Why Is Gel Nail Polish Banned in Europe but Not the U.S.?

Heading to the nail salon in Europe will look a lot different for people after Sept. 1, 2025. That's because 27 of the European Union's member states — as well as places like Switzerland and Norway, which follow many of the E.U.'s regulations — will no longer allow gel nail polish to be sold or used.

The announcement came hot on the heels of several studies that appear to show the possibility for long term health issues due to one of the ingredients in the gel polish.

To find out what ingredients caused gel nail polish to be banned in Europe, and to learn why the U.S. hasn't followed suit, we looked at what the experts have to say about the news.

Keep reading to learn more, including what regulators are telling those who live within the E.U. to do with any gel polish they may already have at home.

According to The Independent, lawmakers banned the gel polish due to the chemical trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO). The chemical works as a photoinitiator, which is what gives gel polish its trademark long-lasting finish.

However, many studies seem to indicate that TPO is actually toxic to humans after multiple studies seemed to indicate that the chemical was responsible for fertility issues in the animals it was originally tested on.

As such, lawmakers have decided to ban the polish until more studies can be completed and they are able to verify whether or not TPO is actually bad for humans.

According to The Independent, that means that gel polishes containing TPO will no longer be sold within the E.U. Additionally, they have asked any nail salons that still have gel polish on their shelves to safely dispose of any leftover stock. This ruling doesn't apply to gel polishes that don't contain any TPO.

While the ban appears to be skipping the U.S. at this time, it sounds like many companies may pivot to TPO-free formulas to avoid having to make multiple versions of the same polish.

However, you don't have to wait for those new formulations to get your nails done, because there are plenty of brands already on the market that make TPO-free polishes. For example, ProNails says that its gel formulas are 100 percent TPO-free, and have been since June.

The nail polish company Aimeili also claims to have TOP-free polish that is also vegan and free of HEMA and HPMA as well.

Additionally, shoppers can purchase the following other brands that sell TPO-free polish as well:

• Manucurist
• CNC
• Brillbird
• Aprés
• NiceDeco
• Canni
• MissGel

Of course, not all of these brands may be available to ship to the U.S., so if you're in the market for a TPO-free polish, you may have to do a little additional research to find some that is sold where you live.

Additionally, you may also want to double check the ingredient list of any gel polishes you already own to see if they contain TPO as well. Of course, if you have any questions about TPO and how it could impact your fertility, you'll want to reach out to your healthcare provider for more information.