We all enjoy watching amazing videos, TikToks, and resin art tutorials showing off the beautiful projects you can create with MEYSPRING Pigments and epoxy resin. However, many of those videos show the artist not using gloves at the bare minimum - which ishighly recommended to protect your hands!
Whether you’re just a beginner or an experienced artist, there are some resin safety guidelines you should follow anytime when working with epoxy. Taking these extra steps will make the difference between enjoying your resin art journey for a lifetime or potentially having to deal with annoying allergic reactions.
In this blog, you'll find thetoolsyou'll need to succeed in every aspect of this fascinating creative activity - starting with safety first!
"Respect your health, invest in proper safety equipment, experiment, and develop a unique style! ..." - @annaquartzartist
Pigment Powders Safety Guidelines
All MEYSPRING pigments are 100% non-toxic, vegan, cruelty-free, and fall under the FDA regulations for approved materials for cosmetic use.
While these materials on their own are not harmful, as they are all in a fine powder form, we always recommend wearing:
The idea is to prevent pigment particles from entering the lungs and eyes. If you do get any pigment in your eyes, immediately flush with water. Do not ingest or directly inhale the pigments.
As all MEYSPRING pigments are cosmetic grade, they are safe to handle without gloves on their own. To remove pigment from your skin, simply wash your hands with hot water and soap.
Epoxy ResinSafety Guidelines
When handling MEYSPRING pigments with other potentially toxic materials, for example, epoxy resin, ALWAYS use the proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This includes:
- Nitrile Gloves
- Respirator Mask
- Protective Eyewear
- Protective Clothing
In addition to these items, always work in a well-ventilated area away from children/pets/people with breathing problems (i.e., asthma/COPD/etc.).
No matter what is advertised by the manufacturer of your chosen resin brand, most resins are toxic at some level. When curing, a chemical process occurs between the resin and hardener that causes the mixture to heat up and release fumes. These fumes can potentially cause allergic reactions and skin irritations. It can happen right away or from a build-up of exposure over time, so even if you haven’t had problems with resin before, it is much better to be safe than sorry- always use PPE!
Gloves
While creating your resin pieces, avoid touching your mask, face, or body with anything that has been in contact with epoxy resin.Gloves are super important as resin can be a nightmare to get off of your skin and can ruin jewelry such as wedding rings, bracelets, etc. Always wear gloves during cleanup, when checking your piece during the curing process, and when demolding your pieces when not 100% cured- you never know where there will be sticky resin!Resin might be toxic untilit has completely cured, which can take up to several days depending on the type of resin used.
When removing PPE, ensure your gloves and/or hands are clean. Change your gloves as often as needed to prevent getting resin on yourself and other supplies.
If you accidentally get epoxy resin on your skin, IMMEDIATELY wash with hot soapy water until you no longer feel any sticky residue. You may need to use a scrub brush and repeat the process a few times. If rashes/allergic reactions/pain occur and/or persist, you should seek medical attention right away.
Respirator Mask
Using the proper type of mask is very important! We ALWAYS recommend using a respirator mask. Regular dust masks/N95 masks will not filter out the harsh chemical vapors created when resin and hardeners are mixed. When you apply heat to your resin pieces to create effects and pop air bubbles, those fumes are blown around and should not be inhaled.
Many projects that include sanding your resin down between layers and polishing also means a mask is necessary to avoid inhaling resin particles. If you cannot use a respirator mask for any reason, other precautions such as working outside or next to open windows/fans and in well-ventilated rooms are recommended.
Protecting Your Surfaces
Preparation and patience are crucial to success when creating resin art! Take the time to protect not only yourself but also your work surface areas!
You can do this easily with plastic sheeting or silicone mats. Another trick is covering your surface with plastic saran wrap or wax parchment/baking paper and makes clean up easy! Also, wear an apron over clothes that you don't mind ruining; no matter how careful you are, you may get resin on them at some point.
In addition to these steps, have all of your supplies at hand (i.e., pigments, mixing cups, stir sticks, masking tape, heat gun, molds, paper towels, baby wipes, etc.) so you're not looking for them when covered in resin and/or working with a short work time.
Finding the Right PPE
Some of these supplies can undoubtedly be expensive. But it is necessary to take these precautions before creating with resin, as your safety is the most important thing. You can use the list of the required PPE below as a price point guide. It contains all you will need to protect yourself and your work area.Hopefully, ithelpsyou find what works best for your needs and budget:
- Nitrile Gloves
- Respirator Mask
- Apron
- Protective Eyewear
- Plastic Sheeting
- Silicone Mats
- Saran Wrap
- Wax Parchment Paper
Check resin artist @coral_way-designshaving fun while adjusting her MEYSPRING Apronto starther creative practice.
Ready For Success
At MEYSPRING, our goal is empowering creative and healthy lifestyles. Ensuring artists of all levels are educated in using proper safety measures is highly important to us. We want everyone to enjoy creating beautiful resin art with our pigments while doing so safely. Take the time to prepare for success as we truly want you to enjoy your resin art journey!
