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Here are the most important safety tips when working with epoxy resin. Epoxy resins are fun to use, are enjoyable to work with and resin art is a great hobby.
There are so many different items you can make with epoxy resin, from geodes, to bookmarks, jewelry, coasters, tumblers and more.
Epoxy resin safety should be the top priority of any resin artist though, and here are your quick, most important tips for keeping yourself and your family safe when working with resin, so you don't have to do all the research.
In order to use resin safely, you must properly protect your body from resin exposure by wearing the right kind of gloves and the proper respirator mask with organic vapor filters to protect your face and lungs, among other safety precautions we will share below.
Many resin artists are using resin without realizing the potential dangers that could arise from working with it, without using the right or proper safety gear and personal protective equipment.
We are here to share that info with you so you can continue to use epoxy resin and all resin safely.
Here is what you can do to protect yourself and be safe when working with epoxy resin, whether you are mixing resin or you are working on cured resin.
See the Proper Respirator for All Resins Here
For resin safety, wear a respirator. We can't stress this safety tip enough. When resin is mixed, it begins off-gassing and continues to off-gas during the curing process, which is typically about 72 hours time depending on the brand.
Even when the resin says it is a "non-toxic" brand, there is a chemical reaction that occurs when the resin is combined that results in fumes. And not all masks or respirators are the same- not just any will do.
When looking for a respirator for resin safety, it must include the following:
Here is the best respirator for resin in terms of fit and filter:
This is a full face respirator, and what that means is that it not only has a respirator to go over your mouth and nose, but also has a full face clear shield as part of the mask.
The reason for this is because there are fumes that can affect the eyes and accidental 'splashes' or unintended eye wipes that accidentally happen.
See the proper full face respirator for resin here
You can certainly wear a half face respirator for epoxy resin fume protection for your lungs, but as a recommendation article- we are recommending the safest option, and it is what we personally wear when working on our epoxy projects after thorough and intense research.
However, in saying this, you could wear safety goggles or safety glasses which you can add on to a half face respirator separately (as long as the half face respirator meets all of the criteria for epoxy protection), but again at that point, we would just point you to a full face mask if you want a half mask and goggles.
See the Nitrile Gloves Recommended On Amazon
Proper safety disposable gloves to wear when working with resin are nitrile or vinyl. Latex gloves are meant for medical practice and protect hands from viruses and bacteria, and are not made for chemical interactions.
Since epoxy resin can cause skin irritation typically in the form of contact dermatitis, never handle it with bare hands or skin because this can cause an allergic reaction. This reaction can happen instantly on your first exposure, or over long term exposure from working on many resin projects.
Gloves will also protect your hands from stains from colorants for resin. We highly recommend wearing resin gloves for any epoxy work, every single time. Especially if you already have sensitive skin.
Resin Ventilation Window Kit On Amazon
Many resin artists work with resin outside for epoxy resin safety. If you are working with resin indoors, you need to make sure there is proper air flow where there is fresh air coming out, and the old air going outside.
Always use resin in a well ventilated area as there are VOC's (volatile organic compounds) that are off gassed through all stages of your resin work.
If you are working on resin in your house, you should really consider getting a proper window ventilation kit.
See the air kit we recommend for epoxy work right here:
These are super affordable options that can fit right into your window with a dual fan; one brings fresh air in while the other filters your in-room air outside.
The fresh exchange of air is super important, even with your respirator mask on so it doesn't flow into the other rooms of your house.
Each resin brand will have a different off gassing time and cure time. Read the directions and safety precautions included. Or go to the company website for the safety data sheets on your particular brand of resin.
In the case where some epoxy resin accidently gets on your skin, do not try getting it off with alcohol, paint thinner, vinegar or any other chemicals.
Instead, try this safe, natural recipe to get resin safely off of skin:
Here's an article we have up on how to get resin off of hands.
Purchase Silicone Tools For Resin
To keep resin from spreading to different tools and risk unanticipated exposure to skin, dedicate certain tools to resin only.
The best tools are silicone mixing cups and stir sticks for resin. They can be used over and over.
RESIN TIP:
Here is a tip if you are using silicone tools for resin. don't try and scrape your excess resin out. Instead, leave a wooden popsicle stick on your resin cup and let it cure.
Once the resin cures, it will peel away from the silicone, but will not peel away from the wooden stick, so you can simply pull the stick out of your resin mixing cup. It will come out stuck and cured to the stick, which you can then dispose of. Then simply wipe your silicone resin cup out with a dry cloth for next time!
If you are looking for the best resin for crafts, visit this article on how to choose the best resin for your craft projects.
Resin should not be used around children. Some people are very allergic to resin and when exposed to uncured resin can get hives and swollen eyes. Keep resin away from children at all times.
And keep projects that are still curing somewhere where they can not get knocked over or played with. Resin is extremely sticky and will not come out of hair or off of skin easily.
Store resin up and away from pets at all times. This is especially important during the resin curing process because it's very sticky.
Keep projects in a separate room where your pets will not be climbing or possibly knocking over your pieces.
It's not fair to animals that get resin in their hair or eyes because of lack of safety when working with resin.
To learn more about working safely with resin, you can read our entire resin safety article here where we talk about each point in detail.
More helpful resources:
Resin Talk - A blog dedicated to all things resin worth bookmarking
Here is a Pin for your resin Pinterest board, be sure to save it to remember these epoxy tips.
We hope you learned a lot about epoxy resin safety and that you continue to create your beautiful resin pieces in a safe way. xoxo
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