Muse Education
TPO-Free Builder Gel: What the EU Ban Means for Nail Techs
On September 1, 2025 the EU banned TPO in cosmetic products, gel nail systems included. Here is what actually happened, whether it touches your salon in Canada or the US, and how to check the bottle already sitting on your desk.
The short answer
TPO is a photoinitiator that makes gel cure under UV or LED light. The EU classified it as a CMR category 1B substance and banned it from cosmetic products, including professional gel systems, effective September 1, 2025.
The ban applies to the EU, Norway and Switzerland. It is not law in Canada or the United States. At Muse, our builder gels, our Anti-Lifting Base and Liquid Polygel #11 to #13 are formulated HEMA-free and TPO-free. Liquid Polygel #1 to #10 are HEMA-free but have a very small amount of TPO. Claims are product specific, so check the product page for any item.
The ingredient
What is TPO?
TPO, or trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, is a photoinitiator. It is the ingredient that reacts to UV and LED light and triggers the gel to cure. It has been used widely across builder gels, hard gels and some gel polishes because it cures fast and finishes hard.
If you have ever wondered why one builder sets like glass in 30 seconds and another needs a full minute, the photoinitiator package is a large part of the answer.
Sculpted with Muse Liquid Polygel, hand-poured in Ontario
The timeline
Why it was banned
- 2023The European Commission classified TPO as a CMR category 1B substance, meaning carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic to reproduction. The classification was based largely on animal study data indicating presumed reproductive toxicity in humans.
- May 12, 2025The Commission published a regulation stating TPO should no longer be permitted in cosmetic products, given that 1B classification.
- September 1, 2025The ban took effect under Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2024/197. Manufacturers, importers and distributors can no longer place new TPO-containing products on the EU market, professional and salon use included.
Your region
Does this affect Canada or the US?
Not directly, and not yet. The ban covers the 27 EU member states plus Norway and Switzerland. It is not law in Canada or the United States as of this post.
What matters for your salon is the direction of travel. EU ingredient rules have a long track record of shaping what suppliers formulate and what distributors stock everywhere else, because most factories would rather run one compliant formula than two. Choosing TPO-free today is a get ahead of it decision, not a comply with a law that already applies to you decision.
The techs who benefit most are the ones with clients who ask questions. Being able to answer "no TPO, no HEMA, here is the product page" is a retention tool.
Muse builder gels.
HEMA-free and TPO-free, vegan, no heat spike. The part of the range a tech reaches for every single day, already formulated the way the EU now requires.
Where we stand
Muse was already there
Formulated HEMA-free and TPO-free: our builder gels, the Anti-Lifting Base, and Liquid Polygel #11 to #13.
Formulated HEMA-free: Liquid Polygel #1 to #10.
That level of detail is the point. Claims here are product specific, not catalogue wide, so check the individual product page for any item. We would rather be precise than sweeping.
Anti-Lifting Base.
HEMA-free, TPO-free, 11-free. The sticky foundation layer under builder gel, polygel and cover gel. Over 45 applications per bottle, three weeks plus of wear.
Made by nail techs. Made in Ontario.
Muse started in a kitchen in Ontario. Mom could not find a gel that lived up to her European training, so we made one. Over 20 formulas did not make the cut before this one did.
Every bottle is still hand-poured by us. That is the reason we can tell you exactly what is in a formula, and the reason a large multi-brand distributor reselling white label product usually cannot.
Do this week
How to check your own supplier
01
Ask about the specific product, not the brand in general. Get the answer in writing if you can.
02
Read the INCI list for TPO or trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide.
03
Treat blanket whole catalogue claims as a red flag. Precise brands label product by product.
If a supplier cannot tell you which of their products are TPO-free without checking with someone else, that is your answer about how close they are to their own formulas.
Shop
TPO-free, HEMA-free, made in Canada
Base
Anti-Lifting Base
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HEMA-free + TPO-free
Builder Gels
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HEMA-free
Liquid Polygel
Shop nowLooking for a sculpting shade that is TPO-free as well as HEMA-free? That is Liquid Polygel #11 to #13.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is TPO in nail gel?
TPO, or trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, is a photoinitiator used in many gel formulas to trigger curing under UV or LED light. The EU classified it as a CMR category 1B reproductive toxicant in 2023.
Is TPO banned in Canada?
No. The ban applies to the EU, Norway and Switzerland as of September 1, 2025. It is not currently law in Canada or the United States.
Are Muse Gel products TPO-free?
Our builder gels, the Anti-Lifting Base, and Liquid Polygel #11 to #13 are formulated HEMA-free and TPO-free. Liquid Polygel #1 to #10 are formulated HEMA-free. Claims are product specific, so check the individual product page to confirm for any given item.
Is TPO-free builder gel weaker?
No. The photoinitiator controls how the gel cures, not how hard it sets. Strength comes from the resin system. A well formulated TPO-free builder cures fully and wears three weeks or more.
Why does a European ban matter if I work in Canada?
EU ingredient rules tend to influence how suppliers formulate and what distributors stock worldwide, because factories prefer one compliant formula over two. Choosing TPO-free now puts a salon ahead of that direction rather than reacting to it later.
How do I know if my current builder gel contains TPO?
Check the INCI ingredient list on the bottle or product page for TPO or trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, and ask your supplier about that specific product rather than the brand as a whole.
Sources: European Commission, TPO in Nail Products Q&A and HPRA, TPO prohibited in cosmetics from 1 September 2025. Last reviewed July 2026.
Know what is in the bottle
Muse builder gels, our Anti-Lifting Base and Liquid Polygel #11 to #13 are HEMA-free, TPO-free, vegan and hand-poured in Ontario. Free shipping on orders over $149.
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