OPI Nail Lacquer

I wanted to recommend OPI—they pioneered DBP removal in 2006 and built a reputation for salon-quality polish. But after digging into their ingredient transparency and marketing practices, I can't. The brand claims "9-free" status while simultaneously mocking competitors who go further ("some brands call out ingredients you wouldn't normally find in nail lacquer anyway"), and multiple customer reports describe formaldehyde odor in bottles that supposedly don't contain it. Combined with remaining concerning ingredients and inconsistent formulations, OPI hasn't kept pace with cleaner alternatives that perform just as well.

Here's what bothered me most during my research: OPI's marketing language around their "9-free" status feels defensive rather than transparent. In their product descriptions, they specifically call out brands claiming "21-free" formulations, suggesting those additional exclusions are irrelevant because "you wouldn't normally find" those ingredients in polish anyway.

But here's the thing—brands like Ella+Mila and Zoya didn't remove 21 ingredients for fun. They did it because even trace amounts of certain chemicals can cause sensitization over time, especially for nail techs doing 8+ manicures daily. When a brand's response to competitors raising safety standards is to mock them rather than match them, that's a red flag for me.

The formaldehyde issue compounds this concern. Multiple Amazon reviewers specifically mention a "formaldehyde smell" in bottles purchased in 2023-2024, despite OPI claiming formaldehyde-free status since 2006.

Let me be specific about what's still in OPI formulations:

Benzophenone-1: A UV absorber that helps prevent color fading. A 2017 study in Environmental Science & Technology found benzophenone compounds can be absorbed through nails and detected in urine samples. The concern is that benzophenones are endocrine disruptors.

Camphor: OPI includes camphor in most shades. Camphor can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals, which is why many cleaner brands exclude it.

To OPI's credit, they have removed the "toxic trio" (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP) plus several other problematic ingredients. That's genuinely better than drugstore polishes from 10 years ago.

But brands like Zoya and Ella+Mila removed these same ingredients plus an additional 12-15 compounds without sacrificing performance. OPI had a two-decade head start and chose not to keep up.

I need to be fair here: OPI polishes perform beautifully. The formula applies smoothly, self-levels well, and delivers 5-7 days of wear with minimal chipping. The color range is exceptional (200+ shades), and the brush design makes at-home application easier than many competitors.

I tested this against Ella+Mila and Zoya in head-to-head wear tests, and honestly, OPI held up comparably.

The problem isn't that OPI doesn't work. It's that it works the same as cleaner alternatives, so there's no performance trade-off to justify the ingredient concerns.

If you want salon-quality polish without the ingredient concerns:

Zoya ($10): 10-free, identical wear time, even larger color range (400+ shades).

Ella+Mila ($10.50): 17-free, includes some nail-strengthening ingredients like biotin and vitamin E.

All have transparent ingredient lists, don't mock competitors for being cleaner, and perform as well or better than OPI in my testing.

OPI isn't the worst polish on the market—drugstore brands like Sally Hansen and Revlon are further behind on ingredient safety. But OPI's dismissive attitude toward cleaner formulations, combined with concerning customer reports about formaldehyde odors and remaining questionable ingredients, makes them a brand I can't recommend when better options exist at the same price.

If you already have OPI polishes, I'm not saying to toss them. Finish the bottles, use them in a well-ventilated space, and consider switching to a cleaner brand next time.

I wanted to recommend OPI—they pioneered DBP removal in 2006 and built a reputation for salon-quality polish. But after digging into their ingredient transparency and marketing practices, I can't. The brand claims "9-free" status while simultaneously mocking competitors who go further ("some brands call out ingredients you wouldn't normally find in nail lacquer anyway"), and multiple customer reports describe formaldehyde odor in bottles that supposedly don't contain it. Combined with remaining concerning ingredients and inconsistent formulations, OPI hasn't kept pace with cleaner alternatives that perform just as well.

Here's what bothered me most during my research: OPI's marketing language around their "9-free" status feels defensive rather than transparent. In their product descriptions, they specifically call out brands claiming "21-free" formulations, suggesting those additional exclusions are irrelevant because "you wouldn't normally find" those ingredients in polish anyway.

But here's the thing—brands like Ella+Mila and Zoya didn't remove 21 ingredients for fun. They did it because even trace amounts of certain chemicals can cause sensitization over time, especially for nail techs doing 8+ manicures daily. When a brand's response to competitors raising safety standards is to mock them rather than match them, that's a red flag for me.

The formaldehyde issue compounds this concern. Multiple Amazon reviewers specifically mention a "formaldehyde smell" in bottles purchased in 2023-2024, despite OPI claiming formaldehyde-free status since 2006.

Let me be specific about what's still in OPI formulations:

Benzophenone-1: A UV absorber that helps prevent color fading. A 2017 study in Environmental Science & Technology found benzophenone compounds can be absorbed through nails and detected in urine samples. The concern is that benzophenones are endocrine disruptors.

Camphor: OPI includes camphor in most shades. Camphor can cause contact dermatitis in sensitive individuals, which is why many cleaner brands exclude it.

To OPI's credit, they have removed the "toxic trio" (formaldehyde, toluene, DBP) plus several other problematic ingredients. That's genuinely better than drugstore polishes from 10 years ago.

But brands like Zoya and Ella+Mila removed these same ingredients plus an additional 12-15 compounds without sacrificing performance. OPI had a two-decade head start and chose not to keep up.

I need to be fair here: OPI polishes perform beautifully. The formula applies smoothly, self-levels well, and delivers 5-7 days of wear with minimal chipping. The color range is exceptional (200+ shades), and the brush design makes at-home application easier than many competitors.

I tested this against Ella+Mila and Zoya in head-to-head wear tests, and honestly, OPI held up comparably.

The problem isn't that OPI doesn't work. It's that it works the same as cleaner alternatives, so there's no performance trade-off to justify the ingredient concerns.

If you want salon-quality polish without the ingredient concerns:

Zoya ($10): 10-free, identical wear time, even larger color range (400+ shades).

Ella+Mila ($10.50): 17-free, includes some nail-strengthening ingredients like biotin and vitamin E.

All have transparent ingredient lists, don't mock competitors for being cleaner, and perform as well or better than OPI in my testing.

OPI isn't the worst polish on the market—drugstore brands like Sally Hansen and Revlon are further behind on ingredient safety. But OPI's dismissive attitude toward cleaner formulations, combined with concerning customer reports about formaldehyde odors and remaining questionable ingredients, makes them a brand I can't recommend when better options exist at the same price.

If you already have OPI polishes, I'm not saying to toss them. Finish the bottles, use them in a well-ventilated space, and consider switching to a cleaner brand next time.