Can epoxy resin make you sick?

You’re thinking about making art, jewelry, and crafts with resin. Then you read some articles about resin safety, And I’m glad there is.

As a mom to three teenage boys, I try to scare the crap out of them all the time. It keeps them from doing stupid stuff.

So if reading scary resin stuff is what needs to happen to keep you mindful when making resin crafts, then I’m all for it.

But speaking one adult to another here’s what you need to know.

Resin kits are chemicals. You should only use them after reading and understanding the instructions and the safety precautions. I get that it’s tempting to use resin crafting kits without absorbing all that information first. I’ve been known to cut the tag off a mattress only to read that ‘do not remove’ phrase afterwords. But, it’s crucial to understand how to use resin safely so that you can have fun using it for a very long time.

I have crafted with resin since 2006. (Which is before Netflix ever streamed a movie.) This is what I teach my students who are asking, can epoxy resin make you sick?

Wear protective gear

You need to wear protective gloves that go to your wrist. I like to wear nitrile gloves, but latex gloves will work as well.

Ensure good ventilation

Weather permitting, I like to open windows in my crafting room to get cross-ventilation. If that’s not possible, I have a desktop fan set so it blows fresh air towards my face. A ceiling fan set to a low speed is also helpful for moving air within your room.

Use a safe resin

You might think that if a resin is available to buy, it’s safe for you to use. Unfortunately, some companies sell resin kits that do not meet federal safety standards. So how do you know if your resin is safe? You need to see on the resin kit label that it CONFORMS TO ASTM D-4236. Not only do resin kits without this designation violate the law, but they pose a risk to your health and safety.

The good news is that not only do all Resin Obsession resins have the CONFORMS TO ASTM D-4236 certification. Plus, I’ve paid a lot of money for an independent, board-certified toxicologist review of our resins. They’ve been deemed safe for creative use in any location (not just your home). You can also get our resin safety data sheets that explicitly detail the safety precautions necessary when using resin.

If you are still wondering if epoxy resin can make you sick, here’s the advice I give myself:

You can never be too safe. I mean that going above and beyond basic safety standards is never the wrong thing to do. For example, when I’m working with large resin volumes, I wear a plastic apron and fumes respirator. This is besides following basic resin safety precautions.

Here’s a studio tour where I recently explained how I get good room ventilation when creating with resin.

Lastly, if you have any concerns about whether the resin is creating problems for you, STOP IMMEDIATELY. Speak with a health care provider about your concerns. Your health and well-being are everything!

Want to get started creating with resin but confused about where to start?

It’s why I wrote the book Resin Fundamentals. I’ve condensed my years of resin experience into the need-to-know facts about resin. Buy the eBook now (it costs less than a resin kit), and you can download it to read in minutes.

Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2021 Resin Obsession, LLC