FAQs

What does 5-Free mean?

5-Free means that a nail polish is free of the 5 major toxic chemicals.  These main 5 are:

• Toluene - creates a smooth application and finish.  Fumes are highly toxic.  Can lead to neurological damage and impaired fetal development in pregnant women.
• Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP) - minimizes chipping. Mimics estrogen as an endocrine blocker.  Impairs hormonal development in male fetuses, causes organ damage, can cause early onset menopause.
• Formaldehyde - hardens and strengthens nail polish, and a preservative. Exposure to high amounts can cause cancer. May also cause asthma, convulsions, nausea, and miscarriage.
• Formaldehyde resin - byproduct of formaldehyde. Causes skin irritation, allergies, loss of nerve sensation.
• Camphor - gives nail polish a glossy and shiny finish. May trigger severe skin allergies and reaction.  Inhalation may cause dizziness, nausea, and headaches.  

You may have heard of other formulas such as 7-free, 8-free, and up to 10-free.  Most formulas that are 5-free are also 7-10 free.

Visit Ella and Mila for more information about these chemicals!

What's with the chemistry theme?

I have a biochemistry background and have been in love with science since I was a kid.  Over weeks of pondering company names, I had an "aha" moment and thought of Atomic Polish.  It didn't stop there though.  I had to make all of my formulas a different element name from the periodic table. Nerdy, right? Well, it goes further than that. 

If you remember high school chemistry, you must remember the molecular sets that you would build molecules with.  Each element was a certain colored ball.  For example, red was oxygen, white was hydrogen.  Those colors are called CPK coloring.  There is actually an extended color coding that covers every single element in the periodic table.  And I used this color coding to determine what to name a specific polish.  I matched the nail polish colors as best as I could to an equivalent CPK coloring.  Google it if you don't believe me!

What happens when I run out of elements (that can be pronounced) to use?  Molecules, of course! And that, my friends, is how I came up with the brand.

Do you offer wholesale?

We do! Please click here to visit our wholesale page. We sell through an online wholesale retailer called Faire. Click directly form our link to help us avoid fees!