After a recent trip to the podiatrist to get our toes right for summer, she warned us of the dangers of wearing nail polish daily, the foulness of our weekly mani/pedi sessions, and taught us that a manicured toe sans polish can be beautiful too.

Although manufacturers are working hard to remove the harmful chemicals that dry out our nails and worse, create underlying problems that go right down to the root, most nail polishes just aren't what the foot doctor ordered, even the natural ones. "If you're going to use a nail polish, put it on for the weekend, go to your fancy events but take it off Sunday evening and let your toenails breath!"

As for those pedicures we so diligently attend each week, she said you are 100% better off doing them at home. "Not only does it save money but there are so many types of fungus that women catch and don't even know they have. And one of the few ways to get many of the most common ones is sharing a foot-tub and tools with dozens of other women."

Bottom line: Our trip made us nervous about our nail polish habits (we've seen the dry, yellowing, brittle nails more than we care to remember!). So we're going to give the doc's method a whirl – a luxurious, pampering, at-home pedi -- but this time we'll leave the polish safely in our drawers. As long as they're oiled and moisturized, "a natural toe looks just as beautiful as one with paint on it," the doc said smiling. And if we do decide we need the little extra oomph polish gives, we'll stick with our new favorite brand, Sula Paint & Peel so we can skip the stinky, drying polish remover step all together. Cheers to healthy toes!

Check out Campaign for Safe Cosmetics for more safe beauty tips.