TPO Ban - What does it mean for the nail industry?
Upcoming ban on TPO for use in cosmetics
TPO or Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (also known as diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide) is a widely used photoinitiator that is present in many nail products. It has previously been tested to be found safe to use in formulations of up to 5%. A photoinitiator allows the gel to cure under UV light. TPO is a very effective photoinitiator because it allows gel to cure thoroughly in thicker layers and in a fast cure time. This is why it’s commonly found in builder or sculpting gels.
The European Commission has recently announced that products containing TPO may no longer be placed in the EU single market from 1st September 2025. The UK is expected to follow suit with a date for 2026 to be announced. This will also impact the dental industry.
Calgel does not contain TPO
Our original CALGEL sculpting/ builder gel does not contain TPO and our CALGEL colour gels are also all free from TPO. .
Pro Base&Build and Pro Colour do contain TPO. This allows them to cure quicker and in thicker layers – it is the key difference between the two systems. With the TPO restriction upcoming, we expect that most fast curing gel systems will no longer be on the market.
Our HEMA free gels, Gel&Go, Matt Top Coat and No Wipe also contain TPO.
Reformulation & New Product Lines
With the news about the expected restrictions, we have been working and testing several new formulations for a while that are TPO free. These include builder/sculpting gels, rubber base, hard gels and colour gel. This will also give you a wider range of choices to fit your client’s nails needs best. The formulas we are working on will require a longer cure for clear /colours and will be in line with CALGEL’s cure time.
With an ever-changing regulatory landscape, and new information learned about ingredients, we always want to ensure our products are as safe as possible and risks are minimised to put you and your client’s safety first. So please bear with us during this transitional period while we work on finalising our new formulas.
Why is it being restricted?
TPO is now considered a CMR (carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic for reproduction) substance. The European Commission are constantly reviewing and reanalysing ingredients used to ensure the standards are as high as possible and risks are as low as possible. Once an ingredient is reclassified, it can automatically trigger a restriction (or ban) for use in cosmetics and other uses. TPO is also commonly used in dental adhesives and was considered safe to be used in our mouths!
Why is it considered a CMR?
The recent study that is cited that formed part of the proposal to reclassify TPO, was carried on rats that were orally fed TPO at 99.32% purity. Adverse effects were noted confirming that should be classified as Toxic for Reproduction. This was then adopted leading to the upcoming restriction.
The rats were orally administered with TPO over a number of days – studies of ingestion in humans have (understandably) not been carried out. The amount needed to be ingested by humans to have adverse effects cannot be confirmed, but it is nearly impossible that a human would be able to consume enough TPO over a long period of time for it to affect reproductive organs.
Is it unsafe to continue using nail products with TPO?
As we mentioned above, the European Commission is working to eliminate any risks, reclassifying ingredients doesn’t inherently mean they are unsafe for general use or when used as one ingredient in a whole formulation.
TPO was reviewed before, and the findings were: “the European Commission Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) (2014) derived the margin of safety (MOS) for use of the chemical in nail products at concentrations up to 5 %. The MOS 1515 indicated that the chemical, when used in cosmetic products, does not pose a human health risk.”
To summarise, there can be a lot of misinformation or missing facts that surround announcements about ingredient restrictions. This can be alarming for nail technicians and clients alike. It is important to understand the ingredients in your products and the facts about why they might be restricted or what the risks are. This allows you to make informed decisions and to be able to explain them to your clients.
We hope this has helped to reduce any immediate concern, as we understand, on the face of it, it is quite shocking to read. But overall, the risks are extremely low and TPO has been used for decades. The study mentioned above used nearly pure TPO, where most formulas in gel nails are around 2% and then cured onto the nail plate – and are not ingested.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss anything in more details, please email us or call us on 01528 798 920.