The slime-making craze has become a big hit among kids. On social media, millions of children share homemade creations of this smelly but fun stuff for play and distraction. Experts, however, warn parents of its potential health risks.
As a testament to its popularity, the slime-making craze sweeping the internet has left stores with sold-out supplies of Elmer's glue, according to USA Today. Kids are buying glues in bulk because this is one of two main ingredients along with Borax, the multipurpose cleaner.
Middle schoolers and teenagers mix these basic ingredients with portions of water, food coloring, cornstarch, Styrofoam, glitter or shaving cream to create a colorful squishy and gooey novelty toy. The European Chemicals Agency (ECHA), however, said that the chemicals in the basic items, specifically in Borax, are health hazards. "This substance may damage fertility or the unborn child and causes serious eye irritation," experts from the ECHA said, per Daily Mail.
Slime-making might encourage a fun craft time activity but the dust from the Borax could be toxic for the kids, especially if ingested as it has traces of pesticide. "It is just like putting lead in paint and putting that on a toy and kids don't want to put that in their mouth so it's the same aspect here," Dr. Richard Uluski said, according to NBC Columbus.
Meanwhile, the American Chemical Society has put up a guide on slime-making on their website, citing that the activity can be a good chemical experiment for children. Its guide also includes a reminder on using goggles, reading the labels of the ingredients carefully and washing hands well after the experiment. Kids must also remember to store and seal the ingredients in a proper container after they are done.
Slime was first popularized in the '80s and crafting it homemade is not something new, according to CNBC. The internet, however, seemed to have revived its popularity because of the countless of recipes on social media about improving the slime-making process.
