
KEY POINTS
- The EU banned TPO in gel nail products from 1 September over cancer and fertility fears.
- Other risks include UV curing lamps and bacterial infections known as 'greenies'.
- The US still allows TPO in nail products and dental materials.
From Paris to Berlin, nail salons are facing a shake-up as the European Union enforces a ban on a popular ingredient found in gel nail polish. Starting 1 September, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) is prohibited in cosmetics across the bloc, after regulators classified it as 'carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction'.