Working safely with Unison Colour pastels

Pastels by nature are a dusty medium and artists know that they need to take responsibility for their health when working with any medium. Those artists who have used pastels for a long time will have their own methods for keeping dust to a minimum.

Here at Unison Colour Ltd we would advise that:

  • Keep formation of airborne dusts to a minimum
  • Work in a space that is dedicated to your art and not where you would prepare food
  • When cleaning your art space, use brooms and wet cloths/mops to collect the dust
  • If you can afford to buy one, use an Air filter OR ensure you use pastels in well ventilated area
  • When using pastels, do not eat, drink or smoke
  • Wash hands thoroughly after handling
  • During heavy usage or being up close to your painting, the wearing of a dust mask is recommended
  • Protective latex or vinyl gloves are also recommended or you can use a barrier cream as an alternative.

Are Unison Colour Pastels toxic?

Unison Colour pastels have been tested rigorously for toxicity levels as this is a requirement for us to be able to sell them in the USA market. Our pastels hold the AP label. The toxicologist report states ‘This product is not a toxic or hazardous substance as defined by CFR 1500.3 of the Federal Hazardous substances Act. It does not require acute or chronic hazard labelling. 

The cadmium and cobalt pigments that we use are less hazardous than other cadmium or cobalt compounds as they are extremely insoluble. This reduces the risk of absorption into the body and also greatly reduces any environmental hazard. Due to the unique structure of pigments used in the manufacture of our pastels, these materials do not reflect the properties of the component metals or oxides and none of these pigments used are classified as dangerous according to EU legislation.

In conclusion our pastels are safe to use.

Customer Enquiries

Got a question?

Please don’t hesitate to send us any questions, and we’ll get back to you ASAP.
If you’d rather send us an email, please get in touch at:

Or give us a call on +44 (0)1434 240203 and choose option 1, for Liz.

Trade Enquiries

For trade enquiries, please contact us as below:

UK

liz@unisoncolour.com or call Liz on +44 (0)1434 240203 Option 1

China and Russia
Europe
North America
ROW (Exc. China and Russia)

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