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A fresh gel mani can instantly make my day—especially since they last so much longer than traditional polish and are largely chip-proof. When my nails are shiny, polished, and primed, I just feel more put-together. Sadly, the state of gel manis is murky.

As of Sept. 1, the EU banned the ingredient TPO in gel nail polish. What is TPO, you may be wondering? “TPO (trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide) acts as a ‘photoinitiator’ that is part of the process of solidifying liquid gel into a solid film,” says Chloe Joung, Korean Beauty expert and founder of nail brand Kijibae.

Over the past few years, it has been flagged as a potential carcinogen with reproductive safety risk

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