingredients as coconut surfactant, soy esters, lemongrass oil and antioxidant.  We tend to raise a well-shaped eyebrow when they start talking about being better for the environment and making health claims.

All in all, G2 passes muster with their ingredient claims, and we applaud their truth in advertising when they tell consumers that they are 95% organic, rather than stretch the truth, as many other companies do.  As for the spiritual, reiki-charged healing powers of the product, we’ll have to refer that to another department.