Mum's stark warning after daughter suffers burns making homemade slime

And to remind fellow parents that the lack of safety warnings on the videos doesn’t automatically mean they’re safe...

She wrote:

"❌⭕️? Please share this if you are a momma bear...❌⭕️?

"My little Queen has been making slime off YouTube.... they call it Unicorn Slime or Tie Dye Slime, crazy names, all in really pretty and funky colours. I went and bought DeeJay all the ingredients and let her make it.

"3 weeks later we are looking at plastic surgery on her hands from a burns department at hospital.

"She started with blisters, then her skin peeled and now it's burnt from chemical burns!!! "DO NOT LET THEM DO THIS!! There are no warnings on these YouTube channels at all!!!❌⭕️?

"She is in so much pain and she is being a warrior through it all. Sorry to tag so many of you in this post but it's every parents nightmare to see your baby in pain!"

Rebekha later shared the specific tutorial Deejay had used to show what ingredients she’d bought - and it turns out they were 2 simple things easily available from a supermarket or art shop: glittery glue, and washing powder.

And she’s not the only mum who's seen this happen - a mum from the US, Kathleen Quinn, revealed that her 11-year-old suffered similar 2nd and 3rd degree burns on her hands after making slime.

So, what’s the story here?

Are homemade ‘slime ingredients’ dangerous?

DIY tutorials for brightly-coloured, often glittery Unicorn Slime have become incredibly popular on YouTube - and it’s no surprise, as they offer an inexpensive, fun, crafty thing for your little one to make at home.

But as these stories from mums on either side of the Atlantic show, it’s worth checking out what ingredients are being recommended in the videos.

Many of the slime recipes contain everyday household items like glue, food colouring, glitter, shaving cream, and washing-up liquid.

But some contain a chemical called borax (also known as ‘boric acid or 'sodium borate') which is often found in laundry detergents. It’s powdery and white, and dissolves easily in water.

It’s safe in small doses in things like washing powder (note: it’s not in all washing powders) - but it’s certainly not safe for consumption, and could potentially irritate children’s skin if used in large doses, or is held for long periods of time.

Romper reports that it’s important to make sure borax is diluted with water thoroughly before handling, as this could be the cause of any irritation.

However, it’s also possible for a little one to have an allergic reaction to it - which is what we suspect (but don’t know for sure) happened in these two cases.

These two mums didn't say borax specifically caused the burns, but regardless, we're so glad they shared their warnings - as it's a useful reminder of what's in this stuff, right?

Luckily, there are slime recipes on YouTube that DON'T include borax or even washing powder as an ingredient...

Hopefully those will help put your mind at ease if you're concerned ?

Have your say

We’d love to know if you’ve got experience of making slime with your child - and for you to share your stories here in the comments.

Or perhaps you’ve got a slime tutorial that doesn’t include any potential irritants? Do let us know on Facebook.

Images: Facebook/Rebekha D'Stephano

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