How to Make Slime Without Glue
Create stretchy, tactile slime without PVA glue using thick shampoo, precise pinches of salt, and temperature chilling to activate gel polymers.
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🧰 Required Tools & Equipment
- ✓ Small mixing bowl
- ✓ Popsicle stick or craft spatula
- ✓ Measuring spoon
- ✓ Refrigerator or freezer
📦 Materials & Supplies
- ✓ Thick opaque or gel shampoo
- ✓ Fine table salt
- ✓ Liquid food coloring
- ✓ Craft glitter (optional)
⚠️ Safety Checkpoints & Warnings
- • Do not consume any finished slime or ingredients; keep away from toddlers and pets.
- • Rinse eyes immediately with water if shampoo or salty mixture makes contact.
📋 Step-by-Step Guide (6 Steps)
Dispense Shampoo Base
Pour approximately 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of thick shampoo into the center of the clean mixing bowl. Choose a shampoo with a viscous, jelly-like consistency rather than a watery one. Let the shampoo settle into a uniform pool at the bottom.
- • A rounded, cohesive pool of thick shampoo resting at the bottom of the bowl without spreading thin like water.
- • Using watery, clarifying shampoo that lacks the necessary thickening surfactants.
Add Color and Add-Ins
Add 1 to 2 drops of liquid food coloring directly into the shampoo pool. Add a pinch of fine craft glitter if desired. Gently stir with the craft stick for 30 seconds until the color is fully blended throughout the base.
- • A single, uniformly tinted gel base with no streaks or undissolved color spots.
- • Adding too much liquid dye, which thins out the surfactant base.
Introduce Salt Activator
Take a tiny pinch of fine table salt (less than 1/8 teaspoon) between your thumb and index finger. Sprinkle it evenly across the surface of the colored shampoo. Avoid dumping salt in a concentrated clump.
- • A light, barely visible dusting of salt grains spread evenly over the surface of the gel.
- • Adding too much salt at once, which breaks down the surfactant micelles and turns the slime into water.
Stir to Build Viscosity
Stir the mixture steadily in circular motions using the popsicle stick for 60 to 90 seconds. Observe how the shampoo thickens, balls up around the stick, and starts pulling cleanly away from the edges of the bowl.
- • The gel forms a semi-solid blob that clumps around the stick and leaves the sides of the bowl mostly clean as you stir.
- • Stirring too violently and whipping air bubbles into the mixture, making it frothy.
Chill in the Freezer
Place the mixing bowl uncovered onto a flat shelf in the freezer. Set a timer and let the mixture chill undisturbed for 10 to 15 minutes. Chilling contracts the surfactant chains and locks in the semi-solid gel texture.
- • The surface of the slime has a glossy, firm sheen and does not jiggle like liquid when the bowl is tilted.
- • Leaving the slime in the freezer for over 20 minutes, causing ice crystals to form and freeze it solid.
Test and Play
Remove the bowl from the freezer and lightly touch the center of the slime with a clean, dry fingertip. It should feel cool, rubbery, and leave no wet residue on your skin. Scoop it gently onto a clean, non-porous surface to poke and stretch.
- • A finger pressed into the center leaves an indentation without wet soap clinging to the fingertip.
- • Playing with wet or warm hands, which rapidly melts the temperature-set gel.
Credit: inspired by an original tutorial by It’Sarah 💜 — watch the original on YouTube.
Don’t have everything?
- No Thick opaque or gel shampoo? Thick gel body wash or concentrated 3-in-1 soap
- No Popsicle stick? Plastic spoon handle or butter knife