Homemade slime leaves 11-year-old girl with third-degree burns

A common ingredient in DIY slime is to blame for a Massachusetts girl’s second- and third-degree burns, according to reports.

Eleven-year-old Kathleen Quinn who made DIY slime “a million times” with no problems, suddenly started crying in extreme pain in the middle of the night, mom Siobhan Quinn told WCVB Channel 5 in Boston. The girl had second and third-degree burns covering her hands, because of her contact with detergent booster borax, her doctor said.

A quick YouTube search produces several slime or "gak" recipes using borax mixed with glue, water and food coloring. The only caution on a box of borax is typically to avoid contact with eyes. But, extended use could cause symptoms like Kathleen's.

This isn’t the first report of burns associated with slime. Last month, a mom in the UK posted photos of her daughter’s hands covered in blisters on Facebook, saying “Unicorn Slime” or “Tie Dye Slime” caused chemical burns. She said her daughter might be “looking at plastic surgery.”

Borax can also harm men’s reproductive system, according to the Environmental Working Group, a non-partisan organization promoting health and the environment. The non-profit found that exposure to high doses of borax or boric acid causes testicular atrophy.

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