One of the most common questions we get is whether or not silicone is toxic. You might have heard stories of people who have an allergy to silicone, so you might be wondering whether or not the material is toxic to you and your pets. We pride ourselves on providing silicone rings to our customers made of the best materials, but we’re also here to tell you that no, silicone isn’t toxic. Let’s dive a little deeper into what silicone is and what concerns you might have for you and your pet as you decide whether or not to make the switch to silicone products. What Is Silicone? Silicone is a material composed of a variety of fluids and resins. Depending on the compounds you add to it, it’ll become different textures. Silicone is used in a variety of products, including baking materials and even tires! It’s durable and strong, and can be formed into a variety of shapes. Since silicone is heat-resistant, it’s also a great material for construction companies, medical programs and first responders to use in their line of work. Lots of products are made with silicone! Browse Our Collection of Silicone Rings Silicone is different from silicon, which is an element present on the periodic table. However, silicone is made from silicon! Silicone is created by combining oxygen and silicon. Now, silicone rubber itself is not very durable. Typically, silicone rubber is reinforced with silica, which is another compound of silicon and oxygen. The difference between silicone and silica is the amount of atoms of each element that are present. In silica, there’s one silicon atom and two oxygen atoms. In silicone, some other elements are combined to create the rubber, but then filled with silica to create its strength. Phew, that was a lot of science talk! The bottom line is that silicone rubber is made from quality materials, so it’s not toxic to you and your pet! It’s not toxic, but I am still getting a rash and swelling around my ring. Before you jump to the conclusion that you’re allergic to silicone or that your ring is toxic, let’s troubleshoot the issue. Ask yourself these questions: When was the last time you washed your ring? Even though silicone isn’t toxic, if your ring has come into contact with aggravating materials and you haven’t washed it lately, then there’s a chance you might have transferred the chemicals onto your skin. That’ll give you a rash! To clean your silicone products, either soak them in warm water and soap, or put them in the utensils drawer of your dishwasher and run a cycle. What size are you wearing? For some people, they have actually ordered the incorrect ring size. We provide an easily accessible ring size chart on our site, and we recommend everyone check their ring sizes prior to ordering. Because silicone rings can be thicker or thinner than metal bands, it’s important you find the right size. You can also order a ring a size up or down from the size you think you are to make sure that you get the right fit. Make sure you study up on how tight a ring should be and then return the rings that don’t fit properly after trying them all on. Wait on getting the personalized ring until after you find the right size, though! My dog’s got a rash around his silicone collar. Is he allergic? Before assuming your dog’s allergic to silicone, troubleshoot with the questions above. But, you might want to ask yourself a couple of other questions, too. Do you give your dog flea medicine regularly? All dogs should receive flea and tick medicine regularly. Otherwise, the fleas could cause irritation on your dog’s skin. If you don’t give your dog flea medicine regularly, there’s a good chance the rash on your dog’s skin near their collar is actually a result of having fleas. Wash their silicone dog collar in soap and water, apply flea medicine and place their collar back on after the flea medicine has dried. Our Dog ID Tags Fit on All Dog Collars No Matter the Size!