READ MORE:<\/strong> 4 things to know about a new study on lithium and Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a><\/p>\n The chemical was classified as \u201ccarcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to reproduction<\/a>\u201d by European regulators after it was found to have reproductive toxicity effects in animal studies. In the United States, TPO remains legal and unrestricted in its use and sale.<\/p>\n So is gel nail polish safe to use? <\/p>\n Experts told PBS News that the amount of exposure to TPO that people experience with gel nail polish is very low, and that most applications of the beauty product put the user at minimal risk of the harmful effects found by the animal study. <\/p>\n \u201cEvery ingredient at some point is going to cause harm. It\u2019s just a matter of dose,\u201d said Michelle Wong, chemistry P.h.D and science communicator at Lab Muffin Beauty Science<\/a>.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what you need to know about the safety of TPO and gel nail polish.<\/p>\n What is gel nail polish?<\/p>\n Gel nail polish is known for its long-lasting shine and quick drying time in comparison to regular nail polish. When cured under a UV lamp, acrylic polymers form, coming together as a film on the nail. This transformation occurs with the help of a photoinitiator like TPO. <\/p>\n \u201cIn the gel polish, it\u2019s all broken up into smaller chunks, \u2026 and the photoinitiator is what starts the chain reaction that makes them all join up,\u201d Wong said.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Why your cosmetics don\u2019t have to be tested for safety<\/a><\/p>\n Gel nail polish was invented in the 1980s<\/a> alongside the introduction of UV lights for nails. The product has become a favorite for many nail salon customers, with a global market value of nearly $6 billion in 2024<\/a>, according to one estimate. Some consumer brands now offer at-home gel nail kits<\/a> complete with curing lamps. <\/p>\n Why did the EU ban gel nail polish?<\/p>\n The animal studies referenced in the ban found that when the animals ingested high levels of TPO, they experienced fertility and reproductive health issues. <\/p>\n That kind of exposure is completely different from what happens when humans typically apply gel nail polish, said Julian Sass, a cosmetic scientist. <\/p>\n \u201cIn isolation, this ingredient can be harmful when it\u2019s fed to rats,\u201d but it\u2019s important to ask what the exposure looks like in real life, Sass said.<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> FDA bans red dye No. 3 from foods, nearly 35 years after it was barred from cosmetics because of potential cancer risk<\/a><\/p>\n Realistically, humans are not ingesting the chemical when they put on nail polish, not even by accident, Wong said.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery ingredient at some point is going to cause harm. It\u2019s just a matter of dose.\u201d<\/p>\n The EU banned TPO because of how their standards are structured, Sass said. The EU took a hazard-based approach to their study, meaning they looked at the intrinsic harm of the chemical or product in isolation. In comparison, the U.S. takes a risk-based approach, taking into account both the risk and exposure. <\/p>\n \u201cThat specific part of the FDA, when it comes to banning certain ingredients, is more of a \u2018do no harm\u2019 situation, versus \u2018here\u2019s a list of every ingredient that you absolutely cannot have in products,\u2019 like what the EU does,\u201d Sass said. <\/p>\n A chemical is banned<\/a> by the EU as a precaution if it potentially causes cancer, damages DNA and\/or adversely affects the reproductive, regardless of whether it has been put through a risk assessment. Because the animal study found reproductive harm, the EU prohibited<\/a> the use of TPO. <\/p>\n \u201cI think if they did a risk assessment, it wouldn\u2019t have been banned,\u201d Wong said. <\/p>\n Sass suggested that people might see overreactions to the EU\u2019s ban on social media. \u201cThe social media thing is, \u2018Oh, the U.S. has no regulations. We\u2019re allowing these toxic chemicals in our products.\u2019 And that\u2019s not at all what\u2019s happening in real life.\u201d<\/p>\n Is gel nail polish still safe to use? When curing the polish, the chemical gets rendered into a \u201ccompletely different thing that can\u2019t [physically] get through your skin,\u201d chemist Michelle Wong said. Photo via Getty Images<\/p>\n Currently TPO is not banned in the U.S., and it is unclear whether the Food and Drug Administration will follow suit. Since the ban was announced in May<\/a>, Sass said brands have had time to reformulate their polishes. <\/p>\n Before the ban, TPO was considered safe by the EU at a level of up to 5% in polishes<\/a>, with \u201cusually at least with a 100-fold margin of safety,\u201d Wong said. This means \u201cyou would have to have over 100 times the amount you would have been exposed to\u201d before experiencing negative effects.<\/p>\n When curing the polish, the chemical gets rendered into a \u201ccompletely different thing that can\u2019t [physically] get through your skin,\u201d Wong said. She estimated that 1% of TPO is left after curing, but added that the nail polish can also continue to absorb natural light. <\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019ve cured your nails and you are also going into the sun afterwards, [the TPO is] all going to be gone. It\u2019s all going to be reacted away,\u201d Wong said. <\/p>\n For people painting their nails at home, the only real potential risk could be if you paint outside of the nail or if you don\u2019t realize what kind of product you\u2019re using. Even then, Wong said, \u201cthat would be very safe.\u201d <\/p>\n \u201cYou think your gel polish is normal nail polish, you put it all over your fingers, you don\u2019t cure it. Later on, you realize, oh, it\u2019s still liquid, and then you wash it off. That\u2019s probably, like, the worst-case scenario where you would get exposed to it.\u201d <\/p>\n If you are concerned about TPO, regular nail polish does not have this ingredient and there are TPO-free gel nail polishes.<\/p>\n Despite this, Dr. Rita Linkner<\/a>, a double-board certified dermatologist, does not recommend gel manicures to her patients because of the potential aging effects on the skin. <\/p>\n The risk is \u201cincredibly low,\u201d Wong said, but there are studies linking UV lights<\/a> used to cure gel polish to cause mutations in human cells which can increase risk of skin cancer and damage DNA. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends putting on sunscreen<\/a> before exposure to the light.<\/p>\n To avoid gel all together, Linkner recommends a regular nail manicure and opting to leave your nails bare every now and then to prevent brittleness. <\/p>\n Hannah Grabenstein contributed reporting.<\/p>\n \n We’re not going anywhere.\n <\/p>\n \n Stand up for truly independent, trusted news that you can count on!\n <\/p>\n
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