Survey of Chemical Substances in Consumer Products, 52. – Mapping and health assessment of chemical substances in shoe care products

Mapping and health assessment of chemical substances in shoe care products

8 Precautions during use

As mentioned previously, many shoe care products contain large amounts of solvents. Shoe polishes may furthermore contain subtsances that can cause allergy in case of skin contact.

When using shoe polish, it is not uncommon to get some of the product on the hands. Tests with volunteer test subjects who were asked to polish their shoes in connection with determination of the amount used per shoe polish it was determined that all test subjects had shoe polish on one or more fingers (typically approx. 1 cm² on 2-3 fingers).

The exposure scenarios show that there is a potential risk of health effects in the form of irritation of airways and effects on the central nervous system when using products that contain large amounts of mineral turpentine. In addition, there may be effects in the form of airway irritation and impact on the central nervous system when using products that contain other solvents.

When using shoe care products in the home you should therefore:

Polish or impregnate outside whenever possible. If it is not possible due to the weather, you should instead ensure good ventilation in the room by opening a window and/or a door.
Make sure that you spray away from the body if the product is a spray.
Avoid getting shoe polish on the hands, possibly by using disposable gloves.