The healing properties of slime and the Canadian slime account we're obsessed with

By and large, the properties that make (non-edible) semi-solids ooze all over the place used to trigger an appropriate amount of disgust.Evolutionary theory tells us that a "healthy squeamishness" to icky things tends to keeps us safe from a large litany of life-shortening bacteria. But there is a type of slime that isn't just appealing to adherents of a recent trend, it's addictive and for many, highly beneficial. Slime is trending. Hard. Or about as hard as slime gets.

#slime has almost 5 million posts (4,861,975 at the time of this post) on Instagram. To put that in perspective, consider that #pumpkinspice has only necessitated 985,141 posts since the dawn of IG.  Yes, slime has more followers than you. Why are people posting and bingeing slime vids online? For starters the name slime is a bit of a red herring - the slimey stuff people can't get enough of is downright pretty in many cases. And it's aesthetic qualities are infinite.

There's crunchy slime, magnetic slime, sparkle slime, all available in any colour or multicolour combo perceivable by the human eye. That textural and visual range of complexity is part of the art of slime. Every batch is a unicorn. Conceivably, there are as many different types of slime as there are creators willing to make the stuff. And there are tons of creators willing to make the stuff. The trend so far has gotten the slimiest finger hold with young girls and women.

Case in point, my eleven year old niece is categorically obsessed. She carries around mason jars and tupperwares of ingredients wherever she goes that allow her to slime out whenever the mood strikes. Unsurprisingly, her mother has had to police that - no slime in the bedroom. Some experts suggest that the real appeal of slime play is that it's tactile and interactive, offering a three dimensional feel that's distinct from the 2D screens we're tethered to from childhood now. A converse and escapist response to digital device stress, slime may simply be the messy mud pies of today. Except slime doesn't only seem to be the plaything of children. The impulse to craft slime is so widely pervasive that one common ingredient, Borax, has been flagged by the Canadian Health Council as hazardous. Happily, there are plenty of other healthy substitutes one can use to gloop together a batch. Which is just as well seeing as the craft phenom is in no danger of slowing down.

That there's a deep crafting element and subsequent allure to making choice goop stands to reason, even if you've no desire to whip up a clump yourself. Glitter, gold foil, a rainbow's worth of colours, glass beads, even scented oils are all often worked into what is essentially very relaxed modeling clay that never becomes anything - the appeal being on the process not the product. Some is even edible. But if you're still wondering why select sludge dominates on social for consumers who've never handled goo a day in their life, consider that the science behind it lends itself to the idea that a kind of soothing slime stress therapy is taking place.

As it gets kneaded, squeezed and stretched, every ball of guck showcased and manipulated generates a slimy little symphony of moist glurps and pops. The whole experience can contribute to a well documented and profoundly pleasant (even euphoric) physical response known as ASMR or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. There are countless apps and videos available designed to elicit the intended, and highly sought, ASM Response.

Our own senior producer and CBC Radio tech expert, Jamey Ordolis, is a voracious consumer of ASMR videos, not the least of which is social slime content. She plays the vids in the background in her office if she's feeling harried. "The sounds in ASMR videos are meant to create a tingling sensation that typically starts at the top of your scalp and moves down the back of your neck and spine to relax you. It's divine. The audio triggers include whispering and ambient noises like tapping, scratching or crinkling and the visual triggers include watching someone complete tasks like colouring, painting or crafting." Slime vids deftly gloop onto every ASMR marker across the board. They're deeply relaxing. Divinely so if devotees are to be believed.

I watched a lot of slime videos for this post. I find them fascinating and relaxing but none hit the ASMR sweet spot for me. To be fair, it's a rare sensation and all the more precious. It may be more auditory for me: I usually get it when when someone speaks at length in a specific cadence or timbre (Mr Berdebes, grade 9, Math teacher). Wonderful. The tingle triggered by a resonant voice is singular and extraordinary. So, I can understand chasing slime videos to go full ASMR at a click.  

Still, it leads us to a final problem: what's in it for the creator of social slime content? There's the financial draw of taking your craft to YouTube and IG to be sure. Twenty three year old Slime Queen, Karina Garcia has made $200,000 US in a good month peddling her brand of slime online. Millennials are sliming salarial circles around their parents. But most are making vids simply because they love slime craft without any guarantee of becoming ooze royalty and collecting stacks of cash for their production effort.

To find out more, I spoke with Toronto slimestress, Skye Deluz (aka slime_luxe  on Instagram), who recently started sharing her cute and quirky sludge creations online.   

What drew you to making slime and why did you get so into it?

For a long time there were all of these slime accounts that Instagram was suggesting that I follow. I guess slime has been somewhat of an internet phenomena for a while, but I had no idea at the time what it was. To be honest, I thought it was a bit odd. One night, I finally caved and watched a couple of the recommended posts and I was instantly obsessed. I secretly watched slime videos for months. Then I thought, if I was this enthralled with watching, imagine how carried away I'd be playing with it. Oh, also I have ASMR, big time.

What are the wellness benefits for you, personally?

I make slime because it is a surprising way to destress. The whole process from getting all of the ingredients together to needing it like dough to then trying to make it pretty is such a pleasant (albeit frivolous) experience. I tell my boyfriend that it's like an artisanal stress ball. Your hands are also so soft afterwards! It's an immensely well-rounded and satisfying ritual.

How many different types of slime, in terms of textures, sounds and colours can you create?

Slime making is a lot like cooking. If you want, you're able to follow by recipe. Or, you can slap a bunch of things together and just hope you don't get any of it in your hair. The textural possibilities are bountiful. Of all the types, I like making crunchy slime with little foam balls, fake snow, sand or little glass beads. The sound is so crackly, it feels like my brain is getting massaged. Because of the scraggy-like surface it also catches light in an alluring way. There are so many combinations that I really don't know how many types I can create. In some cases you create certain types by accident.

Serendipitous slime. Love it. What are you after when you're creating slime - what are the auditory, textural, visual, tactile goals and feels?

There have been some popular videos circulating about "slime pet peeves", where people list out the mannerisms and habits that drive them nuts. It's a bit of a shaming process and I often think that there shouldn't be a wrong way to do it. It should just feel fun. For me, I think my main goal is making it visually appealing, it sort of feels like art that way. Also, making them smell great and not stick to my hands. There's no specific style I think I adhere to, I think it's common practice to just explore to try and see what works and also to see what doesn't - it's fun either way.

I just watched a bunch of your posts. It's pretty mesmerizing. Tomato Sauce! Why share your slime love online? And do you still binge social slime accounts?

Firstly, I for sure binge slime vids. I think binge would be an understatement. So, why make slime videos? Slime is this interesting and obscure internet phenomena that people of all ages, from all parts the world and all walks of life appreciate and participate in. I watched videos that were reaching 100k views and accounts that were captivating 100k followers. I was like pshhh I can do that. So, in the beginning it kind of started out as a lark and now it's kind of cool just creating the type of videos that I found so pleasing when I first found out about it.

Aside from the satisfaction and peace that creators like Skye get from ritualistically making and then sharing their crafted art online, there's a performative aspect too. One that bonds creators to their audience. One fan says "I like Skye because of her mix of rapid and slow movements and she has a sudden roughness that I like and that creates the sounds I like as well." Everything from slime play, to the aesthetic of the slime itself, to liking the look of the slime maker's hands can help push the right sensory buttons and take you a little closer to nirvana. That's where the most popular slime artists stand out, creating true slime disciples in the process.  

There's been no shortage of slimesque products marketed to kids over the last decades: Ghostbuster's Ectoplasm, TMNT's Ooze, Gak, Floam, Flubber. Even Silly putty and Play Doh kind of qualify. Right now, there's even a slime gun for sale (aka the OrbSlimy, ask for it by name) for purchase by only the bravest and chillest of parents, one assumes. But prêt-a-playé slime misses the mark and doesn't quite have the same feel as the kind you make yourself. It seems that one true missing ingredient is individual creative ownership.

There's just nothing like making your own gunk and standing back to appreciate a job well glooped.

Except for rising to the ranks of Goop Maven and having hundreds of thousand of likes on social from people responding to all the slimey, fascinating feels you're generating.