Can I still use Oils when Pregnant?

I found that some artists take safety extremely seriously, while others are way too relaxed about it. I believe that a common sense approach is really best.

So when you are pregnant can you continue using oil paints?

Know Your Materials

First of all you need to get to know your materials. How toxic are Titanium, Burnt Umber and Cadmium really? How could any toxicity enter your body? How big is the chance of that happening? And what about solvents?

Titanium White, for example,  has long been consider as safe; in fact the same pigment is used in food colouring, but nowadays doubts have been raised about its safetey. Cadmium, however, is very toxic if eaten or inhaled, but cannot enter your blood stream through the skin. Although Cadmium is a toxic pigment you will probably not be using it as a powdery pigment, and so there is no risk of inhaling the dust.

On my Winsor & Newton (UK made) Cadmium paint tubes there are no safety warnings, but on my Vasari(US made) there are safety warnings. It states the frightening sounding warning that it can harm the unborn foetus. Of course these warnings generally refer to eating/ingesting it (why doesn’t it state that as well), something us artists do not tend to do.

Other heavy metals such as Cobalt has similar warnings as Cadmium. Lead paints seem much more toxic than Cadmiums and Cobalts and are banned within Europe but not the US.

So we get mixed messages from which we can only conclude to be careful and sensible. Why take any risks when pregnant?

Low Toxicity yet still a Risk

Small wounds on your fingers, rubbing your eye, eating a sandwich with paint on your hands can all pose a risk of getting toxic paints inside your body. Think also of sanding a painting in order to paint over it, or to smoothen the surface: you will be creating dust particles that are toxic to inhale.  Think of dogs stealing a tube for a good chew, or kids playing with it.

If used sensibly Cadmium or Cobalt paints can be perfectly safe. But care needs to be taken. A bit of Cadmium won’t kill you overnight, but repeated carelessness can perhaps harm.

You don’t need to give up painting when you are pregnant

So whether you choose to continue using toxic paints, or ban them from your palette altogether,  just remember you never need to give up painting for fear of toxicity when pregnant! You can simply be very careful, or cut out the toxicity completely. There are plenty of reds out there, for example, that can replace a Cadmium Red.

There are plenty of alternatives for Cadmium Red, for example:

*Winsor & Newton Winsor Red
* Vasari Permanent Bright Red
* Talens Rembrandt Permanent Red Medium

Personal Choice

Of course it is a personal choice whether to ban these colours from your studio or not. Because I work in my home and my children and dog are walking in and out, I did ban them from my studio for a long time. While pregnant I did not want to inhale toxic fumes or run any risks handling toxic paints. After giving birth I still kept toxic materials well away from my studio. A dog or a toddler could, in theory, end up eating it after all. Now that my kids are bigger and they know very well not to touch mum’s paints, I use these oil colours if I think I need them (which is rare as there are plenty of colours to replace them). But I make sure they are well stored away at all times (as my dog never seems to grow up).