Home-made slime may be harmful to children

“How to you make slime?” was the third most-asked question on Youtube in 2017.

It recently emerged that the popular Squishies toys may contain harmful substances. The news prompted the Danish Environmental Agency to ask the public to throw away their toys.

And now, the Danish Asthma and Allergy Association says that the increasingly popular home-made slime can cause allergies and eczema.

Many worried parents have contacted the Asthma and Allergy Association asking about home-made slime, and the association’s message is clear: Do not make your own slime.

Ingredients in the popular slime include glue, shaving foam, baking soda and contact lens solution. The first two of these are particularly unsuitable for close contact with skin, especially children’s skin.

The association advises concerned parents to be on the lookout for red skin, itching, eczema or soars.

The Danish Environment and Food Agency also urges people not to make their own slime, saying that substances such as glue and shaving foam should only be used for their intended purpose.

All the ingredients are approved for sale in Denmark, and thus in the Faroes too; however, they have only been tested within the originally intended domain.

Toys that pass the EU’s safety tests are given a so-called CE-marking. But since CE-certified toys have not been tested for allergic effects, the CE-marking offers no security with regards to allergies.

The Asthma and Allergy Association therefore recommends that children with vulnerable skin should also stay away from slime available in shops.

Translated by prosa.fo