Nailboo is a popular cosmetics brand that claims its customers can get “salon quality nails” from the comfort of their home. Using Nailboo is much cheaper than getting nails done professionally.
But does Nailboo contain any ingredients that may be toxic or unhealthy? Is it easy to use? Why was the brand sued? And is Nailboo better or worse from a health perspective than popular nail polish brands like DND?
In this article we’ll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze the ingredients in Nailboo to give our take on whether or not it's healthy.
We’ll also share a video showing how to use Nailboo correctly, explain why the brand was sued, and compare Nailboo to other popular nail polish brands, in terms of formulation quality, to pick our winners (and losers).
Key takeaways:
- Contains synthetic dyes we consider unhealthy
- Nail polish as a product category is often toxic
- We do not currently recommend Nailboo
Is Nailboo Unhealthy?
The ingredients in Nailboo Dip Powder are shown below:
There are a number of artificial colors that may have negative health effects.
Black 2, also known as carbon black, has been clinically shown to be associated with increased lung cancer risk, although most of the studies on this compound involve workers exposed to the chemical.
Yellow 6 is contaminated with a carcinogen (a compound that causes cancer) called benzidine according to a medical review published in the International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health.
Blue 1 was analyzed in a medical review published in the Advances in Nutrition journal, and the study authors concluded that this ingredient “may be toxic” after reviewing results from clinical studies.
Yellow 5 may be damaging to DNA as we documented in our Tula reviews article on another cosmetic brand that uses this ingredient.
In our opinion, the ingredients in the coatings are less concerning than these ingredients in the powder.
Nailboo is not unique in this regard; many nail polish companies use synthetic colorants, but health-conscious consumers may wish to avoid these ingredients.
We do not currently recommend Nailboo due to the ingredients highlighted above.
Why Was Nailboo Sued?
In 2021, Nailboo was sued in a class-action lawsuit according to ClassAction.org.
The plaintiff alleges that Nailboo was sending automated text message ads marketing their products to consumers who did not consent to receiving such ads.
At the time of updating this article, it’s unclear whether this lawsuit is still ongoing.
This information suggests that privacy-conscious consumers interested in Nailboo may wish to purchase their products on Amazon rather than on the brand’s website.
How to Use Nailboo
A tutorial on the official Nailboo YouTube channel is under two minutes long, and shows how to properly use their nail polish:
Nailboo vs. Popular Nail Brands
Here's how Nailboo compares to other popular nail brands in terms of healthiness, in our opinion:
DND
This popular brand fails to publish the ingredients in many of their polishes on their website product pages, which is a serious consumer safety issue.
Nailboo is the safer choice due to the clear ingredient disclosures.
Winner: Nailboo
Sistaco
This powdered nail polish brand failed to publish specific ingredient identifiers, as we documented in our Sistaco reviews article.
Nailboo clearly publishes the full ingredient list including colorant identifiers, which makes the brand the more reputable and safe option.
Winner: Nailboo
OPI
Opi's nail polishes have a very similar formulation to Nailboo's: functional active ingredients and synthetic colorants.
There is no difference from a health perspective.
Winner: Tie
Nailboo Pros and Cons
Pros:
- Brand publishes ingredients
- Cheaper than professional treatment
- No less healthy than professional treatment
- May improve aesthetic appearance of nails
Cons:
- Safer option than some competitors
- Contains artificial dye
- Nail polish may be toxic
- Purely cosmetic and no positive health effects
