Why The EU Is Banning TPO In Gel Polish & What U.S. Salon-Goers Should Know

You've probably seen the headlines, glanced down at the gel manicure you got last week, and wondered if you need to go get them taken off for good. In May, the European Union banned TPO, an ingredient in most gel nail polish formulas. The ban took effect on Sept. 1, meaning nail artists there can no longer use gels containing the banned compound, and manufacturers can't sell it. So what is TPO, and is it safe to still get gel manicures in the U.S.?

What is TPO, and why is it in gel polish?

Short for trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, TPO is a photoinitiator. It's the ingredient in gel nail polish that reacts to UV light, making the polish turn hard, shiny, and durable. In short, it's what makes it cure. It also prevents polish from yellowing or turning strange colors, says Tiger Robson, a nail artist based in the U.K. She is not affected by the ban, but says she's had many clients reach out to her about the safety of continuing their manicures in recent months.

There are gel polishes on the market that don't contain TPO, but Robson says they tend not to perform as well or last as long, and currently there is nothing equally as effective to use in place of TPO when formulating gels.

Why is the EU banning TPO in gel nail polish?

According to the European Commission, TPO is now classified as a "reproductive toxicant," a substance that can negatively impact reproductive organs, hormones, or processes. As both Robson and The New York Times pointed out, there are no studies on how TPO affects the human body. There have been some studies done in rats that ingested the compound, and consuming high doses was linked to problems with fertility and development in rodents.

What European countries ban has come up a lot in the U.S. lately, particularly when it comes to food dyes. It's generally in the context of, "Their officials care so much more about public health than ours do!" But their consumer safety practices are a little more vibes-based than ours.

The EU follows something called the precautionary principle, which "may be invoked when a phenomenon, product, or process may have a dangerous effect, identified by a scientific and objective evaluation, if this evaluation does not allow the risk to be determined with sufficient certainty." Essentially, if there's a chance a product may cause harm, authorities may withdraw it from the market. It then falls on manufacturers to prove their product does not cause harm in order to put it back into production and sell it.

Robson says it's good to see regulation in the nail industry aiming to keep consumers safe, but points out that TPO is still allowed to be used in dental products in the EU that require UV light to cure. "It can't have that much of a high risk for it to be used in healthcare," she says. "I think if there were going to be proper tests about it, then it should be tests on nails and done on salon use instead. I think the risk is just theoretical, really. It's still a chemical; things could happen, but it needs to be tested right before people panic."

Is it still safe to get gel manicures?

Unless you're a rat eating a sizeable amount of gel nail polish, we actually can't say for sure that TPO is dangerous to you — it hasn't been studied in a salon setting, as a compound that is used on the nails and not ingested. So if you want to keep getting your biweekly manis, do you boo boo.

The only precaution Robson recommends is letting a professional do your nails. They have training and professional-grade equipment, and having polish on your nails that isn't fully cured carries a risk of developing allergies and contact dermatitis. "I tell people that their nails currently are safe. There are no tests being done that would suggest otherwise for actual salon use. Once the product is cured on your nail anyway, the TPO is locked in to the nail hardening, so again, everything should be cured correctly. There's no cause for concern if you're seeing a professional."

If you'd like to avoid TPO altogether, just to be safe, that's fine too. There are gel polish brands that don't use it in their formulas, like The Manicurist, OPI's Intelli-Gel, Apres, and gel alternatives like Power Polish and Dazzle Dry, says Rianna Basurto, director of brand development at Bellacures, a salon with locations throughout California. When news of the TPO ban first broke in May, she says many brands began working on formulating polishes sans TPO, and her salons began stocking more options for consumers who choose to avoid the ingredient. So, you could always call your usual salon and others in your area to see who offers TPO-free polish lines for customers to choose from.