Methacrylate a type of acrylates can cause a severe, itchy rash anywhere on the body, not just the fingertips. If you want to go deeper to understand which other acrylates are used in nail products and which of them can cause contact dermatitis read this blog post.

One of infamous acrylates out there is methacrylate, whilst it has been prohibited to use in nail liquids since 1970, it is not prohibited to use in powder form and has been widely replaced by a safer adhesive ethyl methacrylate (EMA).

Whilst methacrylate is praised for its ease of use, quick setting time and durability it has been associated with adverse health effects such as allergic reactions, permanent loss of the nail plate and in some extreme cases permanent loss of sensation in fingertips.

What is methacrylate long name for MMA?

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) is a bonding agent used in powder based fake nail acrylics and gel preparations. Methacrylate can be still found in glue form used for press-on nail applications.

What makes MMA popular in the nail care industry its unpaired strength which makes it a second strongest adhesive right after Epoxy reisin (your boyfriend, husband will know). Both MMA and EMA are known as structural adhesives, and are classified as materials that have sufficient strength to support structural loads. Glue strength is measured by load-carrying properties, below you can find a comparison between industrial glues, MMA and EMA.

Epoxy glue is at 30 Mpa – aka adhesive used in automotive industry

Methyl methacrylate MMA is at 25 Mpa – stronger that the bond between your nail and your finger !!!

Ethyl methacrylate EMA is at 17 Mpa – still pretty strong but wont damage your nails

MMA raised to it fame due to its affordable price, compared to other bonding agents like ethyl methacrylate (EMA) which can be 3 x times more expensive. So if the manicure service is surprisingly cheap, so are the ingredients and products they are using.

MMA also sets much faster than EMA which means the time to finish a manicure is also shorter – meaning a nail tech can squeeze in more clients in a day. The money and time saving aspect unfortunately makes MMA still one of the most popular choice of preparations among nail artists.

Finally, removal. MMA removal is not a walk in a park, it requires an electric drill to remove it and it can take up to 2-hour long acetone soak to remove it which can lead to significant damage of your natural nail plates.

Luckily more and more consumers are looking for healthier, less damaging solutions therefore in the last year Ethyl Methacrylate, short EMA is becoming more and more popular.

What is ethyl methacrylate, long name for EMA?

Ethyl methacrylate (EMA) has the same purpose and technically fulfills the same job as MMA. EMA is a bit harder to apply, but it adheres better to natural nails without needing to rough up the surface and thin out your natural nail plate.

Although EMA is not as strong and durable as MMA acrylics, EMA is known to be more flexible and more prone to lifting, this means a set of nails applied with EMA are going to feel more natural and comfortable.

Most of new glues are EMA as a one of the main ingredients in the range of 70%-90% of the formulation. By blending other components into the EMA glue properties will range achieving faster curing time, more flexibility, better adhesion and clarity of the solution.

If you are looking for press-on nails with Methacrylate and HEMA FREE nail glue. We got you.

Full disclosure, these are the ingredients we use in our nail glue:

Cyanoacrylate: A medical-grade adhesive – our superglue that makes your manicure last.​

Polymethyl Methacrylate: Acrylic Glass – often used in medical devices and dentist application is known for quick bonding at room temperature.​

BHA: Used widely in the cosmetic industry due to its anti-inflammatory properties. 

On a closing note, as a founder, I believe is important for brands and manufacturers to be transparent about ingredients for You to make a well informed decision whether our products work and fit your needs.

I hope this blog post helped you on your journey and I hope after reading this you will be able to give our products a try without frills!

Hugs,
Ella 

Disclaimer: We are not medical doctors. The information presented is not medical advice. It is purely to share our experiences and opinions based on the research. As always, check with a doctor for any medical conditions. We disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any activities or ideas from this site.