I keep my toes painted various shades of bright red and pink throughout the sandal-wearing part of the year, and that means frequent trips to my neighborhood nail salon for pedicures.

But the other day, while my feet were soaking in the tub at the little nail place—which is very cheap and very basic—I got a strong, chemical whiff from the nail polish remover that was being swabbed on my toes.

I started to wonder about the downsides of nail polish, along with the various lotions and potions that are required for a standard manicure or pedicure.

For the uninitiated, the average, no-frills mani-pedicure consists of a soak, followed by nail polish remover, a base coat, several coats of polish, and finally a top coat. Oh, and then there's usually some kind of aerosol spray nearby to help the polish dry faster.

Considering that a bit of spilled polish remover once burned holes in a T-shirt, I figured the acetone and other chemicals in the stuff can't be completely benign, to myself, my manicurist, or to the planet in general.

Turns out, nail polish and the related products are among the most dangerous cosmetics. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, most nail polishes contain dibutyl phthalates, formaldehyde, and tuolene, all of which are bad for us, as well as the environment.

In fact, to my surprise, I discovered that nail polish itself is more hazardous than the remover. But if you want to keep using nail products, Skin Deep, a cosmetic safety database, rates various brands of nail polish products and removers. Most popular brands of nail polishes (Cover Girl, Sally Hansen, Revlon) come in with a 5-6 rating, on a scale of 1-7, with 7 being the worst.

Not all nail polish removers, however, are created equal, so I plan to consult Skin Deep the next time I shop for nail cosmetics. Some brands earned a 4 rating (Cutex Quick and Gentle, Non-Acetone) while others weighed in with an eco-offensive 7 (Sephora's Quick and Gentle).

The good news is that, OPI—perhaps the most popular brand of nail polish at salons—recently removed toxic chemicals from its products. That's important for all of us, but especially for the mani-pedicurists who are exposed to the stuff for hours each day.

Meanwhile, if OPI products aren't your thing, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics lists several companies that make eco-friendlier nail products to tote along to your next nail salon visit, including Anise Nail Care, Honeybee Gardens, NAIL-AID Treatments, and PeaceKeeper.