A key ingredient used in many brands of gel nail polish has been banned in most of Europe but it remains on sale and available in the U.S.
Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, commonly known as TPO, is now forbidden in all cosmetic products as of September 1, after European Union officials deemed it potentially toxic to humans.
Numerous gel nail polishes use TPO as a 'photoinitiator', which lets the polish harden faster when bombarded by ultraviolet light, and helps them hold their color for longer.
But several studies on animals have linked the chemical to long-term fertility damage, leading the E.U. to ban it as a precaution, while further research is conducted.
By contrast, the U.S. has not yet regulated TPO, just as it has declined to act on numerous other food additives and chemical ingredients banned by European nations.
Nail salons in any of the the E.U.'s 27 member states, as well as other countries that mirror the trade bloc's regulations such as Norway and Switzerland, must now stop selling TPO-based nail gels and safely dispose of all their current stock, while manufacturers must reformulate their products to be TPO-free.
