Gel nail polish has always been a bit of a paradox. Shiny, durable, and near-impossible to chip, but vaguely ominous if you ever stopped to Google the ingredients. Now, one of those ingredients has just been banned across Europe. And, surprise, surprise, the United States isn’t following suit.

As of September 1, the European Union has officially banned TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide), a chemical that gives gel polish its ultra-glossy finish and rapid LED/UV curing time. TPO isn’t in every gel formula, but it’s common enough that the beauty industry took notice. Nail salons are being forced to ditch their inventory immediately, with no grace period and no exceptions.

Why the sudden freak out over TPO? European regulators labeled it “carcinogenic, mutagenic, or toxic to repr

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