You don’t want to hurt yourself or anyone else while you’re enjoying creative time. (A big HIGH FIVE to you. 🙌 Resin safety is something I WISH more people thought about.) And I’m doing a happy dance here because you’re investigating all your options. So it seems like a good idea to buy resin that says it’s non toxic. But what does non toxic mean?
Here are the resin nerd details
Written for those of you who take it seriously about never removing mattress labels.
Non-toxic is a term established by the Federal Hazardous Substances Act. The Consumer Product and Safety Commission defines what are toxic substances and toxic situations. A product is considered toxic if it can cause personal injury or illness to humans if it is inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through the skin. Products are also considered toxic if they can cause long-term or chronic problems such as cancer or birth defects. If a product does not contain a known toxic chemical, it can be labeled as nontoxic.
Seems pretty straightforward.
Like you should be able to feel pretty comfortable about using a resin that says it’s non toxic without injuring yourself.
Right?
Let’s get real about the non-toxic moniker.
Give me a moment while I step on my soapbox to make this speech.
Calling any resin non toxic doesn’t pass the, ‘Does this make sense?’ test.
(A test I give myself when I’m hearing something that isn’t coming together.)
❌ Does it make sense that you shouldn’t pour resin down a drain if it’s non-toxic?
❌ Does it make sense that you need to call poison control if you swallow resin if it’s non-toxic?
❌ Does it make sense that a resin kit recommends wearing gloves and needing adequate ventilation if it’s non-toxic?
Yeah. It doesn’t make sense to me, either.
Now I know what I’m thinking…
✅ There’s no way in HELL that ANY resin is non toxic.
I’m guessing you weren’t expecting a store that sells resin to say something like that. BUT, it’s my job to make sure you enjoy resin safely.
So why would a company tell you their product is non toxic if it isn’t accurate?
Well, for me, it comes down to two possibilities:
They’re following the standard above (doesn’t contain a known toxic chemical) without putting the statement through the ‘Does this make sense?’ test.
or…
even worse…
It’s called marketing.
It’s happening with food labels. It’s happening with cleaning products. Sadly, resin labels aren’t any different.
You need to assume any resin kit you use can hurt you if it isn’t used properly.
So what can you do to protect yourself when resin crafting?
1. Protect your skin and eyes with safety gloves, safety glasses, and a protective apron.
2. Work in a well-ventilated area. Airflow through a room will help to remove possible toxins. Depending on the chemical, you may also need to work within the confines of a ventilated hood or wear a respirator.
3. Keep food and drink away from your crafting area.
4. Make sure you understand the safety precautions for your resin kit.
5. Only use resin that has a safety data sheet (SDS) available. Sections 7 and 8 of the SDS share specific details about handling and what personal protection you should use.
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3.The MSDS tells you what the substance looks like (so you can make sure you have the right stuff) and also what picrauteons you should take to keep it from exploding, poisoning you or sucking your eyeballs out of your head.
I would advise you to immediately stop working with resin and speak with your physician about your symptoms.
hi everyone!
I’m currently making Christmas ornaments using Smooth-cast 300 resin and coating it in Duraclear Matte to sell at craft fairs. I’m trying to figure out how to label them in regards to human safety. I’m told the resin is chemically inert when cured and the Duroclear is labelled as non-toxic. What designation can I give the ornaments would you say? They’re not food-safe, ie plastic spoons or straws but they’re not immediately toxic either. It would only be through prolonged exposure or ingestion that harm might occur. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Unfortunately, we cannot offer advice in this situation. My best suggestion would be to go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (cpsc.gov) for their guidance on labeling.
Hello Katherine,
Thank you for your speedy reply. I’ll check that link you included.
cheers
Adam
Non-toxic does not mean edible. There are many non-toxic items in the world that aren’t edible. Crayons are non-toxic as well, but that doesn’t mean you should snack on them. Same with school glue.
Resin is about a chemical process – the epoxy and hardener, when combined, produce heat. If there are volatile compounds in the mixture, the heat will interact with those compounds to create toxic vapors (and often an unpleasant smell). Zero VOC resins don’t have any of the volatile compounds, so the heat doesn’t have anything to react with to cause the toxic fumes.
Not pouring nontoxic resin down a drain has to do with the damage to pipes. Anyone who has ever cleaned up after using resin can tell you the stuff is sticky and difficult to clean. It can clog pipes from the stickiness. If you’re pouring mixed resin (epoxy + hardener) down the drain, you run a real risk of the mixture curing at any bend in the pipes.
Epoxies and gardeners both contain ingredients that cause allergic reactions in many people who come in physical contact with them. Plus the uncured materials are crazy sticky. It makes sense to recommend gloves even if just dealing with the stickiness.
Hello all,
I make Spanish Guitars, and teach guitar making. While guitar making is mostly wood working, we do use epoxy and cyanoacrylate glues at various stages. I’m interested in learning what needs to be done to protect me and my students. Any suggestions for protective masks would be most appreciated.
A couple of primary materials that we use are hide glue and shellac, both about as non-toxic as can be had!
Cheers,
Brian Burns