More than 4,000 bottles of nail polish remover sold on Amazon are being urgently recalled over fears they could cause cancer.
Chinese manufacturer Morovan issued the alert for its Gel Nail polish remover after tests revealed it contained the toxic substances methylene chloride and chloroform.
Both are banned in cosmetic products. In animal tests, methylene chloride has been linked to a higher risk of breast, liver, lung, brain and blood cancer, while chloroform has also been linked to cancer and organ damage.
Chloroform is also known for its ability to paralyze nerves, leaving someone unconscious or, in serious cases, causing death after stopping them from breathing.
The nail polish remover was sold in 0.5 fluid ounce (15 milliliter) square turquoise bottles with a white cap, which were sold in a green packaging box.
They were available on Amazon between August 2025 and January of this year.
No illnesses or injuries linked to the nail polish have been reported to date.
Consumers have been urged to stop using the product immediately, throw it out and contact the manufacturer for a refund.
The recall was issued for a nail polish remover that was manufactured in China (stock image)
To receive a refund, consumers were told to clearly mark the item as recalled, place it in regular household waste, photograph the product and send the image to Morovan.
The manufacturer, which made the bottles in China, is owned by the company Hong Kong Yiixin Trading Limited.
The bottles were manufactured in February 2024 and have an expiry date up to February 2027.
The recall notice said that 4,000 units were being recalled, but did not clarify how many bottles made up a single unit.
It was not clear why the chemicals were in the products, but methylene chloride and chloroform may be used as solvents, designed to rapidly dissolve and lift or break nail polish.
It also was not clear how the chemical was detected, but officials routinely test products sold in the US.
The nail polish remover that has been recalled is pictured above
The recall notice was published by the FDA.
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) banned the manufacture, processing and distribution of methylene chloride for paint and coating removers for consumer use in 2019.
This rule was expanded in 2024 to also ban its use in automotive cleaners, adhesives and degreasers.
Chloroform was officially banned in the US in 1976, after studies linked use of the chemical to liver cancer and kidney tumors in animals.
At the time, chloroform had been widely used for decades in cough syrups and some toothpastes to mask unpleasant flavors and for the cool and bracing feeling it may trigger.
People may be exposed to the chemicals via inhalation, ingestion or contact with the skin or eye.
Warning signs of exposure include irritation and redness to the skin and indigestion.
In cases of prolonged contact, someone may suffer from skin burns or may become unconscious.
