You may have heard the term TPO floating around the nail world recently. There's been a lot of noise, not all of it accurate, so we want to give you a clear, honest picture of what's happening and what it means for your Semilac products.
What actually is TPO?
TPO (Trimethylbenzoyl Diphenylphosphine Oxide) is a photoinitiator — an ingredient used in gel products that helps them cure under UV or LED light. It's been used across the gel nail industry for years.
So what's changing?
UK regulators have set new timelines for phasing TPO out of cosmetic products:
- 15 August 2026 — No new products containing TPO can be placed on the UK market
- 14 February 2027 — Existing TPO-containing products can no longer be sold
The EU is moving even faster, with a September 2025 cutoff.
This isn't a safety recall. Current products on shelves are fully compliant and safe to use. The change comes from updated regulatory assessments — essentially, the rules are tightening as a precaution, not because of any incidents or harm.
Where does Semilac stand?
Here's the part we're proud of: around 90% of Semilac products are already TPO-free. We've been quietly reformulating ahead of the curve, and we're on track to reach 100% TPO-free well before the UK deadline.
This wasn't a last-minute scramble. Our R&D team has been working on next-generation formulations for a while now, making sure the switch doesn't compromise what you love about our products — the coverage, the wear, the colour payoff.
Do you need to throw anything away?
No. If you have Semilac products at home or in your salon, they're safe to use. There's no need to bin anything. The regulation is about what goes on shelves going forward, not about products already in your hands.
What about HEMA?
While we're on the topic of ingredients — HEMA is a different ingredient that sometimes gets confused with TPO in online discussions. HEMA remains approved and safe when used correctly in both UK and EU markets. We'll save the full HEMA breakdown for another post, but the short version: not banned, not going anywhere.
And worth noting — the majority of Semilac products are already HEMA-free too, so if that's something you look for, you're already covered.
Our commitment
We believe you shouldn't have to decode regulatory jargon to feel confident in the products you use. So here's our promise:
- We'll keep reformulating proactively — not waiting for deadlines
- We'll be transparent when formulations change
- We'll never compromise on quality to cut corners on compliance
If you have questions about any specific Semilac product, our customer service team is always happy to help.
A note for professionals
If you're a salon owner or nail tech wondering about how this affects your stock planning, your current inventory is fine. Products bought before the cutoff dates remain completely legal to use on clients. We'd recommend gradually rotating in the newer TPO-free formulations as you restock — which is easy, since most of what we sell is already there.
To make things easier, we've added a TPO-free badge to every product page that's already been reformulated — so you can check at a glance before you buy.
