A new UK ban on a chemical used in gel nail products has taken effect, preventing manufacturers and importers from placing cosmetics containing the substance on the Great Britain market.
The chemical, Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, commonly known as TPO, is used to help gel nail products cure under UV or LED lamps. It has been classified under chemicals legislation as a substance toxic to reproduction, prompting its addition to the list of prohibited cosmetic ingredients.
Brandspur Brand News reports that the change does not mean nail salons must immediately throw away every existing TPO-containing product. Under the UK’s regulatory timetable, businesses can continue using existing stock professionally, with the deadline for products to be taken off the market set for February 14, 2027.
The first deadline, August 15, 2026, applies to the placing of TPO-containing cosmetics on the Great Britain market. Manufacturers and importers can therefore no longer introduce new products containing the ingredient into the market.
The second deadline is particularly relevant to nail salons and beauty professionals. Existing TPO products can remain in professional use while stocks last, but they cannot be purchased from distributors after the February 2027 off-shelf deadline, according to industry guidance agreed with Trading Standards.
TPO became a focus of regulatory scrutiny because of its classification as a substance potentially harmful to reproductive health. The European Union banned its use in cosmetics from September 2025 after the ingredient was classified as potentially harmful to reproduction under chemicals safety rules.
However, the regulatory change should not be interpreted as meaning that every existing gel product containing TPO is immediately dangerous to consumers. The Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association (CTPA) says the UK ban is based on a worst-case assessment of the substance’s hazardous properties rather than evidence that normal cosmetic use exposes consumers to dangerous levels.
The industry body has also pointed to an earlier Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety assessment, which concluded in 2014 that TPO was safe for use in nail modelling products at specified concentrations.
For salon customers, the immediate impact is therefore expected to be limited. Existing products may still be used during the transition period, while manufacturers have been developing alternatives that allow salons to continue offering gel manicures without TPO.
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Among the replacement ingredients available to manufacturers are alternatives designed to provide similar curing performance. This means customers should still be able to receive gel manicures as salons gradually replace older products.
The regulatory change also places greater responsibility on manufacturers, importers and beauty businesses to check the ingredients in the products they supply and use. UK authorities already require cosmetic products sold in Great Britain to comply with strict safety and ingredient rules.
For nail technicians, the change means existing stock needs to be managed carefully. Rather than an overnight removal of every TPO-containing gel, the rules provide a transition period during which professional users can continue using products they already have.
The development is another example of how chemical classifications can eventually affect everyday beauty products. An ingredient that consumers may never have noticed on a bottle’s label is now forcing manufacturers and salons across Great Britain to adjust their product lines.
The UK timetable gives the industry several months to complete that transition. From February 14, 2027, TPO-containing cosmetic products must no longer be available for professional purchase, bringing the next major stage of the ban into effect.
