Europe bans common gel polish chemical: What it means for your manicure

A key ingredient in gel nail polish has been banned by the European Union, making it illegal for products containing it to be sold or used professionally across the 27 member states from September 1.

The ban does not yet extend to the UK, but it could still have an impact on the UK industry as products are pulled from shelves and reformulated across the EU.

Could the ban be the nail in your manicure?

What is TPO?

Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO) is the product banned by the EU.

The chemical is a photoinitiator, a molecule that absorbs light and facilitates the curing process of a gel polish, giving nails a glossy sheen and hard-cured exterior.

Without TPO, or its equivalents, gel polish wouldn’t harden or dry when put under a UV lamp.

TPO isn’t the only photoinitiator used in gel polish, but it is a popular choice because it can absorb light across a wide range of wavelengths.

ITV News Correspondent Stacey Foster explains the ban on TPO

Why has the EU banned TPO?

The chemical has been banned after studies on animals linked it to potential long-term fertility damage and skin irritation.

TPO facilitates the curing process in a gel manicure. / Credit: iStock

While it sounds extreme, the animals in these studies were fed far larger quantities than a human would receive on their nail plate from a normal gel manicure.

Still, European regulators have classified TPO as “carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction (CMR) under the EU Classification, Labelling and Packaging (CLP) Regulation.

Industries have, in the past, been able to defend the use of cosmetic ingredients that are classified as CMR. A defence was unsuccessful in TPO’s case, largely because there are a number of alternatives that can be used, such as TPO-L and TPO-R.

What does the ban entail?

In European member states, placing any product containing TPO on the market has been prohibited since September 1.

This means new products can’t be added to the market, and any products already available can no longer be supplied or transferred. In short, all products containing TPO must be removed from sale and can not be given away.

Nail technicians and salons cannot use any product containing TPO on a client, because that is viewed as making it “available on the market”, even if the products were purchased before the cutoff date.

This means that nail technicians across the EU will have had to throw out any stock containing TPO from the start of the ban.

How will UK manicures be affected?

The ban does not extend to the UK, so your favourite salon won’t necessarily be throwing out all your favourite shades and brands.

However, there are expectations that the UK will follow suit, and rumours a ban on TPO could be expected in late 2026.

This means salons may begin transferring to TPO-free products in preparation for any future bans.

EU brands or brands that sell to the EU will be, or have been, reformulating. This could impact customers and professionals in several ways, from impacting stock availability to price rises as clients incur the cost of reformulation.

If your favourite brand is reformulated, you may notice some slight changes to curing times, colours or durability.

How do I check if my nail technician uses products that contain TPO?

TPO can be checked for on the ingredients list of nail products, and could be written in several ways, such as:

Diphenyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phosphine oxide
(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) diphenylphosphine oxide
2,4,6-Trimethyl benzoyldiphenyl phosphine oxide
Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide

TPO is not the same as TPO-L or TPO-R, despite the incredibly similar abbreviations. For instance, Ethyl (2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl) phenylphosphinate is the chemical name for TPO-L.

Some brands have reformulated to be TPO-free, or already were before the ban. If you have any concerns about TPO you can search your favourite brand’s ingredients or ask your nail technician.