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When they first met as roommates at Auburn University, Dr. Cary Gannon and Sonny Han bonded, like many girls do, over manicures and pedicures in their dorm room. Fast-forward to today: Gannon, a Nashville-based podiatric surgeon, and Han, a Los Angeles–based marketing and brand development professional, are a year into operating Aila Cosmetics, a healthy nail care system.
As a physician, Gannon was fed up with brands being dishonest in how they portray their products based on the ingredients used and approached Han about creating their own. Combining Gannon's medical background and Han's branding expertise, the two developed Aila Cosmetics, a full nail care line using cruelty-free, vegan colors that are devoid of parabens and gluten.
'Nail polish is a challenge to make healthy and still [have it] function,” Gannon explains. 'Legally, we could call it an ‘8-free' product [given how many harsh ingredients were eliminated], but ‘5-free' is the more widely known term.”
That '5-free” label means the polish lacks specific harsh ingredients: the known carcinogen formaldehyde; formaldehyde resin, a synthetic polymer used in most adhesives; an aromatic solvent called toluene; dibutyl phthalate (or DBT), a plasticizer that's been banned from cosmetics by the European Union; and camphor, another chemical used in the embalming process. The pair has extended the line with a base and top coat, the all-natural 3-in-1 Soy Based Remover with Pure Argan Oil for anti-fungal properties, and Organic Coconut Oil Nail & Cuticle Therapy, which is hydrating and strengthening for the nail bed. All products are made in the United States.
These days, Gannon and Han are full of new developments: the launch of their fall 2014 colors (which are available online now), a holiday-appropriate gold polish out in December, a partnership with Beauty Bar in New York City for a custom color and holiday goodie box, and yet another collaboration with Scratch, a company using their pinot noir–inspired Room 212 shade for a custom nail wrap. Needless to say, this duo has quite the booming business on their perfectly manicured hands.
Aila Cosmetics are available locally at Kore, at Juel Salon and Emmaline Boutique in Franklin, and online at ailacosmetics.com.