: If I were to be glassing every day, or more than once every couple of years I
: could understand ones concern for safety. I guess I'm just wondering are
: people being overly cautious or are the epoxy companies sandbagging us so
: we feel safe enough to buy more of their product. I know I've never been
: lied to before by someone trying to sell me something...

: Elliott

My understanding of the epoxy reaction is it's a typical hypersensitivity allergic reaction. The initial exposure(s) cause the body to gear up an immune response and become sensitized. On reexposure you get the histamine response which causes the rash, sneezing, etc., much like a bad case of hay fever.

It's impossible to predict who will get sensitized and who will not, but it's probably likely that people who tend to get reactions to other things, such as allergies to cedar, cats, pollen etc. would be more likely to become sensitized to epoxy. Some people could probably bathe in the stuff daily and never have a problem.

I've heard that the non-blushing epoxies (MAS, RAKA) are less offensive than others, but I don't know for sure if that's true. It sounds like the amines are the culprits so that would make sense. If they are volatile compounds (evaporating) you could absorb them through your nose, lungs or eyes and become sensitized that way.

If I was the type of person who has allergies, asthma, or eczema I would consider a full face mask (including eyes) organic vapor respirator. Certainly gloves, coveralls and maybe use some barrier type cream on the arms, and a shower after working with epoxy. The rest of us could probably get by with gloves and either a respirator or good ventilation, but we'd still be risking sensitization.

People who are already sensitized might get some relief by taking allergy medications like Allegra, Benadryl, or Claritin, among other things.

Steve