This review from Riga Technical University covers the chemistry of UV-curable nail polish formulations, including polymerization mechanisms for acrylate, epoxide, and thiol-ene systems; photoinitiator types and their photochemical behavior; adhesion promoters and their interactions with keratin; and alternative nature-derived film-forming agents. The paper does not measure or report heavy metal concentrations in nail polish products; it is a formulation chemistry and polymer science review. It is included in the wiki as broad product context for the manicuring preparations product category, specifically to document that UV-curable gel nail polish systems contain acrylate monomers, oligomers, photoinitiators, and adhesion promoters, without quantifying any inorganic contaminants.
Key numbers
There are no heavy metal concentration measurements in this paper.
Selected formulation and market context (non-metal):
- Global nail gel market: approximately USD 55.6 million in 2023; projected USD 88 million by 2030.
- UV-curable nail polishes classified as “acrylate chemistry”: more than 60% of commercial products use acrylate monomers and oligomers with photoinitiators.
- Key acrylate health concern identified by the review: allergic contact dermatitis from isobornyl acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA), and ethyl acrylate; pseudo-psoriatic nail dystrophy from repeated exposure; occupational asthma from respiratory sensitization.
- Photoinitiators: Type I (Norrish Type I; e.g., bisacylphosphine oxides, acetophenones) cleave homolytically under UV to generate free radicals; Type II (Norrish Type II; e.g., thioxanthones, benzophenones) abstract hydrogen from co-initiators. Colorless compounds excited by UV preferred for nail polish applications.
- Adhesion promoters: diphenyl(2,4,6-trimethylbenzoyl)phosphine oxide (TPO-L); styrylpyridinium derivatives; organosilane coupling agents interact with keratin.
- Alternative bio-based film-forming agents reviewed: acrylate-modified plant oils (linseed, soybean, castor, Tung), cellulose derivatives, polylactic acid (PLA).
- Potential for UV-curable nail polishes as drug delivery systems for nail diseases (onychomycosis), using ethyl methacrylate and diurethane dimethacrylate systems with amorolfine hydrochloride or terbinafine hydrochloride.
Methods (brief)
Literature review and patent analysis. Systematic review of publications 1992-2025 from PubMed, Web of Science, and the Espacenet patent database. 116 references cited. No primary data collected. Funded by CFLA project No 5.1.1.2.i.0/1/22/A/CFLA/005 “Possibilities of synthesis and use of acrylate adhesion promoters for UV-curing gel polish and gel nail coatings.”
Evidence fitness
This review provides formulation chemistry context for UV-curable nail polish products. It does not provide any heavy metal contamination data, occurrence measurements, regulatory limits, or risk assessment values. It does not establish or refute the presence of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), or other inorganic contaminants in nail polish products; that information comes from product survey studies such as Karimi et al. 2015 and Bashir et al. 2025. The review is relevant to the manicuring preparations product category as background on the chemical matrix and formulation complexity of gel nail polishes, which informs understanding of analytical challenges in metal measurement (e.g., acrylate matrix effects in ICP-MS).
Limitations
No primary contamination data. The review focuses on chemistry of film-forming systems and does not address trace element impurities from pigments, colorants, or raw materials. The review scope is UV-curable systems only; traditional solvent-based nail polishes are outside its scope.
Related evidence
- Manicuring preparations that remain on nails/skin (basecoats, polishes/enamels, cuticle softeners/creams)
- Heavy Metal Contamination of Popular Nail Polishes in Iran
- Heavy metal in cosmetics and its risk to future generation in remote area of Azad Jammu and Kashmir Trarkhel District Sudhnoti
Update history
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