Essie · Nail Polish & Top Coat
Essie Gel Throw In The Towel
Lower PFAS concern for nail polish; no known PFAS use in gel formulations, but Essie does not publicly disclose ingredients.
Essie Gel 'Throw In The Towel' is a gel nail polish. Gel polishes do not typically require PFAS-based coatings or water-resistant treatments in their formulation. However, Essie makes no public PFAS disclosure, and the full ingredient list is proprietary.
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nail gel polish (polymer resin blend)
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
Why this grade
Category baseline
cosmetics is a category where PFAS exposure is more common.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement about PFAS in this product.
Safe base material
Made from a material with no inherent PFAS use (ceramic, mineral, or natural fiber).
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
Essie Gel Throw In The Towel is a gel nail polish, a thermoset polymer resin blend cured under UV or LED light. Gel polishes typically contain acrylate monomers, oligomers, and photoinitiators that harden when exposed to light; uncrosslinked residual monomers and solvents (like ethyl acetate or isopropyl alcohol) are the primary chemical exposure route. This product has no known heavy metals, lead, or cadmium in its formulation based on publicly available Essie communications.
The brand's record and disclosure
Essie does not publish detailed ingredient lists or third-party safety certifications for gel products. The brand has not issued public recalls or warnings specific to this product line. Essie is owned by Orly International (now part of Coty) and operates without formal toxicology transparency typical of some premium nail brands; however, no established controversies regarding gel formulations exist on record.
How it compares in its category
Gel polishes across brands share similar chemistry and curing safety profiles. Essie's gel line is mid-market; premium alternatives (like Shellac or some indie brands) sometimes publish fragrance-free or lower-VOC claims, though clinical differences are marginal. Non-gel acrylics and regular polish carry different solvent profiles but comparable or higher volatile organic compound (VOC) exposure during application.
If you buy it
Apply in well-ventilated spaces or use a nail station with local exhaust. Cure under UV or LED per instructions (typically 30-60 seconds). Avoid prolonged skin contact with uncured gel; wash hands after application. Remove only with acetone or gel-specific removers, not by peeling, to prevent nail damage. Gel polish lasts 2-3 weeks before lifting; replace when edges lift to avoid moisture trapping under the coating.
Beyond PFAS: other things we checked
Established hazard classes for this product type, assessed from public information. These never change the PFAS grade; a Likely flag caps the Verdict at “Buy with care.”
Residual acrylate monomers and skin sensitization
Uncrosslinked monomers in gel polish can contact skin during application or cause contact dermatitis in susceptible individuals; Essie does not disclose monomer types or residual levels, making individual sensitivity assessment impossible without prior patch testing.
VOC exposure during application and removal
Gel polishes release volatile organic compounds (ethyl acetate, isopropyl alcohol, toluene in some formulations) during curing and acetone removal. Essie does not list solvent composition; poor ventilation during frequent professional or home application may accumulate exposure, though occasional use poses minimal risk.
UV/LED curing radiation exposure
Curing requires UV-A or LED exposure; cumulative hand exposure during frequent gel applications (e.g., weekly manicures over years) has been debated in dermatology literature, though clinical evidence of harm from brief nail-only exposure remains limited. Essie does not specify lamp type or intensity.
Formaldehyde or formaldehyde releasers
No public reports or Essie disclosures indicate formaldehyde inclusion in gel formulations; this hazard class is more common in traditional nail lacquers and nail hardeners, not curable gels.
Microplastic shedding from coating degradation
As gel polish chips and peels over 2-3 weeks, tiny polymer fragments may shed; environmental impact is unclear, and dermal ingestion risk during removal is negligible. Essie does not address polymer biodegradability or microplastic content.
What we don’t know
This grade is a model-based estimate from public materials, coatings, and brand disclosure at 72% confidence. It is not a lab result.
No independent PFAS lab test is on record for this exact product. A lab test could move the score in either direction.
The brand has not made a specific, verifiable PFAS-free statement, so part of this score reflects that missing disclosure rather than a confirmed material.
Formulations and coatings change between production runs. Always check the current label before buying.
More nail polish & top coat grades
How we score: every product runs through the same public 0–100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.