Making resin crafts is so fun. The adventures that are waiting for you when you open resin kit bottles are endless. But before getting into the fun stuff, there are resin safety steps you need to take.
And these are practical tips. No dumb warning labels here. 😉
#1: Have good ventilation
Make sure there is air circulating in your room. Open a window or use a fan if you can.
⭐️ BONUS: Here’s what proper room ventilation means to me.
#2: Wear disposable gloves
Since resin contains chemicals, you need to protect your hands against anything irritating. I prefer nitrile gloves since they are less likely to react with the resin, but You can use latex gloves too.
💡 Pro tip: If you have sensitive skin, coat your hands with a barrier cream before putting on the gloves.
#3: Wear protective clothing
Resin can soak through clothing and irritate your skin. Resin drips will not come out of clothing. Or shoes. Especially your favorite shoes.
#4: Name items as resin only
You can use silicone baking molds with epoxy resin. But once you do, you shouldn’t use them with food again. The same goes for mixing containers and utensils.
#5: Wear a respirator?
A product’s safety data sheet (SDS) will detail whether you should wear a respirator when using the resin. But, if you feel safer wearing one, even if the SDS does not suggest it, do it. You can never be too safe.
Wear a NIOSH-approved respirator for fumes, and make sure it fits properly. An N95 mask is not suitable as a resin fumes mask.
💡 Pro tip: Don’t use a resin that doesn’t have an SDS. Your health isn’t worth the risk.
#6: Wear safety goggles?
If a resin requires respirator use, you need to wear safety glasses. You should also wear these if you are sanding resin or using power tools. Or if you want to look like a resin nerd.
Or maybe you should wear safety goggles because accidents happen, well, accidentally.
#7: Clean up spills immediately
I get it. You’ve mixed the liquids and your resin is getting warm. You don’t have time to stop and clean up a spill. But, you don’t want to risk the safety of an unknowing person to get resin on themselves.
Plus, it will be harder to clean up later when it starts to cure.
⭐️ BONUS: How to clean up resin
#8: When sanding resin, wear a particle mask or respirator
For hand sanding, you can wear a particle mask from the home improvement store. If you’re using power tools to sand, you must wear a respirator with particle cartridges.
💡 Pro tip: You can wear the same respirator but change out the cartridges depending on what resin sanding you’re doing.
#9: Use care with solvents
Solvents are chemicals too. What happens when you mix chemicals together? Is anyone else having flashbacks to high school chemistry class? 😬)
You can use denatured alcohol or acetone to clean up resin on a hard surface. But don’t use these on your hands. They can cause a skin rash.
⭐️ BONUS: Here’s the safe way to clean resin off your hands.
Feeling overwhelmed by all the resin information (besides safety) out there?
Like you’ve spent hours reading this and watching that and still don’t feel any closer to knowing what to do. It’s why I wrote the PDF book, Resin Fundamentals. I’ve condensed my seventeen years of resin experience into an ebook you can consume in a couple of hours. Buy it now and get a download link in minutes.
Unpublished Blog Posts of Resin Obsession, LLC © 2023 Resin Obsession, LLC
HELP!!!
I have started to work with Resin, when I take my item out of the mold the side that has been exposed to the air is sticky. Do you have any ideas what I could be doing wrong? We are adding about about 3 drops of hardener per ounce.
Kathy,
The stickiness is quite likely due to a phenomenon referred
to as “amine blush”. If you Google “Bruce Burton amine blush” you will find my paper on the subject. Regards, Bruce
Hi, I’m not an expert but I have been trying a few resin types. The resin type that I think your using from your hardener to resin description here is a polyester type resin. This type of resin actually dries sticky and you need to sand it for it to not be sticky. Again I’m no expert, so I’m sorry if I’m wrong 🙂
Kathy, thanks for posting your dilemma. I am moving the discussion to the forum under Troubleshooting.
Can someone answer a question for me about safty while working with resin?
I am pouring resin over canvases under 3’x4′ a friend offered me a garage to do this. It has a furnace in it.
I live in california, cooler days are coming, I can work with the door up, but would need to close it at night.
Will the residue create a flammable situation? Should I find some other place to work?
Ginny, what kind of resin are you working with?
It’s mainly lungs, resin is in fact a harsh chemical!
Can anyone tell me if resin can damage the heart if not wearing a mask?
Colleen,
I would recommend specifically speaking with your physician about heart issues if you’re concerned.
im working with resin for impreginated paper i wanted to know what appropiate PPE that we must be given.
Unfortunately, I don’t understand your question.
Hi, I have just started using epoxy resin (easy cast) and I wore nitrile gloves so my hands were protected, I washed my hands using Fairy liquid soap, should I be okay safety wise?
Also whilst I was working with the resin I had two windows open and the door of the room, how long would I have to keep the door and windows open until it’s safe to
close them again?
Thank You.
Thank You.
Hi Ali, it sounds like you used good precautions when working with the resin. I would also suggest reviewing the SDS for any additional safety recommendations. Without knowing how many air exchanges your room is experiencing, it is hard to say exactly how long you would need to keep windows and doors open again to evacuate all the fumes. I would suggest at least 1 hour. For the most thorough answer to your question, I would also suggest speaking with your physician.
Hi, I was wondering what kind of resin is best for making jewellery and ornamental pieces? Is it environmentally friendly, what is it’s decomposition rate and if that is toxic to the environment if say I make an outdoor piece and is it suitable for being outdoors? A lot of questions I guess but I want to make sure I do this right and safely. Thank you
Unfortunately, there is no ‘one size fits all’ resin. As for jewelry and other things, are you working with molds or something else? That will help me give you the best recommendation.
As for being outdoors, that UV light will speed up the time that the resin starts to yellow. Is that something you are okay with?
I’ll be making makeshift molds like plastic sheets with a non stick coating for the casting. I’ll be using wood with the resin for my projects.
I will be using ink in the mixing but I can incorporate the natural yellowing from the sunlight into whatever I do. I just want to make sure the structure doesn’t degrade and lose strength as well as creating a toxic run off of some kind.
Just trying to get a good grasp and what to use
Hello! If anyone could help me I would be extremely grateful! I make jewelry with polyester resin and I am wondering if I am making it WAY harder than it has to be.
So far the items that I am encapsulating sink so closely to the surface that sanding and buffing to a shine exposes them somewhat, sand them briefly to remove mold release, then RECOAT them in resin several times to build up a layer…..THEN finally sand and buff to a shine…. It’s a lot of work I feel and am hoping someone has an answer…… ??? Thanks for any help!
Have you thought about pouring in layers? Pour your first layer. Once it starts to cure, pour your second layer and include your items.
Hello. I’ll be using resin for the first time, I’ll be making different items and I’m planning to use fabric and paper the most. I’d like to know if I need to coat them first? If yes, can I use the Clear spray paint to coat them.
Thank you in advance
Anything that changes color when getting wet should be sealed before adding to resin. This is the spray I like to use: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/tools-and-supplies/products/castin-craft-gloss-resin-sealer-spray
Hi, I was wondering if resin molds could be used for other media (silicone, polymer clay, etc.) materials or resin only?
While I don’t have any experience with it, others have told me they have used resin molds for polymer clay and concrete.
I recently made a couple coasters made out of resin and only used latex gloves indoors but did not open any windows. I didn’t wear face protection either. After reading this site, Am I doing it all wrong as far as safety? I’m not using any tools to sand them or anything.
Hi Lauren, you should check with the details of the safety data sheet of the resin you are using. That is the definitive source for safely using that resin.
I see a lot of people using resin on cutting boards and and all I can think of is chipping the resin and it ending up in my food. What are your thoughts?
Hey I was wondering If I can use the resin at home? Do you think that the Kitchen ventilation and open windows would make a safe enough environment to work with epoxy resin? ( i am making dice)
Hi Elitsa, I’m so glad to hear you are concerned about resin safety. It’s a good thing to be aware of! Your best choice is to use a resin that has been reviewed by a toxicologist and deemed safe for arts and crafts purposes. The Resin Obsession super clear resin has met these standards and is great for casting dice. You can find it in our store here: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/products/resin-obsession-super-clear-resin-6-oz-kit-jewelry-quality-resin
By mistake one drop pichem resin fallen in my eye. How to clear my eye
You should seek medical attention immediately.
I really enjoyed reading this Katherine. Everyone that works or plays with resin should see this post and take note. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Do you need to use safety gear when using casting resin? I cant find the answer anywhere!
Hi Kacy, I go into more details about the safety gear you need to use when casting with resin in this article: https://resinobsession.com/resin-resin-resin/epoxy-resin-safety-precautions/
Many people say to have a separate room or like. Grow rent for the resin. Where it’s isolated and that is only used for resin. Would you recommend this ?
I’m working with epoxy, so I’m a little paranoid with my safety since I don’t get thorough answers. So, if I’m a ventilated room such as the garage, will bystanders who aren’t wearing a mask get hurt? I had a very stubborn person not listen to what I had to say, and another more understand person unfortunately stand next to me as I let my wet resin cure inside it’s container. I was scared that just because they probably couldn’t smell it, that it would still hurt their lungs. Is this true or am I overly paranoid? Also, do you need to wear a mask and gloves if your resin is semi/fully cured? Should the garage door still be open or nay?
Hi, if are you are taking the safety precaution of wearing a mask, anyone in the room with you should also be wearing a mask. Once the resin is 90% or more cured, you no longer need to wear a mask or gloves.
Hello! I have a question,I’ve been using uv resin glue for making small jewellery like earrings and I did it in only one day without wearing a protection mask.Will I endure side effects in my body ? Thanks.
In working wit tile, I have used grout to fuse to pieces together side by side. For extra adhesion I will pour resin over them, allow 72 hrs to cure, pour on acrylic paint over allow to dry 24 hrs. Can I then pour craft smart resin over the project?
Hi Cheryl, this is the resin I’d use for a project like this: https://shop.resinobsession.com/collections/resin/resin-obsession-artwork-resin
How far should my family be from me when I do resin? How far can I be from my project without a mask?
I am in a condo unit we have a family room where I do resin by the window near the wall and then a kitchen behind quit a ways.
How far from my projects should my husband be when I use resin?