Brand Breakdown: Is Sienna Byron Bay a Clean Beauty Brand?
Background on Sienna Byron bay
Sienna Byron Bay was founded by Danielle Egan in 2013 in, you guessed it, Byron Bay Australia. Sienna was born when Danielle was looking her good, clean products to use in my soon-to-be nail bar. “The chemical composition of mainstream brands is by no means ideal if you are trying to live as clean as possible,” she said, “so I found myself stuck for a nail polish that aligned with my values.”
Is Sienna as clean as they claim to be? We reviewed the brand to find out.
How we Rank the Brand
Green Heart – We approve of this brand’s products and they contain zero known toxins.
Yellow Heart – We approve of most ingredients in this brand’s products, they might contain some toxins or known allergies.
Red Heart – We suggest you proceed with caution and limit your exposure and use to this brand’s products as there are toxins present.
A Word on Nail Polish
As you may know, nail polish cannot be made truly clean or non-toxic due to its colorant (paint-like) ingredients, however, but there are some brands that make it possible to still enjoy nail expression! When using nail products be reminded that they still may contain ingredients that we would not suggest using while pregnant, on kids, or on those with a compromised immune systems.
Ingredients of Sienna
Sienna states on their site they are a clean nail polish brand. “Our commitment to sustainability is at the centre of everything we do at Sienna. We’re serious about bringing you the most sustainable nail polish – and our new innovative formula keeps it sweet for the planet, your health and your mani. This is a new level of purity in nail polish.”
When it comes to the marketing terms “X-free” of nail polishes, Sienna doesn’t agree to label their products as such. They state, “When non-toxic nail polish arrived to support our health, planet and our manis, the ‘X-free’ branding of nail polish was used to show customers the number of chemicals a polish is ‘free’ from. Unfortunately, without a regulatory body for this type of branding it is fast becoming a race to include as much as possible in the ‘x free’ calculation and sometimes is including ingredients that are not commonly found in nail polish. We decided to step away from this and let our ingredients list do the talking. When looking to compare brands make sure to check the ingredients lists to verify where the brand sits in relation to others for cleanliness. We go into this in more depth in our ’10-free, 12-free nail polish explained’ blog.”
Below you will see a snapshot of their nail polish in Goddess color.
Breaking Down the Ingredients
Sienna is not only vegan, cruelty free, non-toxic, Benzo-free, and breathable but we are now the first glitter free and nano-particle free nail polish in the world.
N-Butyl Alcohol
n-Butyl Alcohol is a colorless liquid with a strong, sweet alcohol odor. It is used as a solvent for fats, waxes, shellacs, resins, gums, and varnish, in making hydraulic fluids, and in medications for animals. n-Butyl Alcohol can affect you when inhaled and passing through the skin. Exposure can irritate and burn the skin, cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, and vomiting. Although, the amount used in nail polish is very minimum and should not cause effects.
Artificial / Synthetic Dyes / Colorants
There are two types of colorants used as nail polish ingredients, both of which may contain traces of heavy metals. The two types are:
- organic pigments/dyes, derived from petrochemicals (Red 40, Yellow 5, etc)
- inorganic mineral pigments, such as iron oxides.
These synthetic dyes are very common in beauty products, even those labeled clean because the percentage is usually less than 1% but still may pose a threat to those with allergens.
Dimethicone
Dimethicone is a silicon-based polymer used as a lubricant and conditioning agent. Experts consider dimethicone to be overall a safe ingredient but may have some known side effects that can cause eye or skin irritation, and respiratory tract irritation if inhaled.
Heavy Metals /PFAS
Based on their website, they do not provide any information regarding the testing for heavy metals. however, we know that colorants could have the possibility of containing heavy metals.
Going Beyond Beauty
Sustainability
Sienna uses 100% renewable energy at their head office and warehouse. They source all power from an ethical company with strong environmental and community credentials. They work directly with green industry manufacturers to keep their carbon footprint low and their packaging is 100% recyclable and we run an in-house recycling program so customers can return their empties.
Giving Back
Sienna sources from organizations that are child labour free. They invest in their communities by sourcing locally and giving back. Sienna also partners with local charities like Future Dreamers and continue to support Rafiki Mwema through an ongoing sponsorship.
Cruelty- Free/ Vegan
Sienna is cruelty free and vegan.
Certified Organic
Sienna is not certified organic.
Where is it Manufactured
Sienna nail polish is made in France.
Parent Company
Sundays is not owned by a parent company.
Final Rating:
While it’s really hard to find a truly non-toxic nail polish there are some that meet the standards, and Sienna is one of them! We believe they truly practice what they say and are a solid choice for a non-water based nail polish.
We would recommend this Brand.
Disclaimer: It is with every attempt to identify all the potentially harmful ingredients of this brand but we cannot guarantee that all were covered. This post is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease, disorder, pain, injury, deformity, or physical or mental condition. Individual results of using the products may vary. Any issues with the product should be resolved with the products manufacturer or retailer.
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