Gel nail polish ingredient TPO banned in Europe over fertility concerns still freely available in Australia

A key ingredient in gel nail polish that has just been banned in Europe over health fears is still widely available in Australia, it has been revealed.

Used in professional nail salons for many years, chemical trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide (TPO) was outlawed from cosmetic products in Europe from September 1 after it was deemed a category 1B substance that is potentially toxic to humans.

The move came after animal studies linked it to long term fertility damage.

Unlike traditional nail polish, TPO helps nail polish harden faster when exposed to ultraviolet light and aids in retaining its colour.

It is still freely available in products in Australia and the US.

However, nail salons across the 27 member states of the EU have been ordered to stop selling nail polishes with TPO and to dump any current stock with the ingredient.

The ban has been met with an international outcry from the nail industry, with manufacturers now scrambling to reformulate their products to abide by the strict new regulation.

A website set up by a Belgian wholesaler ASAP Nails and Beauty Supply protesting the ban claims “no clinical or epidemiological evidence shows that TPO is harmful to humans”.

Doug Schoon, a Californian researcher who specialises in nail, hair and lash products, has also denounced the ban, writing in an open letter that the studies it was based on were for repeated oral administration of high doses of TPO in animals, primarily rats, and bore no resemblance to realistic exposure in cosmetic use.

“The prohibition of TPO in U.V. gels is not supported by a scientifically justified risk assessment,” he wrote.

“If left uncorrected, this decision will once again impose unnecessary economic burdens, waste safe products, and undermine confidence in E.U. regulatory proportionality.”

Chemical ingredients used in nail products in Australia are regulated by the Australian Industrial Chemicals Introduction Scheme.

A spokesperson said AICIS was aware of the EU move to ban TPO, which is listed on the Australian Inventory of Industrial Chemicals as phosphine oxide, diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl).

“This chemical was assessed in 2019 under the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS), which was replaced by the Australian Industrial Chemical Introduction Scheme (AICIS) on 1 July 2020,” the spokesperson said.

“It found that the identified risks of TPO for workers could be managed through labelling, and workplace health and safety measures.”