Experts warn against gel polish: "Think twice"

Gel polishes always contain acrylates, which may cause allergies when not cured. However, it can be difficult to determine exactly which acrylates or other chemicals are in gel polish.

For gel polishes with a correct ingredient list, about half contain banned substances that can only be used in products for professional use.

This is shown in the study by the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals of 70 gel polishes.

"Fundamentally, we cannot recommend UV-curing gel polish because they  generally contain acrylates, that may cause allergy. Allergy can occur if the gel is in contact with the skin around the nail, or if you use the wrong UV lamp that does not cure the polish properly. When there are no reccomended choices, and we find widespread errors on the labels, we have chosen not to evaluate gel polish in our app Kemiluppen," says project manager at the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals, Christel Søgaard Kirkeby.

The product type has now been removed from Kemiluppen.

Unwanted chemicals in gel polish

Gel polish is based on acrylic gel, which you apply to your nails and cure with a UV lamp or an LED lamp.

The acrylates in the gel are a group of substances that may cause lifelong allergies when exposed to them in uncured form.

We have examined 70 types of gel polish purchased in Danish stores and on online platforms, also outside the EU such as SHEIN and Amazon.com. This includes base coat, top coat, and colored gel nail polish.

Our study shows that:

• 29 out of 70 gel polishes with ingredient lists contain substances that are only for professional use.
• 15 out of 70 gel polishes have errors on the ingredients list or no ingredient list at all.
• 26 out of 70 gel polishes are without "professional" ingredients but still contain acrylates that may cause allergies when not cured.

11 gel polishes in the study also contain suspected carcinogenic substances, which were banned in December 2023. These substances are trimethylolpropane triacrylate and benzophenone. The gel polishes were purchased while the substances were allowed. Several manufacturers state that they have phased out the use of these substances. 

Allergy from beautiful nails

The main ingredient in gel polish is acrylates.

You can typically experience allergic reactions if:

• The gel polish touches the skin around the nail before it is cured with UV light.
• You do not cure your nails with UV light long enough.
• You use the wrong UV lamp.

Frequency is also a factor. The more you are exposed to uncured acrylates, the greater the risk of allergy.

According to the Danish Allergy Center, allergy can manifest as eczema, redness, swelling, and small blisters on the fingertips. In some cases, the nail may completely or partially detach or become permanently deformed. Symptoms can spread to the rest of the hand or face.

There are also examples of allergic reactions in the lungs among nail technicians. This is because they inhale dust particles when filing artificial nails.

In 2018 and during the pandemic in 2020, the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) issued warnings about increased cases of acrylic allergy from nail kits that consumers can use at home.

Director of the Danish Allergy Center, Jeanne Duus, also sees an increasing number of acrylic allergy sufferers:

"We don't know exactly how big the risk is. We need to know how many people use it and how, as well as have complete figures for allergies. The numbers we have are the tip of the iceberg. But we are seeing more patients with acrylic allergies than before, and it is becoming an increasing problem in Europe."

Problems with dental care, diabetes medication, and hip surgeries

Once you have acquired acrylic allergy from gel polish, it affects more than just rash on the nails. It is a lifelong allergy to substances you may encounter elsewhere.

Acrylates are also used in dental equipment for, e.g., white tooth fillings.

"Acrylate HEMA is used in many dental products, but there are HEMA-free alternatives. If a patient is allergic to HEMA, the dentist should use materials that do not contain this substance. To avoid materials that can trigger an allergic reaction in the patient, it is important for the dentist to be informed about known allergies," explains senior researcher at the Nordic Institute for Dental Materials (NIOM), Jan Tore Samuelsen, and continues:

"Fortunately, there have been few reported cases of allergy in patients. At NIOM, we have not received inquiries about this, but there are cases in scientific articles. With increased private use of products containing these chemicals, we can expect more people to become sensitive, and this can therefore become a larger challenge." This concern is shared by Jeanne Duus.

"We have only seen a few patients with acrylic allergy who have reacted allergically to dental treatment, but it is possible that it will become a problem for more people in the future."

Acrylates are also used as bone cement in knee and hip surgeries, and in the patches that attach insulin pumps and glucose sensors to the skin of diabetes patients.

The banned substance HEMA in several gel polishes

Acrylates are a large group of substances. Two commonly used acrylates have been banned in consumer products. These are the substances HEMA and Di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate. We have found 22 gel polishes in the study with one or both of these substances.

They are known to be allergenic when they come into contact with the skin and are therefore only allowed in gel polish for professional use. However, as a private individual, you can easily buy them online.

We have also found other substances in the gel polishes that are only for professional use.

These include hydroquinone, which is suspected of being carcinogenic, trimethylbenzoyl diphenylphosphine oxide, which is suspected of harming reproductive health, and p-hydroxyanisole, which is allergenic.

"We have purchased as consumers, and we have been able to obtain many professional products. So, you can easily end up buying them without realizing that they are actually not intended for home use," says Christel Søgaard Kirkeby.

Legislation requires labeling on the product, clearly stating, for example, "for professional use only," but there are no requirements regarding where you may sell the products.

The Danish Environmental Protection Agency has previously stated that it is difficult to enforce the sale of professional products to consumers.

"It is not good enough protection for consumers. When these substances are so problematic that we as consumers should not use them, legislation must ensure that we cannot buy them," says Christel Søgaard Kirkeby.

Alternatives can also cause allergies

The substances HEMA and Di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate are being phased out in several products and replaced with alternative acrylates.

However, other acrylates can also be allergenic. The Danish Allergy Center states that the acrylates resemble each other, leading to what is called cross-reactions or cross-allergies.

"It's a larger family of substances, many of which are chemically similar. This means that if you are allergic to one in the acrylate family, such as HEMA, you will often react to many others," says Jeanne Duus.

A mess of ingredient lists

The study also shows that 15 out of 70 gel polishes have significant errors and deficiencies on the ingredient list.

Some gel polishes have incorrect or imprecise descriptions of the substances on the label. Others do not have an ingredient list at all, so we do not know what is in them.

It is especially gel polishes from Shein and Wish that have major problems with declaration.

"It iclearly shows that if you buy on online platforms outside the EU, you cannot expect them to comply with EU rules on declaration. We encourage you not to buy products here - even if they are cheap. Because you have no idea what you are getting in the shopping cart of unwanted or restricted chemicals," explains Christel Søgaard Kirkeby.

She also explains that several companies state that they have mistakenly used an old package with a completely wrong ingredient list.

"I have never before experienced errors with declarations on such a large scale as with gel polishes. Basically, it can be difficult to trust the information, even if it is there," she says.

Experts' advice on gel polish

We have asked experts for their best advice for consumers who want to apply gel polish to their nails.

Jeanne Duus from the Danish Allergy Center advises caution:

"Think twice. You should consider the product as a 'chemical' product that you should handle with care. If you decide to do it, you should be very careful that the gel polish does not come into contact with the skin, around the nail, or elsewhere. Make sure to cure the nail polish with the UV lamp according to the instructions and perform it on a surface that can be cleaned and removed."

Project manager at the Danish Consumer Council THINK Chemicals, Christel Søgaard Kirkeby, says that you should consider the health risks:

"There is a risk of allergy from the gel polish, and that allergy lasts a lifetime. I think you should consider whether it's worth it. If it is, then go to a professional who can avoid hitting the skin and ensure that the polish cures correctly."