HEMA-free gel is not allergy-free: what a Danish test of 70 gels found

A gel labelled HEMA-free leaves out HEMA, which lowers the risk somewhat. It does not make the gel allergy-free, because HEMA-free gels still contain other acrylates that can cause allergy. In 2024 the Danish Consumer Council tested 70 gel polishes and found a bigger problem too: many ingredient lists were wrong or incomplete. This article sums up the test and shows how to read a gel label without being led by the marketing.

If you have not read the basics on gel allergy and HEMA yet, start with gel nail allergy. This article picks up from there.

The 2024 Danish test

THINK Chemicals, part of the Danish Consumer Council (Forbrugerrådet Tænk), bought 70 gel polishes, including base coats, top coats and colours, from Danish shops and online marketplaces, some shipping from outside the EU. The results were published on 5 February 2024.

Finding	Result
Gels bought	70
With an ingredient list	55
Wrong, incomplete or missing list	15
Containing EU professional-use-only substances	29 of 55
Containing HEMA	19
Containing Di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate	15
Containing HEMA or Di-HEMA (at least one)	22
Containing TPO	15
No professional-only substances, but allergy-causing acrylates	26

Another 11 gels contained substances banned in the EU in December 2023 (they were legal when bought). The project manager said she had never seen labelling errors on such a scale. The council also cites a Finnish study of 31 gel polishes and 6 acrylic nail products, which found that the acrylates declared on labels often did not match chemical analysis.

HEMA-free means one substance is gone, not that the gel is safe for people who react. The test concluded you cannot expect a UV-cured gel with no allergy risk.

Worked example: what these numbers mean

Work out the proportions step by step.

1. Label problems: 15 of 70 = 15 ÷ 70 ≈ 0.21, or about 1 bottle in 5.
2. Of the 55 bottles with a list, 29 had professional-only substances: 29 ÷ 55 ≈ 53%, more than half.
3. 29 + 26 = 55, so every bottle with a list had either a professional-only substance or an allergy-causing acrylate. Not one escaped both groups.

Point 3 is the core of it. Even a bottle with no HEMA and no Di-HEMA was among the 26 that still held other acrylates.

The EU rules on HEMA

Since 2021, EU nail products containing HEMA or Di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate have been for professional use only, and the label must say “For professional use only” and “Can cause an allergic reaction”. Non-compliant products could not be placed on the market from 3 June 2021, or made available from 3 September 2021. But as the test notes, the law sets the label warning, not where the product may be sold, so ordinary buyers can easily get them online.

HEMA-free versus regular gel

	Regular gel with HEMA	HEMA-free gel
Contains HEMA	Yes	No (if the label is right)
Contains other acrylates	Yes	Yes
Can cause allergy	Yes	Yes
What actually lowers risk	Keep liquid gel off skin, cure fully	The same
If you already react	Ask a doctor first	Ask a doctor first

How to read a gel label

1. There must be an ingredient list. If there is none, or you cannot read it, do not use it.
2. Look for “acrylate” or “methacrylate” in ingredient names. These substances usually carry those words. HEMA may appear as HEMA or Hydroxyethyl Methacrylate.
3. Look for Di-HEMA trimethylhexyl dicarbamate, another common one that the EU rule also covers.
4. Read the warnings. “For professional use only” or “Can cause an allergic reaction” means the maker knows the formula carries a risk.
5. The bottle and box should match. In the test, some companies admitted using old packaging with the wrong list, and some bottles were probably counterfeit.

The honest limit: reading the label helps only when the label is right, and this test shows it sometimes is not. Buying from sellers who name the manufacturer clearly matters as much as reading.

Common mistakes

• Switching to HEMA-free on your own after a reaction. Each exposure to something you are allergic to can make the reaction worse. Get patch tested by a dermatologist first.
• Reading only the front of the bottle. “HEMA-free” is a marketing claim. The ingredient list on the back matters more.
• Thinking TPO-free or HEMA-free gel can touch skin. No liquid gel should touch skin.
• Using a lamp that does not match the gel. The test warns that poor curing raises allergy risk, since gels use different photoinitiators. See UV and LED lamps.
• Forgetting to tell your dentist. An acrylate allergy can matter for dental fillings, bone cement used in knee and hip surgery, and the patches on insulin pumps and glucose sensors. Tell your doctors.

If you have symptoms

The council lists symptoms such as eczema, redness, swelling and small blisters on the fingertips, the nail lifting partly or fully, and spread to the hands or face. If this happens, stop using the product, remove the gel carefully and see a doctor. This is general information, not a diagnosis.

The next article in this series looks at why hospitals ask you to remove gel before surgery.

Sources

• Experts warn against gel polish: think twice — Forbrugerrådet Tænk (Danish Consumer Council)
• Commission Regulation (EU) 2020/1682 (HEMA and Di-HEMA TMHDC) — legislation.gov.uk
• TPO in nail products: questions and answers — European Commission