Apuree® Clean Standards
View The Pure⁴ Banned Ingredients ListPure⁴ | The Conscious Choice
Our Promise: To enhance purity for frequent users of nail products, minimizing potential sensitivity risks.
Banned Ingredients: 32+
What It Means For You: For more frequently used products, we elevate our safety standards further. We ban all ingredients from Pure³ and additionally exclude a wide range of potential skin sensitizers (like HEMA and Di-HEMA), chemical solvents, and all synthetic fragrances—which is key to solving the odor issue of traditional nail polishes. It's the ideal choice for your daily pop of color.
Applicable Product Lines:
- 26-Free™ Series: Nail Polish
- MomentMani™ Series : 1-Step Gel Polish
Apuree® Clean Standards
At Apuree, "clean" is not just a label; it's our founding principle. We believe in ultimate transparency and are dedicated to empowering our community, allowing every consumer to make the safest and most informed choices for their health.
Today's beauty industry is filled with confusing claims, and we are committed to providing absolute clarity.
Therefore, we created The Apuree Clean Standards, the industry's first tiered ingredient standard designed to define the future of 'nail care that is safe for all.' This system goes beyond the conventional "X-Free" concept, offering you a clear, layered guide to understand the purity and safety of each of our products. This is our unwavering commitment to you: ensuring absolute safety without sacrificing performance or beauty.
What do we mean by Clean Nail?
Apuree®: Redefining "Clean" Nail System: 6A+ Level
which means scrutinizing Natural & Organic Ingredient sources, along with No-Harm nails process, sustainability, transparent labeling, cruelty-free, diversity & inclusivity.
We advocate for greater transparency and accessible information in a supply chain often clouded by vague marketing claims.
The Pure⁴ Banned Ingredients List
1,4-Dioxane
What it is: A contaminant that can be found in certain cosmetic ingredients.
Why it's banned: It is a probable human carcinogen and a known environmental toxin.
2,4-Dinitrotoluene
What it is: An industrial chemical.
Why it's banned: A potential carcinogen and developmental toxicant.
4-Nitro-m-Phenylenediamine
What it is: A synthetic hair dye ingredient.
Why it's banned: A strong skin sensitizer and has been linked to mutagenic effects.
Acetone
What it is: A powerful solvent used to remove nail polish.
Why it's banned: It is extremely drying to the nails, cuticles, and skin, leading to brittleness and irritation.
Animal Products or Derivatives
What it is: Any ingredient sourced from animals, such as carmine or lanolin.
Why it's banned: To uphold our commitment to being 100% vegan and cruelty-free.
Benzyl Butyl Phthalate (BBP)
What it is: A phthalate used as a plasticizer.
Why it's banned: It is a known endocrine disruptor with reproductive toxicity.
Benzylidene Acetone
What it is: A fragrance ingredient.
Why it's banned: A potent skin sensitizer, prohibited in cosmetics by the EU.
Butanone (Methyl Ethyl Ketone)
What it is: A solvent similar to acetone.
Why it's banned: It can cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Camphor
What it is: An ingredient formerly used as a plasticizer in nail polish.
Why it's banned: In large doses, it can be toxic and cause skin allergies.
Chloral Hydrate
What it is: A chemical compound.
Why it's banned: It is a toxic substance prohibited for use in cosmetics by major regulatory bodies.
Chloroform
What it is: A volatile organic compound used as a solvent.
Why it's banned: It is classified as a probable human carcinogen and is toxic.
Coal Tar Dyes
What it is: Colorants derived from petroleum.
Why it's banned: Can be contaminated with heavy metals and are linked to cancer.
Di-HEMA TMHDC
What it is: A larger methacrylate monomer also used for adhesion and durability in gel products.
Why it's banned: Like HEMA, it is a known skin sensitizer that can cause allergic reactions upon contact.
Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP)
What it is: A phthalate used as a plasticizer.
Why it's banned: An endocrine disruptor linked to developmental and reproductive issues.
Diethylhexyl Phthalate (DEHP)
What it is: A commonly used phthalate plasticizer.
Why it's banned: Known carcinogen and endocrine disruptor with significant reproductive toxicity.
Diisoamyl/Di-n-Pentyl Phthalate
What it is: A phthalate used as a plasticizer.
Why it's banned: It is an endocrine disruptor with potential reproductive toxicity.
Ethylene Oxide
What it is: A sterilizing agent and a chemical precursor.
Why it's banned: It is a known human carcinogen and a respiratory irritant.
Formaldehyde
What it is: A harsh chemical historically used as a preservative and nail hardener.
Why it's banned: It is a known human carcinogen and a potent skin, eye, and respiratory irritant.
Formaldehyde Resin
What it is: A polymer derived from formaldehyde, used to add shine and durability.
Why it's banned: It is a common skin allergen that can cause contact dermatitis.
HEMA (2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)
What it is: A monomer that forms strong bonds, giving gel polish its longevity.
Why it's banned: It is a major allergen that can penetrate the skin and trigger severe allergic contact dermatitis.
Hydroquinone
What it is: A skin-lightening agent sometimes found in nail adhesives or treatments.
Why it's banned: Restricted in many countries due to potential carcinogenic effects.
Lead
What it is: A heavy metal that can appear as an impurity in colorants.
Why it's banned: It is a known neurotoxin that is harmful even at very low levels.
Methanol
What it is: A toxic alcohol used industrially as a solvent.
Why it's banned: It is toxic when absorbed or inhaled and can cause damage to the optic nerve.
Methyldibromo Glutaronitrile
What it is: A preservative.
Why it's banned: A potent allergen causing high rates of contact dermatitis, leading to its ban in the EU.
Musk Ambrette
What it is: A synthetic musk fragrance.
Why it's banned: It can cause photosensitivity and has shown neurotoxic effects.
p-Nitrochlorobenzene
What it is: An industrial chemical.
Why it's banned: Highly toxic and prohibited for use in cosmetics.
Paraffin
What it is: A petroleum-derived wax used in some nail treatments.
Why it's banned: From a non-renewable source and may be contaminated with toxic impurities.
Parabens
What it is: A class of widely used preservatives in cosmetics.
Why it's banned: They are potential endocrine disruptors that can interfere with the body's hormone systems.
Toluene
What it is: An industrial solvent used to create a smooth finish in nail polish.
Why it's banned: It can affect the nervous system, cause dizziness, and is linked to developmental toxicity.
TPO (Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide)
What it is: A photoinitiator that helps cure gel polish under UV/LED light.
Why it's banned: It is a potent skin sensitizer and a common cause of allergic reactions to gel products.
Triphenyl Phosphate (TPHP)
What it is: An ingredient used as a plasticizer to make polish flexible.
Why it's banned: It is a potential endocrine disruptor.
Xylene
What it is: A solvent that prevents polish from getting clumpy.
Why it's banned: It can cause irritation to the skin, eyes, and respiratory tract with exposure.