LE's Response to the BBC Report on Gel Nail Product Allergies by Chemists at Light Elegance | Nail Allergies | HEMA Free Gel Polish

The Light Elegance Response to the “Gel nails: Investigation launched into gel polish allergic reactions” Report Published by the BBC with Jim McConnell, Co-Owner and Head Chemist of Light Elegance. 

“What’s Inside Matters” has never been more important as illustrated by today’s report by the BBC on issues regarding allergies in our industry. This morning, the BBC reported on issues regarding nail allergies that can be caused by some gel nail polish systems.

McConnell Labs and Light Elegance research, test, formulate and manufacture all products in the USA and have always created our own highest standard in professional safety, education and care. Years of intense research, development and safety assessments began in 1997, and we launched our gel system in 1999 that was formulated to be the safest product in the professional nail industry. 

Over 20 years later, our goal is not only to remain the safest gel system but is also to have the most educated nail professionals in the industry. That’s why we created Chemist Corner with Jim McConnell in 2019. Chemist Corner educates the nail professional and health-conscious clients on the importance of responsible, HEMA monomer free chemistry, proper curing and how to minimize allergies for clients and nail pros alike.

We have continually made efforts to make our products as safe as possible, elevate our LEU Education Program with unrivaled chemistry and raise industry standards to new heights.

McConnell Labs has embarked on a path of identifying raw materials that MIGHT lead to allergenic responses, and we reduce the concentration or eliminate the use of these materials altogether.  We test not only for allergies but for completeness of cure so that liquid and uncured materials do not leach onto the skin and verify the finished goods that we manufacture are cured to the greatest extents possible. We verify the level and completeness of cure continually. In our Research and Development laboratories, we verify the performance of the curing light and the matching of the curing light with the gels that we produce in every effort to test how well these systems work for YOUR safety when you use them on yourself or your clients. This level of testing and evaluation is not found anywhere else in the industry today.

Today, Light Elegance Chemists Jim McConnell and Alyssa Allen along with LE Educator, Jojo Wickens were live on LE's Instagram to further address the BBC Report on Gel Nail Allergies and you can view the full discussion here.

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This epidemic of allergic reactions seemingly is associated with an increase in new brands of gel polishes entering the manicuring market and it appears that there has been insufficient testing for safety. While most of the products entering the market are safe, care and caution should be used to make certain that only safe products are used. The use of “at-home” gel polish systems could also play a factor. These systems are being used with little or no training and utilize inappropriate curing lights. This creates a “worst case scenario” for our industry. We need to stop using poorly formulated products and use reputable systems from responsible companies.

You can learn more about what's inside your gel nail products in this Chemist Corner video.
We kindly and respectfully ask the nail professional to inquire with their current brand of nail product as to what testing is being performed to ensure the safety of the nail professional and client when using and wearing these materials. 

At McConnell Labs and Light Elegance, we believe that what’s inside the bottle matters. “What’s Inside Matters” is a value that is true to our core and is why we control the quality of our products completely from the raw material to the finished good and manufacture our gels ourselves. 

We have seen this issue growing into the epidemic that it is today and have made every effort to inform and empower the nail professional of the importance of using products that are HEMA free or do not contain high concentrations of HEMA, HEA or IBOA. The BBC report comes as no surprise to us, and we will continue to educate our industry as to the importance and value of the ingredients and how they are applied, cured and removed.

You can learn more about proper curing, curing lamps and how to help further prevent nail allergies from occurring with Jim McConnell and Liz Morris.


Please know that we cannot control how your body will react to an acrylate or methacrylated material, but we can reduce or eliminate the raw materials that we know are more likely to cause allergic reactions. This is why Light Elegance products have an extremely low rate of reported allergies. To our knowledge, only 5 people in the long history of Light Elegance have developed a confirmed allergy to our products, a fact we are truly proud of.

Please reach out to us with any and all questions or comments, and we’ll be sure to get you the answers straight from our chemists.

Did you know that in-house R&D at our Oregon-based facility means we create everything from scratch? The result? Responsible products that are vegan, cruelty-free, 9-free and HEMA free that make you free to express your creativity and wow your clients. We believe that what’s inside matters.

As always, proper product application techniques, adequate curing and using products only as directed are always advised for the ultimate safety of nail pros and clients.

Learn more about the fundamentals of Nail Chemistry and why What's Inside Matters from our Chemist Corner episodes with Co-Owner of Light Elegance and Head Chemist, Jim McConnell. Watch Now

In case you missed Jim's recent live Chemist Corner episode discussing Nail Allergies on Facebook, you can view the recording on our YouTube Channel or on LE's Facebook Page to further educate yourself on the conversation of nail allergies, nail chemistry and why what's inside matters.