Off With Our Shoes: Pedicures without hazards

• By
• Diane Selkirk

Image by iStock / paulaphoto

Safe pedicure products that won't harm the environment or your health

With the sun starting to peak out more often and my winter boots heading back into storage, it’s time to admit that Maia and I have a guilty little secret—we love pedicures.

It started innocently enough; I treated my mum to a Mother’s Day pedicure and 2-year-old Maia became fixated on having her own “pwitty twoes.” So I painted her tiny toenails and was surprised by how still she could sit while they dried.

The next time I went for a pedicure (Modern Nails at 202-745 W. Broadway has a deal on Tuesdays) I brought her along and she sat in blissed-out contentment while her wee feet were soaked, massaged and beautified. The first problem with the whole plan was my cheap treat had just doubled in price. The second problem came when I discovered that my favourite nail polish has some really nasty chemicals in it.

The solution seemed simple—we’d set ourselves up for DIY pedicures. But after going through the Environmental Working Group's database of cosmetics and discovering that my formerly favourite Body Shop foot lotion had a high hazard ranking, I realized I had a lot of learning to do.

I’m not sure about you—but I start to feel really depressed when I realize that something as simple as giving my child a pedicure could cause cancer or damage her reproductive health. I also find it difficult to know who to trust when a company that promotes their eco-consciousness as a major selling feature turns out to be greenwashing me.

Obviously, we could just give up pedicures—but we like them and, quite frankly, it should be possible to make pampering ourselves, and our kids, safe. Another option would be to memorize the list of ingredients that are unsafe—but honestly, sometimes we just need to know what is okay.

So here you go—a list of safe pedicure products that won't harm the environment or your health. This is admittedly only a partial and non-exhaustive list, but it’s one that gave me hope and pretty feet.

Safe foot scrub

Aubrey Organics Neat Feet Foot Scrub

Barielle Pedi-Scrub Foot Smoother EO Foot Scrub, Peppermint & Lavender

Kiss My Face Foot Scrub

Safe foot lotion

Aromaland Foot & Leg Lotion Bay Laurel & Mint

Healing-Scents Foot Lotion

Garden of Eve Skin Care Serious Hand & Body Repair

Safe polish remover

Studio 35 Beauty 100% Acetone Maximum Strength Polish Remover

Jonel Polish Corrector polish remover

Swabplus Beauty Care Nail Polish Remover Swabs

Studio 35 Beauty Non-Acetone Nail Polish Remover Pads

Lippmann Collection Nail Essentials: The Stripper, Lavender Nail Lacquer Remover

Safe nail polish

Acquarella Nail Polish

L'Oréal Pro Manicure Nail Polish

Terra Firma Cosmetics Longevity Lip Stain for Lips Cheeks Nails

Revlon Liquid Quick Dry nail polish

Honeybee Gardens Water Colors Nail Enamel

Custom Nails Nail Polish Thinner

Kiss Salon Results Full Cover Toe Nails

Nail Laminates Polish Dryer

Milani Nail Lacquer, Quick Dry/Top Coat

Revlon Extra Life No Chip Nail Top Coat

Feel free to add your own recommendations below!