Doctor Cautions Against Ingredient Frequently Used In YouTube Slime Videos For Kids

For kids on YouTube today, glittery goo and spongey slime are all the rage — as evidenced by massively popular channels like PomPomToys and ToyMonster, which regularly release videos teaching children how to make slime in syringes, toys out of kinetic sand, and gummy pudding. And while such content racks up millions and millions of views, one medical experts has now warned of the potential dangers of such exploits.

Given that many instances of slime-making involve Borax, which is used as a laundry booster or pesticide, Dr. Richard Uluski, a pediatrician, told local ABC station WTNH that children should not be engaging with the substance as if it were a toy. EvanTubeHD, for instance, one of the most popular kids’ creators on all of YouTube, made a video teaching his viewers how to concoct “slime and ooze” with Borax, which has now clocked roughly 19 million views.

“It’s just like putting lead in paint and putting that on a toy and kids don’t want to put that in their mouth,” Uluski told WTNH. “From a medical standpoint, too much Borax can lead to medical problems including things like seizures.” If ingested, he warned, the effects are not immediate, but can also lead to vomiting or stomach pain.

There are hundreds of videos on YouTube teaching children how to make slime, according to WTNH — dozens of which involve Borax. Ryan Toys Review, which has been the most-viewed YouTube channel in the U.S. for 20 straight weeks, has the most popular slime-making video on the platform right now with roughly 90 million views. And even prominent creators who don’t make kids’ content, such as Joey Graceffa and Colleen Ballinger, are putting their own spin on the craze.