There are Now 9 Eco-Friendly Nail Salons in NYC Where You Can Get a Non-Toxic Manicure

Photo credit: Lunula Nail Salon/Tatiana Katkova. If this post is helpful to you, then check out the first and only book on this topic: To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick — And How We Can Fight Back, by EcoCult founder Alden Wicker.

If you didn’t notice just from owning a nose, conventional nail salons are incredibly toxic.

According to a 2015 New York Times, manicurists are prone to cancer, persistent coughs and other respiratory issues, and painful skin issues. Stories abound of miscarriages or serious birth defects.

According to a Toronto-based study conducted in 2017 and 2018 that came out in 2022, discount salons exposed their technicians to high levels of hazardous chemicals that are most commonly used as plasticizers and flame retardants, up to ten times higher than facilities that dismantle toxic e-waste. These chemicals are directly tied to reproductive issues such as miscarriage.

It’s been clear to me for years that nail salons are a hotbox for carcinogenic and toxic fumes from nail polish remover, nail polishes, and acrylic dust. Plus, the UV lights they use to dry your nails are also linked to cancer. Perhaps you and I don’t work there, but after knowing this information, it seems unconscionable to continue frequenting salons that subject their workers to such toxic conditions.

(By the way, if you’re interested in the topic of toxin-free living, you should get yourself a copy of To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion Is Making Us Sick – and How to Fight Back.)

After the New York Times article came out, New York State included some provisions in its emergency measures to address toxins. Workers will have to wear respirators when sculpting acrylic nails, wear protective goggles when pouring nail polish remover from large tubs into small containers, and wear special gloves when applying conventional nail polish that contains dibutyl phthalate, toluene, and formaldehyde.

Such a cute little Band-Aid, right?

I’m not going to judge you for wanting a manicure every once in a while. I personally love manicures. They’re the only thing that keeps me from ripping my nails to unsightly shreds. (Oh look, just caught myself doing it now.) So if you’re like me and need/want some professional love for your nails, here’s where you go in NYC:

Lunula Nail Salon

Greenpoint | Manicure $26 – $59

Tina, the co-founder along with her husband Justin of this new nail salon, used to work in fashion as a designer. Now, she’s focused on wellness—specifically, hand health. This holistic nail spa has a tight curation of non-toxic polishes: Londontown Kur, Dazzel Dry (a quick-dry gel alternative), CND shellac, and Veque. The minimalist selection means they’re less likely to have to throw away goopy, unused polishes. The curing for shellac is done with an LED light instead of a UV light, and they apply an SPF cream by Suntegrity before putting your hands under the light.  The salon doesn’t use drills to take off acrylic nails, meaning there isn’t harmful acrylic dust in the air. Hand creams are by Weleda, a longtime favorite of EcoCult. But you can also go with a polish-free treatment if you just want to feel nourished! Select from a relaxing treatment, a hydrating mask for dry hands, or nail treatment, all complete with a yummy hand scrub to kick it off.

sundays nail studio

Two locations in Manhattan: Flat Iron and Hudson Yards | Manicure $29 to $45

Opening its first location in 2017, this oasis carries just its own brand of 10-free, vegan nail polish in every color you could want. The design is all Danish/Scandinavian, with blonde wood, putty pink leather chaise chairs, and soothing indie music. At the Flatiron location, there’s an upstairs balcony that you can rent out for private events that looks down over the stations, which come with venting systems to blow the smell away from you. Your manicure will come with housemade organic lotion, plus a soak in floral sea salt water. At the new Hudson Yards location, put on a Bluetooth headset, close your eyes, and listen to a soothing meditation custom made for sundays.

[pH7] Nail Salon

Four locations in Williamsburg, Fort Green, Carroll Gardens, and Upper East Side | Manicure $25 – $52

This is my favorite non-toxic nail salon. Maybe just because it was founded in my neighborhood in Williamsburg, but it embodies all the traits of my dream salon: fresh and airy, a wide array of non-toxic nail polishes, skilled employees, and pretty decor.  It was founded by Cici, a Chinese-American entrepreneur, after she had her first child. You can read my 2014 review of PH7 here. Since then, three additional locations have been added in Fort Greene, Carroll Gardens, and Woodbury, Long Island. Its 10-free, pH7-branded nail polishes come in more than 96 different shades, and it offers pH7 hand and feet care products for home use as well.

Hortus Nailworks

Lower East Side | Manicure $20 – $75

This planted-filled haven is a cozy respite from the gritty downtown scene. The warm wood furniture was created by Recycled Brooklyn, and the thicket of green foliage leaves the air smelling clean and fresh. In terms of polish, you’ll find Essie and Zoya, and can also request Jinsoon if you prefer. The best part of Hortus, though, is in their locally handmade lotions, oils, and cult favorite cuticle oil (in lieu of mineral oil, which is a petroleum product) all created especially for the salon by the friend of the owner. When you’re done, you’ll get a few drying drops and put your hands under fans instead of the usual cancer-causing UV lamps.

Tenoverten

One location in Financial District | Quickie Manicure $22 – $58

Both a nail polish brand and a nail salon, this brand is NYC-chic. While it used to have several locations, currently only the Financial District location on Fulton remains.

If this post is helpful to you, then check out the first and only book on this topic: To Dye For: How Toxic Fashion is Making Us Sick — And How We Can Fight Back, by EcoCult founder Alden Wicker.