It has long been known in the nail world that the ingredient TPO will be banned from the sale of artificial nail products. Now we know that as of September 2025 TPO-containing products will no longer be allowed to be sold. Of course, we at Urban Nails have been working on this behind the scenes for a while. When surveying the products, it became clear that we already have quite a few TPO-free products in our assortment. Now we are nail art specialists and know very well how to work with nail art products, but of course we are not chemists. We have to trust that the product we receive from our suppliers actually contains the ingredients they claim. To get certainty in this, we joined forces with VITO: the Flemish Institution for Technological Research. It soon became clear that we had found a good partner in this, one who knows the business. They were able to determine whether a product contains TPO on the basis of a sample, and what was really nice: we were allowed to visit them for a tour!
Visiting VITO
So one morning Kurt and Kelly headed to Mol to visit VITO. When we received an email in advance that said ‘allow about 10 minutes for the security check’, it became clear that this was going to be a special visit. After all, VITO is not a place you just walk into as an outsider. We arrived at the site, which was already much larger than we thought.After signing in and a thorough security check, we were picked up by car by Jan, a senior researcher at VITO who conducted our analyses. The grounds were in fact so large that walking would take too long. Arriving at the right building, we were given a nice white lab coat and the tour could begin.
Jan took us to the room where our samples were tested. Here were two huge machines used to do the analysis. Jan told us that it takes even less than a drop to see if certain ingredients are present in the gel, incredible! Multiple tests are performed to get the most reliable picture possible.
TPO and HEMA under the microscope
In addition to TPO, we also had the products tested for the presence of HEMA. Although this ingredient is not yet banned, the demand for HEMA-free products is also increasing, so this kills two birds with one stone. Besides the room where our samples were tested, we got to see and learn many other interesting things, such as how gases, as well as soil and groundwater, are tested.
Collaboration with impact, senior expert Jan Jordens speaking:
At VITO, we go beyond simply providing measurement results. In our laboratories, data are transformed into useful insights that really make a difference. Thanks to our unique combination of scientific expertise and decades of experience, we offer manufacturers and distributors ready-made answers to complex questions such as compliance with legislation. With tailor-made analyses and advice, we our analyses precisely to the needs of our partners.
Various raw materials are used in cosmetic products. This can pose risks mbt product safety and regulations. However, these are not always checked. Urban Nails shows how it can be done differently: by investing in independent testing and transparency. In this way, they not only increase their own reliability, but as a pioneer setting the tone for the entire sector.
Security for our customers
The research has given us a lot of insight into the products. We will certainly continue to work with VITO to test our products regularly and to make sure that everything we sell meets the requirements.