Following this week's blog post's advice will ensure you use Craft Resin safely.
If you're using a different kind of resin, I recommend reading the manufacturer's instructions to ensure your safety. Keep reading, though, Craft Resin users, if you want to learn more about using our brand's resin responsibly.
Our transparent epoxy resin conforms to ASTM D-4236 (a labelling standard for art materials, not a safety approval). Epoxy resin art starter kit from Craft Resin is made with the finest ingredients. Craft Resin's epoxy resin range is not VOC-free — like virtually all two-part epoxy systems, it contains some volatile organic compounds. We recommend working in a well-ventilated space and following the applicable Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for full handling guidance.
It does not pose a fire hazard in its liquid state, provided certain additives, such as alcohol-based inks, are not mixed in. As a result of these factors, it is not considered a hazardous item and may be transported through air.
Craft Resin epoxy is formulated for low odor and is suited to home and professional use. Follow the safety data sheet for handling and ventilation and wear gloves: uncured resin can irritate skin and, with repeated contact, cause an allergic skin reaction. What does that mean in practice:
Although Craft Resin has a faint scent, we advise our clients to wear protective gear since the fragrance they detect is not fumes but the Craft Resin itself. It might be hard to tell if the ventilation in your workplace is enough, especially if you need to maintain a steady temperature there. It's in your best interest to play it safe.
VOCs are ubiquitous; they give markers and plastics their "new" fragrance (and the perfume and cologne we use, for that matter). Toxic fumes and vapors are released from resins containing volatile organic compounds (VOCs) due to the heat generated during the curing process, which causes the VOCs to boil at a lower temperature. VOC-containing resins typically have a very noticeable odor.
Craft Resin does have a slight, mild smell during use — this is expected. Use it as directed, in a well-ventilated space.
"Toxicity" and "sensitization" are sometimes used interchangeably despite their distinct meanings and applications. If something is poisonous, it will immediately affect the organ, whether ingested, inhaled, or applied topically. A substance is toxic if it affects a specific region of the body, regardless of the overall level of toxicity. Sensitization is classified as an allergy because it includes the immune system's reaction. An allergic reaction is different from a poisonous response.
Resin, like many other things in life, is composed of natural and artificial components, the effects of which vary from person to person according to the strength of their immune systems. For instance, some individuals are allergic to peanuts, but this does not indicate that peanuts are poisonous. Although it is conceivable for someone to become allergic to the resin and acquire a sensitivity to it, this does not mean the resin itself is dangerous. The process of your body reacting to stimuli is known as sensitization.
Toxic effects and allergic responses are often two distinct symptoms; nevertheless, they can occasionally manifest in a manner analogous to one another. For instance, an anaphylactic response is comparable to a respiratory irritant. Resin can cause an allergic reaction in your body at any moment, even if you have been working with it for a long time. If it hasn't happened before, it can happen even if you have worked with it for a long time.
Always visit your primary care physician or a doctor as soon as possible if you have any adverse reactions or unusual symptoms after using craft resin.
Make a note of the products you've used recently that could be to blame for the response. The next step is to begin eradicating them by gradually reintroducing previously avoided substances into your working environment to ascertain whether or not any responses have occurred. If your symptoms have been minimal, then you can try this.
Wearing PPE can act as a barrier to prevent irritation from occurring in the first place.
Please contact us if you have more questions or want to see our testing certifications or other safety documentation.
Can I take any precautions?
You can safely use Craft Resin if you exercise caution and follow the procedures outlined in the following list.
Get your hands covered. A person's skin may get irritated if epoxy resin, an extremely sticky substance, comes into contact with it. Although we provide gloves in each kit, those with latex allergies are advised to purchase their pair. You can also buy longer gloves that cover more of your arm and your hand. Your hands and arms will be more secure with this safeguard in place.
If the epoxy resin touches your skin, you should immediately wash the area with little soap and water.
Should the substance find its way into your eyes in any way, please rinse them thoroughly with water for a few minutes and refrain from rubbing them. Immediately seek out the assistance of a medical professional. Put on some safety glasses or goggles so that you won't have to worry about epoxy resin getting into your eyes in the first place.
Work in an environment that has enough ventilation. Please put on a respirator if the temperature at your workplace prevents you from working in an area with enough ventilation or if you cannot determine whether or not the area in which you are working has adequate ventilation. However, if you take the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) we have with you to a respirator provider, they can advise you which respirator would most suit your requirements. We are unable to tell you which respirator you should buy.
Food Safety:
Sorry, but we couldn't resist the pun. Once your Craft Resin creation has cured and hardened completely, it is suitable for incidental food contact — food that touches the surface briefly and in passing, as on a coaster or a serving tray. It is not intended for direct or prolonged food contact, so prepare food on a separate board and keep hot pans and oven dishes on a trivet.
Food that comes into touch with completely cured clear epoxy for craft by Craft Resin used as indicated will not absorb any of the resin's chemicals.
For further information, you may view the SDS for Epoxy Craft Resin.
Can I Use Craft Resin When Pregnant:
The consequences of using epoxy resin during pregnancy have not been studied. Whenever possible, we urge expecting mothers to see a doctor to determine whether doing so would harm their unborn child.
If your doctor gives you the go-ahead to use epoxy resin while you're pregnant and want to keep working with it, you should examine the safety measures you typically follow while using Craft Resin. Work in a well-ventilated location, using a respirator if necessary, and take more frequent breaks away from your workshop to reduce your risk of injury.
If you've been holding off on utilizing epoxy resin for crafts due to concerns regarding its safety, we hope this article has dispelled some of your fears. You now feel confident operating with crystal clear epoxy resin while taking all necessary safety measures.
Now that you know how to keep yourself safe when working with epoxy resin, you can buy items made by Craft Resin.
Shop your epoxy resin starter kit.
Topic Of The Week Giveaway:
We have attached a giveaway to this Topic Of The Week announcement on our Instagram platform; this is helping us to spread the knowledge of how to use epoxy resin further, but also enabling anyone who helps us to share this information to win free resin and mica powders.
To enter the weekly giveaway, please see the latest post pinned to the top of our Instagram feed and follow the instructions to enter:
Team Craft Resin
