Ingredient Index

Is TPO banned in Europe?

Banned in EU

Yes: TPO, the photoinitiator that makes most gel nail polish cure under UV lamps, has been banned in EU cosmetics since September 1, 2025 as a category 1B reproductive toxicant; it remains legal in US salons.

CAS: 75980-60-8 Also seen as: Trimethyl Benzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide, Diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide

What the EU does

Banned, effective September 1, 2025. TPO had been a listed, restricted nail-product ingredient (professional use, up to 5%) for a decade. Then its CLP classification as a category 1B reproductive toxicant landed, and Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877 moved it onto Annex II via the Cosmetics Regulation's automatic CMR mechanism. No sell-through grace period: from that date, EU salons could not use or sell TPO-containing gel.

The classification rests on reproductive-organ effects in repeat-dose animal studies of ingested TPO. Exposure from a cured manicure is a different scenario; the EU mechanism doesn't weigh that; 1B classification plus no granted exemption equals ban. Gel systems in the EU now cure with alternative photoinitiators like TPO-L.

Citation Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009, Annex II, entry 1730; Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877

What the US does

Legal. The FDA imposes no restriction on TPO in nail products, and most US-market gel polish systems still rely on it. No FDA proceeding is underway.

The practical churn is happening anyway: major gel brands sell into both markets, so "TPO-free" lines launched for EU compliance are arriving on US shelves too. The 2025 news cycle (this was the most-covered cosmetics ban in years) has made TPO-free a marketing claim with real US demand.

Citation FD&C Act general safety standard (no US restriction on TPO in nail products)

Products that commonly contain it

TPO lives in UV-cured nail systems:

Gel nail polish (most pre-2025 formulas)
Gel base coats and top coats
Builder gels and hard gels
At-home gel kits with UV/LED lamps
Some dental composites use related photoinitiators (different regulation entirely)

What to look for on a label

Gel polish labels reward a careful read:

"Trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide," "TPO," or the CAS 75980-60-8 on ingredient lists
"TPO-free" claims on new lines, the post-ban formulations
"TPO-L" (ethyl trimethylbenzoyl phenylphosphinate) is the common replacement, currently legal in both markets
Salon-goers can simply ask which gel system the salon stocks

Or skip the squinting: paste the whole ingredient list into our checker and it flags everything in our database. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.

Frequently asked questions

Is TPO banned in Europe?

Yes. Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/877 prohibited TPO in all cosmetic products from September 1, 2025, after its classification as a category 1B reproductive toxicant.

Is TPO banned in the United States?

No. It remains legal in US nail products with no FDA restriction, though TPO-free formulas built for EU compliance are spreading to the US market.

Are gel manicures still available in Europe?

Yes. Gel systems reformulated with alternative photoinitiators such as TPO-L. The manicure didn't disappear; one curing chemical did.

Should I worry about past TPO gel manicures?

The classification came from repeat-dose animal studies of ingested TPO, not from manicure exposure data. In a cured gel layer, exposure is brief and small. The EU ban is a hazard-classification consequence, not evidence that past manicures caused harm.

Related ingredients

Primary sources

Last reviewed June 10, 2026 · How we assign statuses