Articles · Learning path · Intermediate

Beauty news 2026: rules, research and trends to know

20 lessons: new rules on gel and cosmetic ingredients, research that overturns beliefs, trends without evidence, and safety for hands, skin and hair.

20 lessons · about 93 min in total

  1. 1 The EU banned TPO in gel polish: where ASEAN and Thailand stand, and label tipsThe EU banned TPO in cosmetics from 1 September 2025; as of October 2026 the ASEAN list and Thai rules still allow it with limits. Rules, reasons and the label name. 5 min read
  2. 2 HEMA-free gel is not allergy-free: what a Danish test of 70 gels foundA 2024 Danish test of 70 gel polishes: HEMA-free gels still held other acrylates, and 15 had wrong, incomplete or missing ingredient lists. How to read the label. 4 min read
  3. 3 Why hospitals ask you to remove gel nails: colour and fingertip oxygen metersFingertip oxygen meters shine light through the nail, and some gel colours skew them. What a 2019 trial and a review found, and how to prepare before hospital. 4 min read
  4. 4 Do nail lamps damage DNA? What the 2023 study shows, and what it does notA 2023 UC San Diego study shone nail lamp light on cells in a dish and found DNA damage and mutations. No human cancer data yet. Simple ways to protect your hands. 4 min read
  5. 5 Gloves for gel and acrylic work: why nitrile, and why change every 30 minutesUK dermatologists repeat that latex and vinyl gloves don't stop nail acrylates. Nitrile helps only for a short time: change often and never touch gel, gloved or not. 5 min read
  6. 6 Nail filing dust is plastic dust: capture it at the source, not with a fanFiling gel and acrylic makes fine plastic dust. In lab tests, extraction at the source cut dust at the worker's breathing zone by 67-90%; a fan only moves it around. 5 min read
  7. 7 Alcohol hand rub is gentler on skin than soap, and when you still need to washControlled studies found alcohol hand rub harms the skin barrier less than washing with detergent. Dirty, greasy or chemical-covered hands still need soap and water. 4 min read
  8. 8 Long glove wear counts as wet work: hand eczema, cotton liners, seeing a doctorEurope's 2022 hand eczema guideline counts 2+ hours a day in waterproof gloves as wet work. How to use cotton liners, and when to see a dermatologist. 4 min read
  9. 9 Green patch under lifted gel: usually bacteria, not fungusA green patch under lifted gel is usually Pseudomonas, a bacterium that loves moisture, not a fungus. What to notice, why to stop the gel, and when to see a doctor. 6 min read
  10. 10 Allergic to nail gel? Tell your dentist and doctor: same acrylatesAn acrylate allergy from gel usually lasts for life, and the same chemicals are in white fillings, bone cement and medical devices. Tell your dentist and doctors. 5 min read
  11. 11 Thailand bans microneedle and spicule cosmetics from 22 May 2026Two Thai Ministry of Public Health rules ban making, importing and selling microneedle and needle-crystal cosmetics, except dissolving patches up to 100 µm. 5 min read
  12. 12 Mercury in cosmetics must now be zero: Minamata rule and fake whitening creamsThe Minamata Convention dropped its 1 ppm limit, so no mercury may be added to cosmetics, yet the Thai FDA still finds it in online whitening creams. Signs and checks. 5 min read
  13. 13 EU fragrance allergen labels grow from 24 to about 80, essential oils includedEU Regulation 2023/1545 adds 56 fragrance allergens to labels, many of them essential oils. New launches comply after 31 July 2026, all shelf stock by 31 July 2028. 5 min read
  14. 14 EU caps retinol at 0.3% face, 0.05% body, plus arbutin and kojic acid limitsEU Regulation 2024/996 caps retinol at 0.3% (0.05% in body lotion), alpha-arbutin at 2%, arbutin at 7%, kojic acid at 1%. Key dates, and percentages as milligrams. 5 min read
  15. 15 Bemotrizinol: a sunscreen filter Europe and Asia have long used, now US-approvedThe US FDA added bemotrizinol by final order on 9 June 2026, effective 9 August, at up to 6%. The EU and ASEAN allow 10%. Why it took so long and what it means. 4 min read
  16. 16 16 of 20 sunscreens tested in Australia missed their SPF. How to choose nowAn Australian consumer group tested 20 SPF 50+ sunscreens and 16 failed. The regulator traced a shared formula; recalls followed. Why SPF varies, how to stay protected. 4 min read
  17. 17 Tweens and TikTok skincare: what a study of 100 videos found, and what kids needA Pediatrics study of 100 skincare videos by 7-18 year olds found up to 21 irritating actives, sunscreen in only a quarter. Young skin needs cleanse, moisturise, protect. 5 min read
  18. 18 Keratin straightening, glyoxylic acid and kidney injury: what to knowAcute kidney injury cases after straightening with glyoxylic acid, ANSES advice from January 2025, what to check on the label and which symptoms need a doctor now. 5 min read
  19. 19 Does rosemary oil regrow hair? Reading the 100-person study everyone citesThe rosemary oil hype rests on one 2015 trial in 100 men versus 2% minoxidil, with no placebo group and no replication. Read it fully before you believe it. 5 min read
  20. 20 Hair oiling and dandruff: why oil on the scalp may make flakes worseMalassezia yeast needs fat and thrives on several oils in the lab. A 2023 letter warns scalp oiling may worsen seborrhoeic dermatitis. Oil the lengths instead. 4 min read