At Manucurist, we believe that an informed consumer is an enlightened and safe consumer! You have probably already heard about it, especially if you read the British press: many gel polishes cause allergies, mainly because they contain HEMA or any other similar methacrylate monomer.
Rest assured, this is not the case with the Green Flash™ formula - which is non-sensitising. We explain in detail why it is the ideal, safe alternative to traditional gel polishes.
As you know, Manucurist nail polishes and, more specifically, our Green Flash LED Nail Polish have always been formulated without HEMA or any other methacrylate monomer - making them the ideal non-sensitizing alternative to gel polishes - whether for use at home or in a nail salon.
Born in a salon and aware of the issues linked to repeated exposure for professionals and consumers, Manucurist has always placed health at the heart of its priorities. Every day, we challenge ourselves to offer you products that respect your health and the environment.
That is why we have banned all controversial molecules from our formulas, especially methacrylate monomers, highlighted in a recent BBC article and called into question by numerous institutions for several years*.
If you read British media, you may have seen the alert issued by the British Association of Dermatologists, warning against gel polishes based on acrylate and methacrylate monomers and their allergenic potential. The best-known representative of these molecules is HEMA, already restricted in Europe, but unfortunately it is not the only one involved.
What is a monomer?
And why is it allergenic?
Monomers are very small chemical molecules.
Highly reactive, they can easily combine with other molecules, especially other monomers, to create chains of larger molecules called polymers. The prefix "Mono" indicates one unit and "Poly" means several units; a polymer is therefore made up of many monomers grouped together.
The high reactivity of monomers—particularly monomers from the acrylate chemical family—becomes problematic when they come into contact with the skin. They are so small that they can cross the skin barrier and reach epidermal cells, with which they interact, potentially triggering a more or less severe reaction from our immune system—particularly in the form of allergies.
As they are also highly volatile, monomers can enter the respiratory mucous membranes and cause asthma in people who are frequently exposed to them.
(Methyl)acrylate monomers are known to penetrate the epidermis and cause numerous health problems, such as:
- Irritation of the eyes, skin and mucous membranes
- Allergic dermatitis
- Asthma
- Generalized inflammatory reactions
What are monomers used for in gel polishes?
What is commonly referred to as “gel” polish is actually a plastic-like polymer film that forms on the nails when monomers react with each other under UV light.
Stay with us, we’ll explain…
Monomers, already highly reactive on their own in the liquid gel polish formula, become even more reactive when activated by UV light. Thanks to the photoinitiators also contained in gel polish formulas and the light from UV lamps, the monomers can bond together to create longer chains called polymers (aka: the plastic film mentioned earlier). This is called a polymerisation reaction (or catalysis).
Are you okay? Still with us?
The plastic film forms almost instantly and becomes highly resistant. This is why gel polishes dry instantly and go from a liquid formula to a gel-lacquer finish in just a few minutes.
When a gel formula contains monomers, the resulting polymer has what is known as an extremely high crosslinking density => This means that the film becomes extremely hard and resistant. This is why most traditional gel polishes are very difficult to remove, require acetone to dissolve them and often need to be filed as well.
Second issue: small monomers that have not reacted under the UV lamp may still penetrate the skin if exposed to it and cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.
About HEMA & other Methacrylates?
HEMA (or hydroxyethyl methacrylate) is a monomer commonly used in gel polishes for its highly reactive properties: it dries quickly and can create strong, flexible polymer films on the nails.
Because of its adhesive properties, it is also found in products used in sectors other than nail care: plastics, dentistry, printing… where it has also long been known for the allergy risks it causes.
Since 2021, European regulations have prohibited the sale to consumers of nail products containing HEMA or Di-HEMA-TMHDC. Only manicure professionals are authorised to use them in salons while taking protective measures (nitrile gloves, extraction tables, masks, etc.). Indeed, legislators have considered that gel polishes applied by professionals are less likely to come into contact with the skin if they are applied using precise technical techniques.
The problem is that the risk remains and professionals are still exposed to these types of molecules.
What’s more, HEMA and DI-HEMA-TMHDC are not the only methacrylate monomers that can be found in gel polishes: isobornyl acrylate (IBOA), Benzyl Methacrylate and Bis(methacryloyloxyethyl) phosphate are also substances from the same family that can now be found in the composition of new gel polishes, sometimes even labelled “HEMA Free”.
In addition, it is still very easy for individuals to buy potentially sensitizing gel polishes online.
The Green Flash alternative - WITHOUT METHACRYLATE MONOMERS
Two years ahead of European regulations, Green Flash™ has featured a formula free from potentially sensitising (methyl)acrylate monomers since its launch in 2019.
At Manucurist, the commitment to developing a Clean, Green and bio-based formula has always been essential, to stop exposing consumers and professionals alike to products and environments that are toxic to health.
Even then, the issue posed by (methyl)acrylate monomers was not new: as early as 2017, a recommendation from Anses (the French Agency for Food, Environmental and Occupational Health & Safety) advised manufacturers to replace these molecules in nail products.
After many long months of research & development, we created Green Flash: the 1st LED Nail Polish & the 1st clean, bio-based, monomer-free alternative. In other words: without HEMA, without di-HEMA-TMDHC and without any other methacrylate monomer 🎉
Instead, our formulas contain copolymers, which are chains of larger molecules that retain the same ability to polymerize under a UV lamp and the same benefits (fast drying, resistance, durability, flexibility), but without undesirable effects.
Less reactive, non-volatile and non-sensitizing, our copolymers are also far too large to cross the skin barrier! In addition, the type of polymer (also known as the gel-effect film) obtained after curing under an LED lamp has a lower crosslinking density than that of a polymer formed from monomers; this is why Green Flash is much easier to remove than a traditional gel polish, using a gentle ACETONE-FREE remover and without damaging the nails!
If you take a closer look at our formula and ingredient list, you may see molecule names that can be confusing. No panic, no risk. Here’s why:
-
hydroxyethyl acrylate/IPDI/PPG-15 glyceryl ether copolymer
This ingredient is a synthetic polymer made up of three different molecules that react together. It acts as a film-forming agent in our formula, which is very important for providing properties such as flexibility, wear time and fast drying. Although it contains the word "acrylate", it is a completely different molecule from methacrylate, so there is no need to worry. From a chemical standpoint, the molecule is non-sensitising, less reactive, non-volatile and cannot penetrate the skin or trigger an allergic reaction. -
bis-HEMA poly(1.4-butanediol)-9/IPDI copolymer
This molecule is also a synthetic polymer resulting from the chemical combination of three different molecules. It acts as a film-forming agent, providing flexibility, durability and fast drying. Although it contains the word "HEMA", it is a different molecule with different properties, notably because it is non-sensitising, less reactive, non-volatile and cannot penetrate the skin.
Each of these two molecules is essential to our formula, as they replace harmful monomers as building blocks to form a polymer film. These ingredients are therefore responsible for the “gel” look of your Green Flash™ manicures, their resistance, shine and long-lasting wear of up to 10 days. To try this alternative at home, the Green Flash™ starter kit brings together the essentials for a gel polish routine.
To answer the questions raised by the many recent publications on the potential dangers associated with gel polishes, we felt it was important to explain all this to you in detail and remind you of our commitments every day to develop quality products without compromising your health!
Our customers talk about it better than we do!!
Finally, if there were one more thing to share with you on this subject, it would of course be the trust placed in us by many consumers and professionals in France and around the world, especially people who have already developed allergies to certain gel polishes… and they are still the ones best placed to tell you about our products.
- Laurie E.
- Elise B.
- Marine F.
Learn more about the risks associated with methacrylates:
Read the Anses opinion
Read the INRS article
Read the BBC article
View European regulations
