Sienna Nail Polish Has A New Naturally Derived Formula

Sienna's New Formula 

Sienna has always created low toxin nail polish, but now they contain ingredients that are naturally derived from plants including cassava, cotton, and corn, which is produced using state of the art green technology. They are currently the cleanest nail polish on the market globally, but even better and improved. 

This plant-based formula has come from working with global industry leaders in France. Their technology uses organically derived, renewable plants for production, rather than standard petrochemical production. This has been developed by a team of 40 researchers who specialise only in nail polish, pretty neat!

Key features of this formula include: naturally derived ingredients from plants, renewable ingredients, no aluminium, no nanoparticles, green eco-friendly production, they remain vegan, cruelty-free and breathable.

What's In Conventional Nail Polish? 

If you haven’t yet made the switch to natural nail polish, it’s definitely time to consider it. Conventional nail polishes include ingredients such as Formaldehyde, DBP, Toluene, Tosylamide/Formaldehyde Resin, Synthetic Camphor, Xylene and Benzophenone -1. These ingredients have been proven to have a seriously damaging effect on your health, which is why Sienna has never included these in their polishes. *Note, none of our natural nail polishes contain these ingredients. 

Currently, there’s no way to make completely chemical-free nail polish. Rather, the best thing you can do is choose low-toxin by purchasing polishes that don’t include the ingredients listed above. 

How Is Sienna Nail Polish Made? 

All their colours are hand mixed in small batches to ensure a professional quality product. This may mean that the colour varies (very) slightly from batch to batch, but this helps to ensure the highest quality product and the longest shelf life. 

The lids of the nail polish are made from organic timber, which can easily be composted. The plastic brush and glass bottle needs to be cleaned with nail polish remover to get rid of any excess residue, but then the bottle can be recycled normally. However, check with your local recycling centre if they will take the brushes or not, as some don’t. Otherwise, just return them to Flora & Fauna or Sienna and we can recycle them for you. 

A Little Sienna History 

Sienna started in the living room of Danielle Egan back in 2013, after discovering a lack of non-toxic nail polishes, to sell at the local Byron Bay markets. Sienna is now sold in over 20 countries worldwide, with over 40 colours. This is while remaining true to Danielle’s values, a professional-quality polish that is luxurious, sustainably and ethically produced, as well as inclusive, vegan and cruelty-free. She says: “Our journey in sustainability is exactly that — a journey. We are continually looking for ways to do better.”

Everything in their collection is designed in Australia, with organic timber for the lids being sourced locally. They work with directly with raw ingredient manufactures in Europe to keep their carbon footprint low. Also, by going direct to the supplier in France it means that they are able to access a better formula and a more specific ingredient base, with no nasties! Unfortunately, this kind of innovation is not available in Australia yet, for those people who prefer Australian made. In their head office and warehouse, they use 100% renewable energy, recycling 83% of their total waste, and treating 100% of any water waste. 

What's Next For Sienna? 

We asked Danielle what’s next for Sienna, after having worked so hard on this release! 

“Moving to a new formula with greater eco-credentials has put us ahead of any other nail polish product on the market. We’re the first brand globally to be aluminium, nanoparticle and benzophenone free. We’ve worked SO hard launching this and plan to relax for a little while. We’ll be adding a few new colours + a nail strengthener this year as well as a few more little extras! Can’t wait to share them with you!”

Sienna also supports local organisations such as Rafiki Mwema, who raise money to help young sex abuse survivors from Kenya live safely and understand their frightening experiences, and Future Dreamer Girls Club, a safe, uplifting and interactive space for girls and women to be supported. All ingredients from Sienna are sourced from organisations that are child labour free, and always will be. 

What Is 12-Free Nail Polish?

You may have noticed branding such as 3, 5, 7, 10 or 12-Free, which can be a bit confusing to navigate, especially as some companies take advantage of this by listing certain ingredients as not contained when we don’t need to worry about those. Here’s a quick guide to help you know what’s what: 

12-Free polish does not contain formaldehyde, toluene, DBP, camphor, formaldehyde resin, xylene and don’t contain parabens, fragrances, phthalates, animal ingredients, ethyl tosylamide and triphenyl phosphate.

Nasty Ingredients To Look Out For In Nail Polish

• Formaldehyde: This is the chemical responsible for keeping your manicure fresh for longer and it’s what makes your nail polish harden. But it’s also a strong preservative, steriliser, and an embalming chemical.
• Toluene: Derived from petroleum/coal tar, this is the chemical responsible for keeping your polish smooth. Exposure to this has been linked to liver and kidney damage, anaemia and a decreased blood cell count.
• Dibutyl phthalate (DBP): This chemical is responsible for decreasing the brittle nature of nail polish when hardened, essentially what helps you remain ‘chip. However, this ingredient is linked to a variety of reproductive issues.
• Formaldehyde Resin: A derivative of Formaldehyde, this variant is used to help keep a polish hard and smooth however it is also a carcinogen and allergen.
• Camphor: This lab-created neurotoxin can cause seizures if ingested and is proven to cause liver damage when absorbed into the skin.
• Ethyl tosylamide: This chemical is incredibly toxic for our environment because it remains in the ecosystem forever, never breaking down.
• Other nasty ingredients to look out for are xylene and triphenyl phosphate, ethyl and parabens. These can cause allergic reactions, including skin irritation and damage to the nervous system.