THFMA in nail products: EU ban timeline and the proposed 3-month phase-out

Updated 5 November 2026 · EU regulatory guidance for nail professionals

Does THFMA get an extra three months before it is prohibited in EU cosmetics? As of 5 November 2026, there is no verified basis to rely on that extension. For nail retailers and salons, 1 February 2027 remains the compliance planning date under the current framework, unless an applicable legal change or valid derogation establishes otherwise. The EU is working on a new CMR phase-out process, but it is not yet applicable law. Here is what has changed and what it means for your stock. [2] [8]

What is THFMA?

THFMA stands for Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate (CAS 2455-24-5, EC 219-529-5). Look for the full name on the ingredient list rather than the abbreviation. Regulation (EU) 2025/1222 assigns it a harmonised classification as toxic to reproduction, category 1B, and a skin sensitiser, category 1A. These classifications concern hazardous properties; they do not quantify the risk from any particular bottle or manicure. [1]

Is THFMA already banned? What applies now?

It would be incorrect to say that nothing had been decided. The CLP classification was adopted in 2025, with application from 1 February 2027. However, the Commission still lists the corresponding cosmetics measure, Omnibus IX, as under preparation. The Commission’s tracker checked on 5 November 2026 still shows that status. The forthcoming cosmetic prohibition is therefore not already applicable today. [1] [2] [3]

There is also a separate process: the chemicals simplification package, Omnibus VI. A provisional political agreement was announced in June 2026, including changes to transition periods for CMR substances in cosmetics. Parliament adopted its first-reading position on 22 October 2026. As of 5 November, the official procedure still shows “Awaiting Council’s 1st reading position”. A provisional agreement is not an applicable amendment, and it should not be treated as permission to continue selling or using affected stock. [7] [8]

These two “Omnibus” processes serve different purposes. The current planning date remains 1 February 2027, but the final published rules and their application dates must be checked before making definitive claims about any extra transition period.

Timeline: from 2025 to February 2027

The proposed CMR phase-out: when do three months apply?

CMR means carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction. THFMA’s relevant CMR classification concerns reproductive toxicity. Under the pending Omnibus VI reform, the transition would depend on whether a derogation is requested and why it is refused. A derogation is a formally granted exception allowing specified cosmetic uses; a supplier’s safety statement is not a derogation.

Parliament’s October summary sets out these periods. They are proposed periods, not current THFMA permissions. [10]

The longer 24- and 36-month periods would require an up-to-date Cosmetic Product Safety Report to remain available. The final legislation must establish the precise starting points, application dates and scope. [10]

The three-month period is a specific safety-refusal scenario, not a blanket extension for every prohibited ingredient. Do not add three months to 1 February 2027 or assume that THFMA can be sold until May 2027. Any change to the THFMA timetable must be supported by the final rules that actually apply.

Why are there two different market deadlines?

Placing on the market means the first commercial supply of an individual product unit on the EU market. Making available covers commercial supply, including wholesale, retail and free supply. That distinction allows legislation to set one deadline for introducing stock and another for subsequent supply. It concerns individual bottles, not simply when a product range was launched. [5]

What does this mean for existing salon and retail stock?

Under the current framework, a CMR category 1B classification triggers the cosmetics prohibition unless the strict conditions for an exception are met. The Commission’s TPO guidance explains how this framework applies to nail businesses. It is a useful precedent, although it is not a THFMA-specific final ruling. [4] [5]

• No sale: affected cosmetics cannot continue to be sold online, in shops or wholesale.
• No commercial supply: giving products away as part of business activity is also covered.
• No commercial use on clients: salons and nail technicians cannot apply affected products as part of their services.
• Earlier purchase does not create a use-up right: do not assume existing stock can be sold or finished on clients after the cut-off.

These are the consequences businesses should plan for under the current rules. Any different transition arrangement must be supported by the final applicable legislation, rather than a supplier’s assurance or a provisional proposal. [5] [7]

What nail professionals can do now

• Check each formula. Look for Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate and confirm the CAS number with your supplier. A “HEMA-free” or “TPO-free” description does not answer whether THFMA is present.
• Ask for current information. Request the latest ingredient list and written confirmation of any reformulation, including which batches it covers.
• Plan purchasing and stock. Use 1 February 2027 as the current compliance planning date rather than relying on an unconfirmed grace period.
• Prepare replacements. Follow the replacement product’s own application and curing instructions; do not assume a reformulated gel behaves identically.
• Check the final rules. Before confirming any sell-through or professional use-up period, verify Omnibus IX, the application provisions of Omnibus VI and any relevant derogation.

For questions about a specific Pretty Yeppuda product, contact us with its name and batch information so we can help identify the relevant product information. You can also read our guide to EU compliance for gel nail cosmetics.

What about products already bought for personal use?

Under the current EU cosmetics framework, a consumer’s purely private use of a THFMA-containing product lawfully purchased before 1 February 2027 would fall outside the commercial market-supply prohibition. This means a person applying an already-owned product to their own nails at home is in a different position from a salon applying it to clients.

The legal distinction comes from the scope of the Cosmetics Regulation: Articles 1 and 2 concern products made available on the market in the course of commercial activity. It is not necessary to claim that competent authorities have no powers to control private use. Cosmetics Regulation, Articles 1–2 [4]

The Commission expressly confirmed this distinction for TPO. Question 3 on page 3 of its Q&A explains that consumers who purchased TPO-containing products for their own personal use before the prohibition may continue using them privately, while recommending products without TPO. Read the Commission’s TPO Q&A, hosted by Greece’s competent authority [6].

Applying that reasoning to THFMA is an interpretation of the same framework, subject to the final applicable rules; it is not a THFMA-specific confirmation. It does not permit retailers to keep selling affected stock after the applicable prohibition, or salons to finish previously purchased products on clients. Free supply in the course of a business is also covered by the commercial rules.

Private use falling outside this commercial prohibition does not confirm that continued use is safe or permitted under every other applicable rule. This clarification is not a recommendation to continue using THFMA.

Image: Two-dimensional structure of Tetrahydrofurfuryl Methacrylate (THFMA), CAS 2455-24-5. Source: PubChem, CID 17151 [9]. Chemical identity cross-checked against NIST Chemistry WebBook.

Official sources

1. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/1222 — THFMA classification and application date
2. European Commission — CMR substances and Omnibus IX status
3. European Commission — WTO notification G/TBT/N/EU/1219 (draft cosmetics amendment)
4. Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 on cosmetic products — Articles 2 and 15
5. European Commission — TPO in Nail Products: Questions & Answers (commercial use; explanatory precedent)
6. Commission Q&A hosted by Greece’s National Organization for Medicines — consumer/private-use clarification for TPO
7. Council of the EU — provisional chemicals simplification agreement, 17 June 2026
8. European Parliament — legislative procedure 2025/0531(COD)
9. PubChem — THFMA, CID 17151: verified 2D structure; NIST Chemistry WebBook — CAS 2455-24-5, matching InChI and InChIKey
10. European Parliament — summary of the position adopted on 22 October 2026, including CMR transition periods

Regulatory status checked on 5 November 2026. This article concerns EU cosmetics rules. Final published legislation and its application dates determine the obligations for affected products.