What Is the Appropriate Age for Kids to Wear Nail Polish?

A discussion about what the appropriate age is for kids to start wearing nail polish and suggestions for non-toxic options.

Last updated: March 26, 2021

Katie Dillon

My daughter started asking for nail polish at age three. As I was picking up some organic lipstick at a boutique in San Diego, my daughter spied the beautifully displayed tub of non-toxic Piggy Paint kids’ nail polish. She wanted some so I agreed.

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She picked green Piggy Paint and was so jazzed that she asked me to paint her toes immediately. I brushed the four toes peeking out of her sandals green, and we proceeded to go to lunch with our friends. It was no big deal.

Then, she fell while walking out of the restaurant, skinning her elbow, knee, and hand. To calm her down enough to get into the car, I bribed offered to paint her fingernails, too.

She was instantaneously silent and happy. I told her that if she was the slightest bit fussy about anything for the rest of the day… I would take it off her new toddler nail polish. The end result was dream behavior.

She’s been wearing kids’ nail polish on and off since then. And I’m seeing our clients ask before booking whether a hotel spa offers nail treatments for your kids and what types of products are used. They’re actually looking for hotel spas with nontoxic paints (which do exist actually).

Nontoxic Kids Nail Polish

Traditional nail polish made for adults isn’t always the best idea for young kids, especially if they’re still in the habit of thumb or finger sucking.

Some adult nail polishes have formaldehyde, toluene, and phthalates, which can be toxic if ingested.

Kids are best with nontoxic, water-based nail polishes, which are also much easier to clean up if they choose to apply them themselves.

Even with nontoxic kids’ nail polishes, it’s not ideal for kids to ingest them (with one exception mentioned below).

Piggy Paint is an all-natural, water-based, eco-friendly, nontoxic kids’ nail polish, so I wasn’t expecting it to have the staying power of normal nail polish.

After my daughter took a long bath, a little bit of Piggy Paint would wear off, and, to be honest, I’m glad to know it does.

Here are other nontoxic brands to try:

Piggy Paint
Keeki
Kid Licks (yes, it’s edible.)
Zoya

You may also want to try removing it with a natural nail polish remover. Piggy Paint, at least, soaks off after a while in a bath. I’ve personally worn a lot of Zoya and feel it does need nail polish remover.

I’ve seen kids of almost all ages wearing nail polish these days. Though, I’ve heard that some preschools have rules about whether or not kids can wear it. It’s also rare for hotels to offer nail services for toddlers but older elementary school kids and definitely tweens and tweens can usually have them.

What age do you think is appropriate to start painting a child’s nails? Do you let them wear it to school? Please share.

Katie Dillon

Katie Dillon is the managing editor of La Jolla Mom and a travel advisor. She helps readers plan San Diego vacations through her hotel expertise (that stems from living in a Four Seasons hotel), local connections, and content. Readers have access to her exclusive discounts on theme park tickets (like Disneyland and San Diego Zoo) and perks at luxury hotels worldwide. She also shares insider tips for visiting major cities worldwide like Hong Kong, London, Paris, and Shanghai that her family has either lived in or visits regularly (or both). Katie graduated from UC San Diego and is also a Disney Travel Agent.

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26 responses

Tutus and Tantrumns

I’ve been painting my daughters piggies since she was an infant….now, like your daughter, she is a ‘finger sucker’ so she is not allowed to have it on her finger nails unless it’s a special occasion (i.e. Birthday). Most of the girls in her preschool class also wear painted nails. I personally think it’s cute and completely harmless, especially with the ‘piggy paint’.
.-= Tutus and Tantrumns´s last blog ..The Easter Birthday Bash =-.

lily

i love her toes!!! sooo cute!!

parenting ad absurdum

My 2- and 4- yr old boys insist on having their toes painted whenever I do mine. I agree with T and T – I think it’s cute and harmless – and I love that color!

Peryl

1. ruaridoll
  
  their too young
  
2. Idkmelov
  
  Boys don’t get polish on their nails
  
theresa

You know my answer! Paint on!!! Have fun with it.

Piggy Polish Goes on Toes! Nail Polish “Hello Sunrise”

[…] Appropriate Age For Toddler Nail Polish | Piggy Paint Submitted on:Wednesday 26th of May 2010 04:03:03 AM voted by 10 users […]

Natalie

I’m sure it is a hard balance – but sounds like you have the right goals about it – not as a “how can I make my toddler as materialistic as possible” but as a fun motivator.

Of course I know nothing about parenting!
.-= Natalie´s last blog ..Changes =-.

Everyday Mama

Oh, YES! We’re BIG Piggy Paint fans in our house! I sell them on my shop too 🙂 Love to use it as a bribe!
.-= Everyday Mama´s last blog ..Lucky Babies **GIVEAWAY** =-.

Liz

My girls LOVE to get their nails painted (2 & 4 years old). I think it looks cute I just have to keep them still until it dries.

karen

Really??? nail polish??? why is this society in such a rush to turn our LITTLE GIRLS into teenagers/adolescents so fast? lip gloss, jewelry, the shorts that are just TOO SHORT etc…. why can’t we just let our little girls be exactly what they are??? absurd.

1. Mary
  
  Thank you for this post!!! I have ten-year old twins who want to grow up way too fast. The hard thing is that a lot of their friends do. We explained to them that there is no rush to grow up and that they got to middle school. Glad to have found some support!
  
  1. Mary
    
    Sorry…trying to write from my phone. When they get to middle school they can start to.
    
2. Chantel MARIE
  
  calm down its nail polish
  
3. Vanessa
  
  Totally agree let the little innocent pure babies stay that way as long as possible they have plenty of time to be grown.
  Kids are growing up to fas not living out each stage having to be responsible so early. Being grown is overated anyway you get to pay bills, possibly disrespected by unraised rude grownups, or, maybe your own kids and work until you die may or maynot get sick and in between that you gotta find love joyand happiness anyway by any means necessary.
  
Mary

Chantel,
You are obviously entitled to your own opinion and obviously have nothing positive to contribute…

ruaridoll

exuse me but i need to tell you something an infant CANOT wear nailpolish yet i mean they have such young nails they should at least be 11 to use it there nails could turn yellow and become brittle and crack because its too harsh on their nails

Kathy

I think middle school (12 years old) Some think its girly and cute to let little girls start polishing nails at young ages. I think you are allowing them to grow up fast. In their minds they are doing a grown up act, then they want colored lip gloss and make up and these things begin to make a child feel grown and I believe it causes them to mature faster and can later be a problem to try and slow them down. I personally do not have any girls, but I have seen this in daughters of my friends and it has shown a negative effect. One specific teen is now always dyeing her hair without moms permission, polishing her nails dark or loud colors and she wears large HOOP earrings and short shorts….. She is interested in smelling and looking good for the BOYS…. NOW mom is wondering where did she go wrong…. I think…. mom let her grow up too fast. It’s a personal preference, but I would want my little girl as natural for as long as possible 🙂 Good luck parents out there!

1. Juniper
  
  When girls try to fulfill the societally-expected role for women which they can see in any piece of pop culture (i.e, eye candy and sex objects), we’re all, “Oh no! Children grow up too fast!” It’s never “Oh, no, children are being presented with shitty gender roles to grow into! Maybe we shouldn’t give our money to pop culture that perpetuates those shitty gender roles!”, just “Children are trying to fill those shitty gender roles TOO SOON. Let’s judge parents who are tired of fighting to keep those shitty gender roles at bay without any support from society at large.”
  
Jmary

I think it has to be a balance of it all… Make up, short shorts n nail polish and kids growing up so fast… Those things don’t make them grow up any faster those are just trends. Your relationship with your kids is the most important. If you just buy all these things to cover a lack of relationship then that’s a recipe for disaster. Our teenagers are in trouble in this generation sometimes coz I think most parents are focus n driven to provide stability with providing material things and are over worked and no longer focusing on the relationship we need to maintain with our kids. Like everything it’s balance. Your daughter who wears nail polish at a young age isn’t DOOMED for skankness lol that’s ridiculous!! I have four kids ages 15, 11, 6 and one turning 1 soon 🙂 trust me
I know it’s the relationship you build with your kids that count 😉 there’s worse things than short shorts, nail polish n makeup in the world that can hurt and damage our kids futures… And our best weapon against that are the values, relationship and love we share with our kids
<3

Busy Mommy DXB

Sounds like we think a lot alike. I too forgot what age a baby transitions to toddler and then to big girl! I wrestled with the dilemma of nail polish for Lil S who is 4. I eventually settled on only water-based and a light color. AND we only use it for “special occasions” as well as the occasional bribe, I mean incentive. 🙂

Sparkina

I think it’s fine. BUT, do try a water-based PEEL OFF nail polish. Bo-Po (by Worx Toys) is a good brand, as is Ally Kats. Those formulations are nontoxic and safe and need no remover to take off.

sian

My gosh. The post is about NAIL VARNISH. not short shorts or make up or whatever. My little girl wears nail varnish because she loves my collection and asks if she can wear it. She is a four year old who wears nail varnish at times that does not mean we are forcing them to be older than what they are. Short shorts…make up…different story.

Sabrina

In all honesty living in a family that thinks if you were nail polish at a young age makes you think your more mature and want to were some life clothing in the later years made me relize how (I don’t want to say stupid but) stupid that they think little girls will suddenly think that, oh nail polish I’m a grown up now !, Because in my experience I never felt that way all I thought was , I wanna make my nails look pretty , and , why can’t I were polish when my cousin or sister is?, I never thought that all of the sudden I’m a grown . This is just my prefrence so be free to argue with me

1. Darcy
  
  I completely agree with this. I wanted to wear nail polish and makeup when I was little because my mom was wearing it and I thought it looked pretty–NOT because I wanted to be grown up. Mom only let me wear makeup on special occasions and Halloween, though, and nail polish is makeup.
  
Paula

I believe middle school (age 11). Even then, no loud colors like fire engine red or neon colors or sparkles. Respectable neutral colors like pale pink or white. No acrylic nails until she’s grown. No lip gloss. Only lip balm. Perhaps shaping the eyebrows once she’s 13. No colors in the hair.

I believe in children being children.

What Is the Appropriate Age for Kids to Wear Nail Polish?

Nontoxic Kids Nail Polish

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26 responses