Japanese start-up introduces low-carbon, safer plant-based nail glue

The Green Science Alliance has developed a plant-based nail glue that cures when exposed to UV or LED light. The innovation comes amid growing concerns about the nail care industry’s environmental impact, as the sector remains heavily dependent on petrochemical ingredients. 

The Japanese green tech start-up’s glue is designed for attaching artificial nail tips and fake nails to consumers’ real nails.

“Because the glue needs to be illuminated by UV or LED light, nail tips need to be transparent or at least semi-transparent,” the company explains.

The glue currently contains between 22% and 30% plant biomass content, but Green Science Alliance aims to increase the figure in future iterations.

The company says the nail care industry’s petrochemical dependence contributes to fossil fuel usage, which in turn results in higher CO2 emissions, the company says.

The plant-based glue aims to offer consumers and salon workers an environmentally friendly alternative that has a lower CO2 impact. Green Science Alliance explains that plant-based materials absorb CO2 during growth, making them nearly carbon-neutral.

The start-up plans to strengthen its sales and promotion initiatives for the nail tip glue as it scales the launch across the Japanese market. The company is also eyeing an international expansion in the future.

Countering chemicals

Green Science Alliance explains that many nail tip glues on the market are based on cyanoacrylates. These glues commonly cause skin irritation, rashes, and respiratory discomfort for salon workers and consumers, according to the company.

Many nail products contain chemicals that can irritate skin and affect breathing.Cyanoacrylate glues can also generate a significant amount of heat due to the multiple chemical reactions that occur simultaneously and rapidly during the glue curing process. The company’s innovation claims to address this pain point through suppressing rapid chemical reactions during curing.

According to Green Science Alliance, the controlled reaction time lowers the risk of burns and skin irritation during use. The company notes that all ingredients used in the glue, including non-listed substances, are of cosmetic grade to further minimize the risk of burns or skin irritations.

The launch follows previous research that found leave-on cosmetics, such as nail products, contribute more to environmental harm than previously thought. Often, nail varnishes contain microplastics with stubborn environmental persistence.

British nail care company London Grace, for example, has also innovated in this space recently, unveiling a range of nail products free from harmful chemicals. The line aims to provide customers with alternatives that are planet-friendly, and it works to restore UV damage obtained from curing gel manicures.