Are tin-cured silicones skin safe?

Article courtesy of Smooth-On, Inc.

Any Smooth-On silicone rubber we represent as “skin safe” is certified to the highest skin safety standard by an independent laboratory.  We have several platinum silicones (such as the Ecoflex™ series, Dragon Skin™ series, Skin Tite™, Body Double™, and Mold Star™ T-Series) tested and certified skin safe. 

This same lab tested both Smooth-On and competitive tin-cured silicones for skin safety.  No tin-cured silicone formulation passed the skin safety testing, indicating that skin irritation is likely.  Some competitive platinum-cured silicones available on the market claim skin safety when they have not been tested.  Smooth-On readily supplies laboratory testing results on our website. 

Smooth-On platinum-cured silicones also offer the advantage of a greater shelf life when cured and better resistance to chlorine and saltwater versus tin-cured silicones.

Click here for a complete list of Smooth-On certified skin-safe materials.

Disclaimer

This FAQ article is offered as a guideline and offers possible solutions to problems encountered during mold making and casting. No warranty is implied and it is up to the end user to determine suitability for any specific application. Always refer to the provided Technical Bulletins (TB) & Safety Data Sheets (SDS) before using any material. A small scale test is suggested to determine suitability of any recommendation before trying on a larger scale for any application.