Is Gel Nail Polish Vegan?

Gel nail polish is a great option for those who want a long-lasting, professional manicured look on their nails, but is gel nail polish vegan?

With increased awareness given to environmental issues and animal rights, there is a call for brands to create products ethically. Vegan consumers also have a specific need for all vegan products.

We look at whether gel nail polish is vegan, how you will be able to tell if it is so, and we compare vegan products to cruelty-free products to see what the difference is.

What This Article Covers:

Is Gel Nail Polish Vegan?

Gel nail polish can be vegan, or it can contain animal products. It all depends on what brand you are looking at.

Many types of gel nail polish, and gel nail polish brands, are not vegan and use animal ingredients in their products for color, effect, consistency, and so on. But, due to a rise in demand for vegan products, more brands are finding perfect non-animal replacements for their polish.

This includes Orly Beauty. All of our products are 100% vegan.

Vegan nail polish contains absolutely no animal products in any form, and instead uses suitable replacements. But, this does not compromise the quality of the product, as the alternative ingredients work just as well as any animal ingredients that would be used otherwise.

When comparing gel nail polish vs regular nail polish, this applies to both. It is also important to note that a vegan certification does not mean a product is completely natural. You need to do further checks on the chemicals used, whether you can use acrylic paint as nail polish, and so on.

How to Tell if it is Vegan

The best way to learn whether a nail polish is vegan is to check the ingredients in the gel nail polish that is usually listed on the bottle.

Generally, if a brand has gone through all the necessary checks by licensed bodies, they will have a clear stamp on their packaging that says they are vegan. Without the official accreditation, they would not be able to advertise being vegan.

If this is not made clear on the packaging, you can always look at the loss of ingredients on the bottle. If you are not familiar with the names, contact the brand or manufacturer and they can provide you with this information.

It is also important to note that even if your gel polish is vegan, you must check all other products used in the manicure process, too. This includes acetone, base, top coat polish, and other types of nail polish finishes, nail art, and so on.

Despite differences in nail polish vs nail lacquer, the latter’s ingredients also need to be checked before use.

Vegan vs Cruelty-Free

If you are on the lookout for whether a gel nail polish is vegan or not, you may also want to check whether it is cruelty-free, too.

Vegan nail polish is classified so when it is free of any animal products either in the polish itself, or exposure during the production of the product. It will use alternative ingredients that serve the same purpose as the missing animal ingredients.

Cruelty-free nail polish means that the product has not been tested on animals at any point. Similar to the vegan accreditations, brands that create cruelty-free products will generally have an indication of this on the bottle.

The most common stamp you will find is the ‘Leaping Bunny’ logo, which indicates that it has not been tested on animals in any way.

If a product is certifiably vegan, it does not necessarily make it cruelty-free too - and vice versa. It is important to check for both stamps, and if it is not clear, then contact the manufacturer to query the brand’s status.

If a brand has a specific vegan and cruelty-free product or range, you cannot assume that all their products have followed suit. There are some instances where brands use animal ingredients in some products and not others, and the same goes for animal testing.

Be sure to check every single product before you purchase it, to confirm that it falls within the vegan and cruelty-free category.

Orly Beauty boasts a full range of vegan, cruelty-free products. This includes every single thing we offer, with no exceptions.

We have undergone all checks to be Vegan and ‘Leaping Bunny' certified, so you can be sure that you are purchasing ethical products.

We have an endless range of gel nail polish, as well as every other nail product or tool that you will need, so you don’t have to look elsewhere.

Conclusion

While not all gel nail polish is vegan, many brands do offer vegan products.

It is important to check any product before purchasing to see whether it is certified as vegan, which will usually be indicated by the text or a stamp on the bottle. If it is not clear, you can check the ingredients listed on the bottle to ensure there are no animal products used.

While there are many gel nail polish pros and cons, you should always try to look out for brands that use clean and humane ingredients, like Orly Beauty.

To give your nails a healthy boost while keeping your conscience clear, check out our Breathable Protein Boost.

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