Halo gel polish?

[Munchkin38]

Hi does anyone use halo of so what’s your thought , was using premire gel but after what I have been reading think when I have finished what I have I will not be buying anymore just to be safe , I have had no issues x

 

[Beautiful-you]

Halo is another Chinese brand which is readily available to the public on eBay and Amazon so if you have concerns about using Premier Gel, those same concerns could well be an issue with Halo.

You'd be safer choosing a professional only brand manufactured in the EU/USA and one which offers education, a specific lamp etc.

 

[Czerwien]

I have a couple of halo colors. No problems with them.

 

[Danihair]

I have a good selection of Halo colours, they are really nice, and reasonably priced.

 

[MissJulesBeauty]

Halo are not a chinese brand. They are a professional brand by purenails x

 

[Nicklg]

I use Halo gels and really like them. Their customer support is absolutely fantastic and I’ve learnt a lot from their specific advice.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Halo are not a chinese brand. They are a professional brand by purenails x

Halo definitely is made in China. I took this pic of the back of a bottle in my local hair & beauty wholesalers. Anyone with a trade card can buy it, even if they just have a hairdressing or spray tan qualification. Also if you search Halo gel polish on eBay there are multiple sellers selling it so it's not a pro only brand.

I'm not trying to be argumentative here, I just feel it's important people know the facts

 

[Molko72]

Pure Nails cannot control sellers on EBay or Amazon, it is beyond their control. This does not make it a non professional product. If you search for any brand of gel polish on these sites you can buy them, it's a shame but cannot be stopped

Halo is another Chinese brand which is readily available to the public on eBay and Amazon so if you have concerns about using Premier Gel, those same concerns could well be an issue with Halo.

You'd be safer choosing a professional only brand manufactured in the EU/USA and one which offers education, a specific lamp etc.

Please do not insinuate that Halo is unsafe because it is manufactured in China, this is misleading. It is thoroughly tested, EU and UK compliant. People reselling Halo on Ebay and Amazon is beyond Pure Nails control, legal advice on this matter was sought and there is nothing that can be done to stop this. American brands are also readily available on these sites too.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Please do not insinuate that Halo is unsafe because it is manufactured in China, this is misleading. It is thoroughly tested, EU and UK compliant. People reselling Halo on Ebay and Amazon is beyond Pure Nails control, legal advice on this matter was sought and there is nothing that can be done to stop this. American brands are also readily available on these sites too.[/QUOTE

The OP has asked about using Halo as she has been put off using Premier Gel due to the problems many users are experiencing using it and at least one other brand manufactured in China. There certainly seems to be an issue with false claims being made by certain brands and MSDS sheets have also be falsified, so there
Is good reason to be cautious. China do not have to follow the same strict guidelines that nail product manufacturers do in the EU or USA and products often contain much higher levels of methacrylates. Of course that's not to say ALL Chinese brands are doing this, but the problem is how can we be sure which brands are telling the truth? And it appears many of these 'brands' buying ready made nail products from China and private labelling them also don't necessarily know what's in them unless they can afford a chemist to test them (which many don't have).

Halo haven't been around very long. Maybe their claims that they are thoroughly tested and fully EU &UK compliant are true (hopefully), but it could be too early to tell. So I still stand by my comment about being wary of any brand not manufactured in the EU/USA at the moment. It's a big decision and expense choosing a brand and nobody wants to make the wrong choice do they?

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

I'm with Beautiful-you on this.

It's not about brand bashing it's about being aware of safety regulations in different regions.

China have yet to implement any controls on what is included in their gels and in what quantities. There is no official testing for safety compliance. There are no fail-safes in place at all. They do not need to comply with SDS and this has shown up in some instances where the lookalike MSDS sheets they provide can be somewhat vague or misleading.

Any nail tech who has invested in training and hopes to have a long and healthy career in this industry should be aware of this before making any investment in products. If they choose to go with an unregulated brand at least they can do so informatively right from the start, understanding any potential risk, rather than feel duped or unexpectedly meet with disaster later on.

I would want to know exactly who thoroughly tested any product, and how, before taking that assurance with anything more than a pinch of salt. It's a VERY expensive process. And exactly what standard it was compliant to.

It's quite sad that humble nail tech's have to delve so deeply into the nuts and bolts of the trade to safeguard themselves, their clients and the UK nail industry as a whole but for the time being that's what we must do. The first step is awareness. Sadly too many still don't expect 'professional' brands to be potentially harmful and have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. There is a distinct lack of clarity of information and minimal understanding of pertinent safety regulations.

 

[Beautiful-you]

I'm with Beautiful-you on this.

It's not about brand bashing it's about being aware of safety regulations in different regions.

China have yet to implement any controls on what is included in their gels and in what quantities. There is no official testing for safety compliance. There are no fail-safes in place at all. They do not need to comply with SDS and this has shown up in some instances where the lookalike MSDS sheets they provide can be somewhat vague or misleading.

Any nail tech who has invested in training and hopes to have a long and healthy career in this industry should be aware of this before making any investment in products. If they choose to go with an unregulated brand at least they can do so informatively right from the start, understanding any potential risk, rather than feel duped or unexpectedly meet with disaster later on.

I would want to know exactly who thoroughly tested any product, and how, before taking that assurance with anything more than a pinch of salt. It's a VERY expensive process. And exactly what standard it was compliant to.

It's quite sad that humble nail tech's have to delve so deeply into the nuts and bolts of the trade to safeguard themselves, their clients and the UK nail industry as a whole but for the time being that's what we must do. The first step is awareness. Sadly too many still don't expect 'professional' brands to be potentially harmful and have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. There is a distinct lack of clarity of information and minimal understanding of pertinent safety regulations.

Exactly this! People have a right to be made aware. In the end it's down to them, but they at least need to know the potential risks.

 

[Molko72]

Every legal and standard has been met - you would not be able to sell a product in the UK or EU if it does not meet the specifications.

 

[KTS1]

Hi does anyone use halo of so what’s your thought , was using premire gel but after what I have been reading think when I have finished what I have I will not be buying anymore just to be safe , I have had no issues x

I use Halo and love it. That and premier gel are my main brands so please tell me what the issue with premier gel is!!!

 

[Beautiful-you]

I use Halo and love it. That and premier gel are my main brands so please tell me what the issue with premier gel is!!!

There is a Facebook group called Nail Technicians Allergy Support Group which I think all nail techs should join. They do not allow brand naming and shaming, which can make it a little difficult to work out exactly which brands are causing the most issues (primarily causing severe allergies and onycholysis in nail techs and clients), but if you have used one or more of the brands I think you would be able to work it out, but without doubt, 2 of the main brands with issues are TGB and Premier Gel. Join the group if you haven't already, sit down with a cuppa and have a good read through all the posts and I think you will soon understand why there is so much concern. You can also search through previous posts here as well.

Of course there are many people using these brands that haven't experienced any problems (in honesty I haven't personally had a problem with TGB), but I am very concerned and am not prepared to put mine or my clients health and the reputation of my business at risk any more. The choice is obviously yours, but make sure you do your research so you are in possession of all the facts before you make a decision whether to use these products or not, especially when there are enough safer brands to choose from.

Another useful Facebook group is the Nail Professionals Technical Community. These 2 groups and Salon Geek can provide you with a wealth of information. Our personal Opinions are one thing, but here you will find real facts from the people who really understand and know more about the industry than we ever could.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Every legal and standard has been met - you would not be able to sell a product in the UK or EU if it does not meet the specifications.

Yet clearly this is happening with some brands who have also made the same claims. As I understand it, there's nothing to stop any of us setting up our own "brand", buying mass produced products from China and getting them private labelled. They can tell us what they like about ingredients, but unless we employ a chemist to physically test these products, how do we know they're telling the truth? A lot of these new brands set up with minimal initial outlay or expert knowledge. Quite likely they believe that the products they are buying and selling on DO comply with EU regulations, but they have no means of actually checking this if they don't employ a chemist or have access to a lab.

Maybe Halo do have a chemist? Have they confirmed this? But please understand that I can't just take your word for it that they definitely do comply.

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

Every legal and standard has been met - you would not be able to sell a product in the UK or EU if it does not meet the specifications.

What are the specifications?

 

[BobSweden]

With any product, always ask for the Safety Data Sheet (MSDS is an obsolete format since 2013). One point that is always worth checking is if a product uses HEMA and then how much. Less that 20% is ok (no HEMA is better), but more than 20% is a higher allergy risk and typical of non USA/EU products.

 

[Beautiful-you]

Here you go! 40-45% HEMA!! (This is from a post on another group). interesting that they're still calling it an MSDS!

 

[Alison Pilkington-Child]

Another angle to consider is this.

The financial outlay to employ a chemist to produce independent lab results and the process of compliance to safety regulations is extremely high.

You should expect this expenditure to be reflected in the retail cost. Within that price you are paying a small amount for real safeguards afforded by the brand you are purchasing from. Business costs need to be recouped, obviously.

How can some supposedly top brands be selling so cheap? The answer is pretty obvious. They have most likely not made that heavy investment in their product.

 

[Molko72]

Just some facts for you all to digest.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10156462492985222&id=545650221

This lady Marian Newman is an avid campaigner for safer working practices and explains in this live chat on Facebook that as long as the correct polymerisation occurs - a correct cure from a specific lamp then there is little risk of allergies developing. Halo Gel Polish is produced by highly skilled chemists and tested to the nth degree and used with a powerful lamp that cures the product perfectly (and yes, this has been rigorously tested in laboratory conditions). Nail technicians that have been correctly educated know that some more pigmented colours need extra curing, this comes with ongoing training and experience, unfortunately in this industry there are a lot, I would even say the majority of working nail technicians that are under qualified to use chemical based products safely. There is little to no regulation in the beauty industry which is also a problem. Pure Nails provide top quality education too and are always seeking to improve products, they listen to the nail techs and what they want and provide affordable, high quality products accordingly. This idea that because a product comes from China so therefore "cheap and nasty" is an outdated prejudice. Most products these days from major companies are produced in China - Apple, Levi, Nike, Adidas, Estee Lauder to name but a few but we are happy to buy these without question. Yet when a small British company who have been in the industry for 30 years launch a gel polish to rival some of the American brands in quality and style, we go back to the 70's attitude that anything from China is rubbish; we need to move on from this attitude and yes, research the product, check that it is safe, look at the MSDS or SDS sheet - it really doesn't matter what you call it, it's the same thing - and as professional people make sure you are providing a safe working environment for you and your clients. Pure Nails are not just some tin pot company that have sprung up in the last couple of years and would definitely not be releasing unsafe, untested products into the UK market, why would this family company risk everything to make a quick buck (as it has been suggested) the financial investment into the products are substantial and ongoing, every possible UK and EU law and guidance is met. So before another keyboard warrior jumps on this band wagon of "it's from China, therefore not professional and unsafe" how about we make sure we know who we are talking about first.