Slime. Its hard to find a kid who doesn't like or isn't fascinated with slime. Its... slimy... and, well just fun.  It has also been having a moment - for about a year now countless kids throughout the nation have been obsessed with slime.  

 More than 1.2 million results appear on YouTube from a search for "homemade slime" as of March of this past year.

This is why it is especially worrisome that Which? , a U.K.-based charity, this week published the results of their testing of 11 popular slime products which found eight that contained unsafe levels of boron. All of the tested slime products were purchased online on Amazon.

The three slimes that were found to contain the highest levels of boron during the Which? testing

According to Which? the permitted level for boron in all children’s toys is 300mg/kg. Of those tested, the worst was Toysmith Jupiter Juice, which contains 1,400mg/kg, or  four times the safety limit of boron.  

CCINEE

Pink Fluffy Slime, and

Cosoro

Dodolu

Crystal Slime Magic Clay, followed with unsafe levels of boron. 

Another of the slimes found to have more than the allowed legal limits of boron for slime, 

 Mini Bucket Putty, claimed that "its product should officially be declared a putty, not a slime, and was therefore within the safety limited for Boron." Perhaps sending out a warning to parents about avoiding puty as toys for their kids too... 

What is boron?

Boron is a mineral found, in food and the environment.  It can be found in items containing boric acid and boron oxide.  Boron is what gives slime products their stickiness.  

Exposure to excessive levels of boron can cause symptoms such as irritation to the skin, diarrhea, vomiting and stomach cramps. According to the EU, contact with very high levels of boron could impair fertility and harm fetuses in pregnant women.

Is store bought slime safe?   

Yes it can be perfectly safe (the Which? investigation identified 3 brands with safe levels of boron), but it can be a challenge to identify safe, non-toxic slime.   Most products have minimal safety labeling and information about ingredients. Some products carried the CE safety mark, despite carrying higher than recommended boron levels.

What about homemade slime?

If your child loves slime you might be tempted to look online and find a homemade slime recipe, however beware.   There have been various cases of kids getting 3rd degree burns after mixing home made slime made with Borax.

However, fear not, there are recipes for boron-free slime.   We tried a couple at home and had success with one particular one... and the best part is that you probably already have the ingredients at home in your kitchen!

WHAT TO AVOID:

Avoid  homemade recipes that contain these ingredients;

• Borax

• Saline solutions

• Contact lens solution

• Liquid starch

• Eye drops

Why?  All of these ingredients contain members of the boron family. 

Boron Free Slime Recipe (from Wiki How) 

3 easy ingredients

Ingredients: 

• Water (about 1.5 cups)

• Corn starch (about 3 cups)

• Food coloring (5-15 drops depending on the tone desired)

Instructions:

1. Heat 1.5 cups of water (warm water is fine, make sure you can handle the water without getting burned)

2. Add the food coloring of your choice

3. Slowly add and mix in the corn starch. Slowly is key - allow the water and corn starch to mix thoroughly before adding more corn starch. IT eventually gets sticky and somewhat solid and it is very easy to over do it on the water. If you see it is too liquid-y add more corn starch until you achieve the desired texture