Our gitti nail colours are entirely vegan. When it comes to colour pigments we choose alternatives that are not obtained from animals, as it's often the colour and effect pigments in conventional nail polish that aren't vegan. Red shades are often made with carmine – or crushed scale insects. This non-vegan colour pigment is also used for pink, violet and brown shades among others. While glitter effects are often achieved with fish scales.

ISO standard 16128 increases transparency - The ISO standard 16128 increases transparency - especially for manufacturers of natural cosmetic products, as there is still no legal definition of the meaning of the terms ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ for natural cosmetic products. This standard allows the degree of natural or organic origin to be determined numerically, making it easy to compare individual raw materials and finished products with one another. gitti uses this standard to calculate the percentage of all natural ingredients and ingredients of natural origin. To calculate the natural value for the formula, the percentages of the individual ingredients are multiplied by the respective natural index and the results are totalled. The natural index of a raw material can vary between 0 and 1. Natural ingredients such as vegetable oils are assigned an index of 1, while purely synthetic ingredients such as silicone oils have an index of 0.

We take a conscious approach when developing our formulas: We avoid synthetic and potentially harmful ingredients and replace them with natural alternatives. All gitti products contain high-quality ingredients, are produced fairly in the EU, are 100% vegan and environmentally friendly, and we have a clear goal for our nail colours: 100% natural formulas. We are already replacing a large number of ingredients contained in traditional nail polishes. However, there is still no standardised, official evaluation scheme for nail polishes. Usually, so-called "x-free" claims are used to express how many harmful ingredients a nail polish does not contain. However, as each manufacturer can call up their own definition or list, this claim is often used in a misleading way and, for example, extended to include ingredients that are not normally contained in nail polish or are banned in the EU anyway. We would like to consciously distance ourselves from such misleading uses of the 'x-free' term. All our nail colours are 19-free, vegan and eco-friendly. This means that we do not use the following 19 harmful or questionable ingredients in our nail colours: Formaldehyde Releasers, Toluene, Phthalates, Camphor, Animal Ingredients, Parabens, Added Fragrances, Sulfonamide, Xylene, Acetone, Benzophenone-1, Benzophenone-3, Hydroquinones, Rosin, Mineral Oils / Waxes, Microplastics (as defined by UNEP 2015), Diethylhexyl adipate, EDTA, Triphenyl phosphate

Transparency is important to us. That's why it's essential for us to explain what's in our products - and what's not.

Nitrocellulose is one of the main ingredients in conventional solvent-based nail polishes. As a film former, this substance ensures the typical texture of the polish and is responsible for the long hold of the nail colour on your nail. It is not yet possible to replace this film former in the plant-based formula, as it is essential for the long hold and even colour result of the product. Nitrocellulose is often criticised as a potentially harmful substance. Taken individually, nitrocellulose is a safe ingredient. The sticking point: In the production of pigmented cosmetic products, nitrocellulose often comes into contact with stearalkonium bentonite so that colour pigments can be dissolved as well as possible and distributed evenly. The reaction of these two substances can lead to the formation of nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are organic substances that can be found in foods (e.g. meat, fish and dried spices) and in various cosmetic products.

The sticking point: In the production of pigmented cosmetic products, nitrocellulose often comes into contact with stearalkonium bentonite so that colour pigments can be dissolved as well as possible and distributed evenly. The reaction of these two substances can lead to the formation of nitrosamines. Nitrosamines are organic substances that can be found in foods (e.g. meat, fish and dried spices) and in various cosmetic products. In fact, they can even be formed in the body during the digestive process. It is these nitrosamines that are suspected of being potentially carcinogenic - not the nitrocellulose itself. The EU Cosmetics Regulation (EC No. 1223/2009) sets the limit for nitrosamines in cosmetic products at a minimum content.

At gitti, we prevent the formation of nitrosamines during production and bottling by using the plant-based and safe inhibitor tocopherol. In addition, we produce under refrigerated conditions, as nitrosamines can form more easily at elevated temperatures. This is a truly innovative approach and we are proud to be able to offer this solution. In combination with the EU regulations for cosmetic products, which we naturally fulfil, we can offer you a completely safe product. If you still feel better about avoiding this substance, we recommend our water-based formulas without nitrocellulose.want to know more about the ingredients? This way: Information on ingredients

We want to replace as many synthetic ingredients as possible with plant-based alternatives. This is why we also use plant-based nitrocellulose. Our nitrocellulose is obtained from cellulose, i.e. from plant fibres. These are cotton fibres that are nitrated to form a group of chemical compounds (esters). Nitrocellulose, which is obtained from cotton fibres, has one major advantage over the artificial variant: a smaller ecological footprint. The more sustainable production of this natural alternative greatly reduces CO2 emissions compared to the production of synthetic nitrocellulose, allowing us to make a positive contribution to the planet and our environment.

To ensure that gitti adheres well to your nails and cannot be washed off immediately, we use so-called film formers. Although chemically speaking they are plastics, our film formers do not fall under microplastics according to the definition of the Federal Environment Agency. However, our aim is to offer a 100 % natural formula in the future that completely dispenses with synthetic ingredients such as plastics.

All ingredients used in gitti products fulfil all the requirements of the European Cosmetics Regulation and are safe in their concentration. This conformity is guaranteed by extensive legislation and safety assessments by experts with whom we work closely. We also follow all scientific discussions on the subject very closely, as the safety of our customers is our top priority. In addition, compared to conventional nail polishes, we do not use 19 questionable ingredients in our nail colours and replace them with alternatives that we believe are better.

All gitti products contain high-quality ingredients, are produced in the EU, are 100% vegan and environmentally friendly. For the development of our formulas and their production, we work primarily with partners from Germany, Poland and France.

Rating websites and apps for ingredients are helpful advisors, especially when it comes to living a more conscious lifestyle. This is made possible by revealing potential ‘harmful substances’ or critical ingredients in cosmetic products. However, the underlying rating system also has some weaknesses. Firstly, it should be emphasised that the classification of ingredients is left to the app itself. The criteria used for categorisation are not objective in every case and sometimes lack significance and source validity. The app usually does not differentiate whether the ingredients are of synthetic or natural origin. Furthermore, no consideration is given to whether and to what extent the extraction of the raw material is sustainable, organic or ethical. In addition, the evaluation platforms do not take into account the concentration of an ingredient used or the area of application. Some ingredients are harmful if they are ingested or inhaled, but much less so if this is not the case. For our nail colours, for example, it should also be emphasised that the nail has a thicker and therefore less permeable horny layer (up to 0.75 mm) than the skin (approx. 0.04 mm). Furthermore, all synthetic polymers are categorised as critical, primarily due to their poor degradability and potential environmental impact. This is a very generalised classification, as no link is made to the likelihood of these synthetic polymers entering the environment. In any case, we can guarantee that all gitti formulas are reviewed and assessed to ensure that they are safe for our customers under normal and foreseeable use and would not otherwise be on the market. Just as we are constantly refining our formulas, these apps are also working to further optimise the rating system.

In principle, all gitti formulas are tested and assessed to determine whether they are safe for our customers under normal and foreseeable use. However, as with most cosmetic products, the assessment of individual sensitivities or illnesses does not play a role. So if you have specific allergies, sensitivities or illnesses and therefore have concerns, please check the suitability of the ingredients with a specialist. You can find the ingredients for the nail polishes on the respective product page. We would be delighted to hear what feedback you have received.

In principle, all our products are tested and assessed to ensure that they are safe for our customers under normal and foreseeable conditions of use. The question of a possible pregnancy does not usually play a role for cosmetic products that have not been explicitly developed for use during pregnancy. In this respect, we are unfortunately unable to make any specific recommendations for use during pregnancy. It is best to discuss the issue with your doctor. You can find the ingredients of the nail polishes on the respective product page. We would be delighted to hear what feedback you have received.