It seems like slime is everywhere these days. From the TV, to YouTube, to kits at the store, the slime craze has officially taken over the world. Slime is fun to play with, easy to make, and completely customizable, so it’s easy to see why so many people are currently obsessed with it. Slime may be inescapable, but have you heard about fluffy slime yet?  We show you how to make fluffy slime 4 different ways, how to get started and tons of tips and techniques. 

Fluffy Slime: The Basics

When you hear the term ‘fluffy slime’, you may think of slime that has gone a bit off and started sprouting hairs like a cat. Thankfully, that’s not what fluffy slime is at all. Generally, fluffy slime is regular slime, but made with shaving cream. Adding shaving cream changes the texture and consistency of the slime. It gets fluffier the more you add. Try a few recipes, or experiment on your own to make the perfect fluffy slime consistency for you.

Make sure you read instructions and follow them closely in order to be sure your slime turns out! Get the recipe down before experimenting too much, or you may find yourself with no fluff and a big, goopy mess. In particular, the type of contact lens solution and the type of glue you need to use is very important. If you substitute these ingredients with other types or brands, your slime may not turn out.

Most fluffy slimes use either borax or contact lens solution in the recipes. Try a basic recipe first, then go for the more complicated fluffy slime recipes. Fluffy slime looks cool, but it’s also an awesome science experiment! The borate ions in the contact lens solution or borax mix with the polyvinyl-acetate in the glue, which forms the cool stretchy substance that is slime! That’s called cross-linking, and it is a fascinating process. 

Glue is a polymer, and it’s made up of long, repeating, identical strands. They flow past one another, which keeps it a liquid. Until you add the borate ions, which connects the strands together, making them tangle and mix. This makes it less like a liquid and more like a rubber. Slime is called a polymer. So is slime a solid or liquid? It’s called a non-Newtonian fluid because it’s both!

Fluffy Slime FAQ’s

How long does fluffy slime last?

Unfortunately, the fluffiness only lasts a day. It’s completely fine to store it to use in the future, but it just won’t be as fluffy because the shaving cream settles. You can still play with it, but the consistency will be more like normal slime. Stored in an airtight container, your slime will last at least a week. You can make fluffy slime ahead of time, but it won’t be as fluffy. 

What is fluffy slime made of? 

It depends on the recipe. Common ingredients are glue, food coloring, baking soda, shaving cream, contact lens solution, water, and borax. Not every recipe uses the same ingredients. Some recipes have as few as three ingredients!

How do you keep fluffy slime from drying out? 

Sometimes a recipe doesn’t quite go as planned, or you go to play with your slime only to find it hard as a rock. Thankfully, there are ways to keep your slime from hardening, or even to re-soften it after. Always store your slime in an airtight container or a Ziplock bag when you aren’t using it. This will help keep it from drying out. If your slime has hardened up, add a few tablespoons of warm water to your slime and knead it. This will soften it up. Add in a few pumps of shaving cream at the end to refresh the fluffiness.

How much food coloring do I use?

As much as you want! You can go as bold or as pastel as you want. You can mix different colors too, or even mix in glitter. Use white glue to bold, vibrant colors. If you want a lighter tone, try using clear glue.

How do I get fluffy slime out of the carpet, hair, or clothes? 

Uh oh! Thankfully, there’s ways to clean slime up if you get it somewhere you don’t want it. To get slime out of the carpet, mix two parts vinegar to one part warm water. Use a soft brush to loosen the slime from the carpet, then use a clean and dry towel to blot it dry. Vacuum it up after it dries. If it doesn’t work the first time, repeat.

To get slime out of clothes, pour vinegar on the slime, then put it into warm water. You can also add dish soap, like Dawn. Rub the clothes together to work the slime out, then rinse it in warm water.

If you get slime in your hair, there’s a way to fix that too. Once again, vinegar is the key. Wash your hair with vinegar and warm water. Once it’s mostly gone, use conditioner and a comb to work out the rest of the slime.

Fluffy Slime Safety Tips

Make sure you have an adult with you to handle the chemicals.  Remember that fluffy slime is a science experiment and should be made and played with in moderation.  Children under 4 years old shouldn’t make or handle fluffy slime. Never put fluffy slime near your mouth.

Always wash your hands before and after playing with your fluffy slime.  If you do notice that your skin is becoming irritated, stop playing with the fluffy slime right away.  We suggest wearing gloves while you’re playing with the slime if you have sensitive skin. Always follow the labels of the products you’re using. If you accidentally ingest an ingredient, seek medical help right away.

Fluffy Slime Recipes

Now we get to the good stuff: recipes! It’s cool to read about making fluffy slime, but now let’s get our hands dirty. As we said before, make sure you follow the recipes closely and don’t substitute ingredients, at least until you have a good handle on making fluffy slime. After that, try experimenting with ingredients and methods, and you may find yourself creating the next slime masterpiece!

Making Fluffy Slime with Contact Lens Solution 

Ingredients: 

2/3 cup of white Elmer’s glue

½ cup water

2-3 cups shaving cream

½ teaspoon baking soda

1.5 tablespoons contact lens solution (make sure it has boric acid and sodium borate in the ingredients)

Liquid food coloring

Instructions 

1.     Add your glue to the bowl.
2.     Add the water and baking soda, then mix.
3.     Add shaving cream and mix. It will be more fluffy the more shaving cream you add. If you add too much, you might need to add more contact lens solution to balance it out.
4.    Add food coloring and mix. You can also add glitter if you want.
5.     Slowly add contact solution. Add it slowly as you knead. The mix will be sticky. If it’s too sticky, put some baby oil or lotion on your hands.

Easy Three-Ingredient Slime 

Ingredients:

4 oz. bottle of white Elmer’s glue

1-2 cups shaving cream

2 tbsp. contact lens solution (again, make sure it has boric acid and sodium borate)

Instructions

1.     Pour all your glue out into a bowl. You can even use glitter glue for cool glittery slime!
2.     Add food coloring.
3.     Add your contact solution slowly. Mix it as you add the solution so you can be sure you don’t add too much, or the slime will get too hard.
4.     Stir in the shaving cream.
5.     Mix until your slime begins to harden and form. Knead it a LOT until it gets to the consistency you want.

Fluffy Slime Without Glue 

Ingredients:

½ cup shampoo

1 cup shaving cream

¼ cup cornstarch

1/3 cup water

Food coloring

Instructions 

1.     Dump the shampoo into a bowl. Make sure your shampoo isn’t too thin.
2.     Add shaving foam. Mix together.
3.     Add your food coloring.
4.     Add corn starch. Star slow and stir as you add the cornstarch.
5.     Add water. Add the water slowly and stir as you go.
6.     Knead your slime for about five minutes, until it’s your desired consistency.

Fluffy Slime With Borax 

Ingredients: 

1 cup Elmer’s glue

1 tbsp Borax

3-4 cups shaving cream

2 tbsp contact solution

Food coloring

2-3 cups shaving cream

Instructions 

1.     Combine the hot water and borax. Stir it until it’s completely dissolved and clear. Set aside.
2.     Combine the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Add ½ cup of water and mix it in.
3.     Mix in 2-3 tbsp of the borax solution, one tbsp at a time, and mix.
4.     Add shaving cream. Add based on how fluffy you want it.
5.     Knead until it gets to your desired consistency.

Here is the final product of fluffy slime that I made with my daughter.  It’s puffy and stretchy at the same time!

Conclusion

Fluffy slime is the perfect project for any little DIYer or scientist-in-training. Start slow and get to know the recipes, then branch out and experiment with your own concoctions. Add any dye or glitters to completely customize your fluffy slime. Keep it in an airtight container, and your slime will always be there whenever you need to smoosh something.