Slime. Its a thing that fascinates most kids at some point during their childhood. It's sticky, it's gooey, it brings out vocal reactions from people who don't like it, bringing joy to slime loving munchkins everywhere.... and is it a liquid or a solid (its actually a non newtonian liquid - but I only know that because of my son's science project this year!) ? Bottom line: it is fascinating and fun... but what is it made of and can it be toxic?

Recently an article from the Daily Mail popped up in Facebook " Pesticides warning over school yard slime craze that could leave children at risk of serious eye injuries and even fertility problems". Wait- what?!

Indeed, some slime - specifically home-made polymer slime is made of Borax. Borax is a somewhat controversial ingredient. Some natural websites might claim it is a safe alternative to conventional clothing detergents and other homemade cleaning products (Borax - a powder- is not considered toxic if diluted to 1g of borax in 20ml of water). They point out that it is naturally found in some fruits in small amounts. Borax, however, is banned in the U.S. as a food additive, and constant exposure to boric acid can cause sexual development problems, infertility and liver or kidney damage. The EU’s European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) has labelled borax ‘toxic to reproduction’. In a hazard alert it warned: ‘This substance may damage fertility or the unborn child and causes serious eye irritation.’

What it comes down to is that Borax, if used imporperly by kids in a kitchen at home making slime, can be dangerous to their health.

But, fear not, slime lovers (or parents of slime lovers) there are various slime recipes that do not require Borax and are perfectly safe to make and play with.

Here are two of our favorites:

RECIPE 01

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water

• 1 TBSP of Bob's Red Mill Guar Gum - 8 oz

• food coloring (if you want slime to be colorful - otherwise it will be white)

Blend the guar gum and water together in a blender.  The more guar gum you have the thicker the slime.  

RECIPE 2

• 1 cup of dry cornstarch

• food coloring (if you want slime to be colorful)

• 1/2 cup of water

Put the cornstarch into the bowl. Add a drop or two of food coloring. Add water slowly, mixing the cornstarch and water with your fingers until all the powder is wet.

Keep adding water until the Ooze feels like a liquid when you're mixing it slowly. Then try tapping on the surface with your finger or a spoon. When Ooze is just right, it won't splash--it will feel solid. If you Ooze is too powdery, add a little more water. If it's too wet, add more cornstarch.

Have fun!