The EU Banned A Dangerous Chemical That Might Be Lurking In Your Gel Nail Polish

“So, people should weigh that out with other risks,” he said. 

Kelly Dobos, a cosmetic chemist, explained to Today.com that in the gel nail polish process, “TPO is applied to the nail, which is made of densely packed keratin, and cured into a solid matrix, significantly limiting systemic exposure.” 

She added that she believes “TPO is pretty safe as currently used in nail gels.” 

But if you’re concerned about any potential health risks, there are TPO-free gel nail polishes available on the market. Dobos also told CNN in a post published Thursday that “some brands have started to think about reformulation, and some brands had already used alternate photoinitiators.” 

“So there are options without TPO. When you go to a salon, though, you don’t always get to see the label of the products you’re using. So you’re going to have to ask at the salon,” she said, before pointing out that regular, non-gel nail polish is always an option too.