Matilda Omonaiye/
The European Union has banned Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO), a chemical used in some gel nail polishes and other UV-curing nail products, after it was classified as a Category 1B substance toxic to reproduction.
The ban took effect on September 1, 2025, meaning cosmetics containing TPO can no longer be placed on the EU market or made available for sale or professional use.
The measure was introduced through Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877, which amended the EU Cosmetics Regulation following TPO’s classification under the bloc’s chemical safety rules. (IMIES)
TPO is a photoinitiator. It reacts when exposed to UV or LED light, triggering the chemical process that hardens gel polish. This allows gel products to cure quickly and gives them the durability and colour stability associated with gel manicures.
The ingredient has therefore been widely used in UV-curing nail gels, builder gels and some hybrid nail products.
The decision followed the classification of TPO as a CMR Category 1B substance for reproductive toxicity.
CMR refers to chemicals that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction. In TPO’s case, the relevant classification is reproductive toxicity.
It should therefore not be interpreted as meaning that the EU has classified TPO itself as a cancer-causing or mutagenic chemical.
The classification was based on evidence indicating potential harm to reproductive capacity, including findings from animal studies.
The EU’s cosmetics legislation generally prohibits the use of Category 1A and 1B CMR substances in cosmetic products, subject to narrowly defined exceptions.
Importantly, the EU’s action is a hazard-based regulatory decision. It does not mean that every person who has previously had a TPO-containing gel manicure will develop fertility problems.
The available evidence concerns the hazardous properties of the chemical and does not establish that ordinary cosmetic exposure causes infertility in humans.
An earlier assessment by the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety had concluded in 2014 that TPO could be considered safe for use in nail-modelling products at concentrations of up to 5 per cent, while also identifying it as a moderate skin sensitiser.
The subsequent regulatory classification changed the legal position.
The EU measure does not ban gel manicures as a procedure. It bans the use of cosmetics containing TPO.
Consumers in EU countries can therefore still have gel manicures, provided the products used do not contain TPO. Nail salons and manufacturers have had to switch to formulations using alternative photoinitiators.
The European Commission’s guidance also makes clear that the prohibition applies to products already in circulation.
From September 1, 2025, businesses cannot continue selling or supplying cosmetic products containing TPO simply because the products were manufactured or purchased before the ban took effect.
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