Are Crayola Markers Toxic? Are They Safe for Babies and Toddlers?

are crayola markers toxic

Crayola products, including their range of vibrant markers, help to make it easier for kids to express themselves in countless ways. The Crayola brand has been in the market for multiple generations since 1903 when the company was first established. 

However, for as many generations of kids have grown up with Crayola markers, there has also been a sizable number of parents concerned as to whether the markers might actually be toxic, especially when ingested or inhaled. Is it safe for babies or toddlers to use the markers? Will they prove to be poisonous if accidentally ingested or inhaled?

If you’re concerned about the potential risks of Crayola markers, we explore whether the markers are actually toxic, and whether they are safe for use with babies and toddlers! 

Are Crayola Markers Toxic?

Put simply, Crayola markers contain no toxic products whatsoever, making them very safe for absolutely anyone to use. All products that are made under the Crayola brand are evaluated by toxicologists that operate independently from Crayola, and these Toxicologists have found that there are no traces of any toxic products that could prove harmful within Crayola markers!

Whether they are ingested or inhaled, all Crayola products on the market are carefully designed and certified to be non-toxic, making them safe for use by children. 

However, there may be very specific ingredients within Crayola markers that certain users may have an allergic reaction to. However, this is only likely to occur in extremely rare cases, as all Crayola products, including their markers, are designed to avoid a massive number of common allergens, meaning that they are even safe for people with very common allergies.

Are Crayola Markers Safe For Babies And Toddlers?

Yes. Thanks to containing no toxic ingredients whatsoever, Crayola markers are safe for use with both babies and toddlers, provided they are supervised while using them. 

If a baby or toddler were to accidentally, or intentionally ingest some of the ink from the marker, then they would be totally fine and not experience any symptoms of poisoning. This is also the case for inhaling the markers too. 

However, as mentioned before, you will still want to make sure that you monitor a baby or toddler’s use of Crayola markers so as to prevent them from choking. Small parts of the markers, like the caps, can very easily be swallowed if the child is not careful. 

are crayola markers safe

What Ingredients Go Into Crayola Ink?

The Crayola company has stated that the main ingredients used within Crayola markers are water and dyes. The ink in Crayola markers is mostly water-based, and the dyes that are included within are what help to give the ink its vibrant color. 

Certain colors make use of multiple dyes, such as brown markers, which are actually made up of a combination of color dyes to help create different shades of brown. 

What Would Happen If A Baby Or Toddler Ingested The Tip Of A Crayola Marker?

This is actually quite a common problem, so if you have encountered it yourself, don’t worry, because a baby or toddler will be totally fine. While the tips of Crayola markers are not meant to be ingested, they won’t cause any immense poisoning. At worst, the baby or toddler may experience a slightly upset stomach within 24 hours of consuming the tip, but that is about it. 

The cotton filament that makes up the tip of a Crayola marker is subjected to the same testing as the rest of the markers to ensure that it is in no way toxic when consumed. 

It is also unlikely that the tip is large enough to be a choking hazard, though you should make sure to monitor a baby when using Crayola markers, to ensure that they do not begin choking on the tips. 

Are Crayola Markers Harmful To Skin?

Children are naturally curious, so it stands to reason that when you give them a set of Crayola markers, they will attempt to use them on themselves. If you find that your child has drawn on their own skin, don’t worry, because there are no ingredients within the markers that will prove poisonous to the average child.

The ink from Crayola markers will also not permanently mark the skin, as the ink is mostly water-based, so it will naturally fade away with time. 

However, if your child is allergic to any of the specific ingredients within the ink, then there is the possibility that they will experience an allergic reaction to the ink hitting their skin. However, the likelihood of a child being allergic to any ingredients in Crayola ink is incredibly low, as Crayola makes a point of avoiding some of the most common allergens across the world in all of their products.

colorful crayola markers

How Do You Stop A Baby Or Toddler From Eating Or Chewing On Crayola Markers?

If you notice that your child is particularly prone to ingesting things they shouldn’t, then there are a few things you will want to make sure to do.

If you have a very young baby, they may currently be teething, which could explain why they may be chewing on their Crayola markers. While there are no poisonous ingredients in the markers, they can still choke on small parts such as the cap, so you should make sure to give them something that they can safely chew on, such as a teething ring, so that they are less likely to chew on markers.

You may also want to make sure that you monitor the child’s use of Crayola markers. While you won’t have to stop them from drawing on their skin or accidentally ingesting small amounts of ink, you will want to make sure that they do not attempt to eat things such as the cap. 

Final Thoughts

As you can now see, Crayola markers are totally non-toxic, and also totally safe for use by babies and toddlers. However, you will likely want to monitor your child’s use of Crayola markers anyway, especially when they are very young, as the removable caps of the pens can prove to be a choking hazard if ingested.

However, you can rest assured that ingesting or inhaling the ink within Crayola markers will not cause your baby or toddler any harm, thanks to the ink containing no poisonous ingredients, and no common allergens.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Sharpies toxic?

No. Regular Sharpies are completely non-toxic, and thus they are safe for use on skin, and will eventually fade when used on the skin. However, specific variations of Sharpie markers are not non-toxic, such as Magnum Sharpies or Touch-Up Sharpies, and should not be used on the skin.

Are Bic pens non-toxic?

Yes. BIC pens are incredibly popular and common pens that you will find all over, and luckily they are also totally non-toxic, so you can easily write on skin with such pens without running the risk of harm. 

Is it safe to breathe in Sharpie?

While you likely won’t experience any extreme symptoms from breathing in the fumes from a Sharpie while using the markers, you will want to avoid intentionally inhaling the fumes. If the fumes are inhaled in high quantities, they can cause headaches, dizziness, and even heart palpitations!

However, breathing in only a small amount of fumes from Sharpies is totally fine, and will cause no harm, otherwise, they could not possibly be sold! 

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