Why Gel Nail Polish Is Being Banned in Europe
If you’ve ever had a gel manicure, you know why they’re so popular. The shine lasts for weeks, the polish hardly ever chips, and the whole process feels like a beauty upgrade that’s worth every penny. But as of September 1, 2025, a big change has hit nail salons across the European Union: a key chemical used in many gel polishes has been banned.
The ingredient at the center of this decision is called Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide , or TPO for short. It’s a mouthful, but in simple terms, it’s what makes gel polish harden quickly under UV or LED lamps and gives it that glass-like finish. Without it, gel nails just wouldn’t have the same durability or shine.
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So why was it banned? Regulators in the EU reclassified TPO as a substance that may cause cancer or reproductive harm. This classification didn’t come out of thin air—there have been studies, mostly on animals, linking TPO exposure to fertility problems. While the evidence in humans isn’t as strong or conclusive, the EU tends to follow a “better safe than sorry” rule when it comes to health and cosmetics. That precautionary approach triggered an automatic ban, meaning salons are no longer allowed to use or even keep bottles of polish that contain TPO.
For nail salons, this change is huge. They had to pull products immediately, with no grace period. Even leftover stock became illegal overnight. Customers might not notice the shift right away, but behind the scenes, brands are scrambling to reformulate. Alternatives like TPO-L, BAPO, and methyl benzoylformate are already being tested and used in new polishes. The idea is that gel manicures will still exist, just without this particular chemical.
Now, it’s important to point out that the ban only applies within the EU. In the United States, nothing has changed. Salons continue to use gel polishes with TPO, and there’s little sign of regulation catching up any time soon. For now, millions of people are still getting their usual gel manicures without much thought about what’s inside the bottle.
This brings up another layer of the conversation: the curing lamps. These UV and LED devices are what make gel polish set so fast, but they also emit ultraviolet rays, which have long been associated with premature skin aging and an increased risk of skin cancer. Studies on whether manicure lamps are truly dangerous to humans remain inconclusive, but it’s another piece of the puzzle that keeps the debate alive.
So, what does all of this mean for everyday people who just want a nice set of nails? In Europe, salons will be shifting to safer alternatives, so customers may not notice much beyond possible changes in how the polish feels or lasts. In the U.S., the products remain on the shelves, and the choice is left to consumers to weigh the convenience of long-lasting nails against the unknowns of chemical exposure.
At the end of the day, this ban highlights a bigger question about beauty and health: how much risk are we willing to accept in the name of style? For the EU, the line has been drawn. For the U.S., the conversation is still wide open.
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