The TPO Ban - What You Need To Know
As of 1st September 2025, the ingredient Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide (TPO) has been banned in the EU. This ban is expected to come into force in Great Britain in 2027.
Why has the EU banned TPO?
The EU has banned TPO in professional products because of it is potentially harmful to reproduction under chemicals safety laws - however this is based on a worst case scenario assessment, and the amount of TPO that is used in nail products is extremely low. It was banned after a 2020 study Found that after male rats ingested extremely high doses of TPO (about 600mg per kilogram of bodyweight every day for 10 days), their reproduction was affected. This, of course, doesn't reflect how TPO is used in gel polish products, and if we were to put this into The Edge terms, you would have to eat 2,790 bottles of The Edge Gel Polish in The Lavender every day for 10 days straight to mirror the results of the study.
Who does this ban apply to?
It is important to note, this ban only applies to brands and companies who are selling and producing cosmetic products. IF you are a consumer and find TPO (it will be called Trimethoylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide) in the ingredients lists in your cosmetics and personal care products, these are still safe AND legal to use.
Are The Edge products TPO free?
We are currently working through reformulating our products without TPO, going through rigorous testing so the long wearing, high quality and chip free formula you know and love won't be going anywhere.
"The reason why TPO has been banned in cosmetic products in the EU is based on its hazardous properties, meaning how a substance might behave under a "worst case" situation when our bodies are exposed to a very large amount. This is not how TPO is used in cosmetics. The amount of this ingredient used in nail products is over a thousand times less than the amount which could have any negative effect on Fertility and these products are applied to the nail, so the potential for the ingredient to be absorbed into our bodies is even smaller. All these Factors are taken into account through the legally-required, robust safety assessment which all cosmetic products must undergo before being sold, by a duly qualified and experienced safety assessor."