TOMATO Zero Irritant Nail Polish Review

Growing up, I watched my mother make her own face masks with fruit, yogurt, honey, and other foods. She rarely wore make-up, and when she did, it was light and natural-looking. This was the 80’s and 90’s when bold, bright pigments were the norm, and most beauty products were full of what we know now to be toxins. In her own way, my mom was a clean beauty advocate and set the tone for me to become one too. So, when I received TOMATO nail polish as a gift a few months ago, I was very curious to try out this zero-irritant product. While I’ve never had an adverse reaction to nail polish, I am always looking for clean brands that perform well. Here’s my honest review…

The products featured in this blog post were gifted, however, I was under no obligation to write this review. I chose to share my honest opinion because I think that TOMATO nail polish is a unique clean beauty product.

What To Look For When Buying Nail Polish

You’ve probably heard of 5-free, 7-free, 9-free, and 10-free nail polishes. The numbers refer to the toxins that are present in conventional nail polish, that these brands don’t use. For example, 5-free polishes don’t contain toluene, dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, or camphor. 7-free nail polishes would also not include any ethyl tosylamide and xylene. These chemicals which give nail polish its plasticity and longevity are linked to hormonal changes, nervous system disorders, even cancer. The “cleanest” nail polish that I have found in stores is Ella + Mila’s 17-free nail polish. I haven’t tried their products yet, but they do have some beautiful colors, are highly rated, and available at Target.

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What TOMATO Nail Polish Does Not Contain

TOMATO nail polish is free of even more irritants such as fragrance, organic halides, and animal derivatives. Because they are water-based, they also don’t have that chemical smell that many polishes do.

If you want a detailed list of toxins that are not in TOMATO’s products, check out their Free Of page. If you have a specific allergy, send them an email.

How To Use TOMATO Nail Polish

I’ve found that cleaner nail polishes tend to take a little more effort to apply. I’ve used Zoya (10-free) and Mineral Fusion (7-free). Both need a few extra coats to look opaque than OPI (which is 3-free).

TOMATO has a thicker consistency so you won’t have to apply many coats. You apply one, wait a minute, apply a second, and then finish with the GLOSSY COAT (more about that later). You’ll receive instructions with your order and can also find them on their FAQ page. They recommend an hour to dry before your nails touch water, so make sure you have a beverage and entertainment!

When you’re ready for a change, you’ll need the ERASER GEL and some alcohol pads to take your polish off. It took a little patience to remove the polish, but as I mentioned, there’s always a trade-off with cleaner products.

The Colors, The Style, The Look

Most water-based nail polishes were created for kids (Piggy Paint and Klee Kids come to mind) so I’ve never tried them. Even my eleven-year-old won’t use brands like that so I’m always struggling to find polishes that are clean but don’t look like they came out of her craft supplies.

So I love that TOMATO’s sophisticated colors (and packaging). I am wearing the Tomato color. For me, the highlight (pardon the pun) is the GLOSSY COAT which adds such a gorgeous shine that I could not stop admiring my hands! Most of my other polishes have more of a matte finish, so I loved this extra layer of glamor!

Currently, they have a small selection of colors (compared to more established brands) but they are beautiful. Some of my favorites are the vibrant ones like Purple Cabbage, Pomegranate, and Black Hungarian. If you prefer softer colors, you might like the Himalayan Salt and Chantrelle.

How Long Does the Polish Last?

My daughter and found chips on our nails within 48 hours. In another day or two, we were ready to take the polish off. According to TOMATO, the polish can last up to three days, but I do spend a lot of my mornings and evenings cooking, cleaning, and washing dishes so my hands are always in water. You may be able to keep your polish on for longer, depending on your lifestyle.

Final Thoughts

If you have had reactions to other nail polishes, or are trying to detox your beauty routine, this might be your favorite new nail polish. It does take some extra care and patience to apply and remove, but I find that most clean products, whether it’s in the beauty or home arena, take a little more time.

For more suggestions for clean beauty products, take a look at my post: 5 Clean Skincare Brands That I Use Daily and 7 Small But Effective Changes To Your Beauty Routine.

Let me know if you’ve found any amazing clean beauty products lately!