The beauty industry is facing a major shake-up this week, as a controversial EU ban on a widely used chemical in gel nail polish takes effect. The decision has left American consumers wondering why the same isn’t happening on their side of the Atlantic.
As of September 1, the European Union has officially prohibited the use of trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO), a common ingredient in gel nail polish that helps harden the product under UV or LED light.
Highlights
- Starting September 1, the EU has banned TPO, a chemical used in many gel polishes, over health concerns.
- The US still allows TPO in cosmetics, despite evidence linking it to reproductive harm and cancer risks.
- Many brands are already adapting to the ban, labeling their products as TPO-free.
The move has caused confusion and debate, not just among salon professionals and importers, but also among consumers now caught between conflicting international safety standards, and the possibility that their beautiful nails could be putting their health in danger.
The EU has banned a potentially carcinogenic ingredient commonly used in nail polish: TPO
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While often praised for giving nails a glossy, chip-free finish, TPO has been linked to serious health concerns, including possible harm to fertility and reproductive systems.
The EU’s decision follows years of regulatory scrutiny, with the chemical now classified under CMR Category 1B, meaning it is considered “carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction,” and therefore unfit for use in cosmetics.
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“The European Union is banning it out of caution, since even though we don’t yet have large-scale human studies proving harm, the potential risks were enough to warrant stricter regulation,” dermatologist Dr. Hannah Kopelman explained in an interview.
“From a medical perspective, I view this as more of a precautionary move rather than a response to strong human evidence.”
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While not all gel polishes contain TPO, many products do. And now, under the EU’s 7th CMR Omnibus Regulation, those products must be pulled off the market entirely.
There are no exceptions, no grace periods, and no sell-through allowed. Salons still using the ingredient have been instructed to stop immediately and dispose of all stock.
The ban has forced many brands and distributors to adapt, with those ahead of the curve already promoting their products as “TPO-free”
While the crackdown caught many parts of the industry off guard, some brands, such as Korean manufacturer Pretty Yeppuda, have already been preparing for the ban.
The brand launched a “transition support” campaign, offering products at a steep discount while at the same time reshuffling their catalog with TPO-free products.
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The ban was made official in May 2025, with the ban date revealed earlier this summer. Still, not all importers believe they were given enough time to adapt, with some claiming they only learned about the final ruling weeks ago.
“The claws are out,” one distributor admitted, “because this is hitting salons hard, especially smaller businesses who now have to scramble to find compliant products.”
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In the past, the EU had allowed TPO in limited quantities for professional use only, capped at 5%.
But it was the updated classification, backed by toxicology data from the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), that ultimately pushed regulators to act.
The SCCS first found out about potential risks based on animal studies. Then, in 2020, Swedish authorities raised concerns as well, which led to another round of scientific review.
Interestingly enough, the ingredient is also used in dental fillings, and remains legal in that setting, with the new law applying exclusively to cosmetics.
Despite EU concerns, the ingredient remains completely unregulated in the US market
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Despite TPO’s classification in Europe, the chemical remains completely unregulated in the US, where no federal body has moved to restrict its use. As a result, millions of American consumers continue to use gel nail products containing TPO, often without knowing it.
So far, brands such as Manicurist, Aprés Nail, Nail Creation, and Aimeili, are among the few that have rebranded as TPO-free.
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But TPO is far from the only hazard. Even without the controversial ingredient, gel manicures have long carried a range of health risks that many clients aren’t fully aware of.
One of the most pressing concerns is the potential link between gel curing lamps and skin cancer. These devices emit concentrated UV-A light, which penetrates deep into the skin and can cause DNA damage over time.
A 2023 study found that regular exposure to these UV lamps, particularly without proper hand protection, may increase the risk of premature aging and even cancer-causing mutations.
Gel polish has also been connected to a bacterial infection known as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, commonly known in the beauty world as the “greenies.” The infection thrives in the moist, oxygen-poor environment that occurs when the gel begins to lift from the natural nail.
Europe and the US often differ in the application of safety standards, with the latter waiting until harm is definitely proven
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Behind the science and health concerns lies a deeper debate. One about how safety standards are set, and who gets to decide what’s dangerous enough to ban.
In Europe, regulators operate on a precautionary principle: if there’s sufficient concern, action is taken even in the absence of conclusive human data. In the US, the standard is often higher, with chemicals allowed until harm is definitively proven.
That gap has long been a point of contention. The EU has already banned over 1,300 substances in cosmetics, while the US bans fewer than 20.
Take ketchup, for example. In the United States, a bottle of Heinz Tomato Ketchup contains tomato concentrate, distilled vinegar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, salt, onion powder, and “natural flavoring.”
Meanwhile, the UK version of the same product uses just tomatoes, spirit vinegar, sugar, salt, and spice extracts.
This difference can be seen across virtually every product. The usage of corn syrup, in particular, has been linked to a long list of health issues, including obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome.
"Night and day." Netizens took to social media to debate on the ban
