Playing with slime can be a comforting experience
The end product from slime. Korea Times photos by Jung Hae-myoung
By Jung Hae-myoung
Slime is back. More than 150 cafes have popped up across the nation to cater for adults who play with it for childhood memories and relaxation, and for children who visit to experience the squishy, clay-like and elastic material that can turn into any shape, once the initial feeling of the substance ― discomforting to some ― is overcome. And if you are not actually playing, you can also watch others play on the internet.
“The mind feels relaxing when I watch a video of touching slime. Just watching it makes me imagine what it must feel like,” said a YouTube subscriber, 23.
“I don't have to be so mature when I see this video. I feel like I am going back to my childhood when I see it.”
Lim Sae-mi, CEO of SLKO, Korea's first slime cafe, started playing with slime as a hobby.
Slime Korea Creative Lab cafe.
Lim used to teach mathematics in an academy school in Korea. Due to her health, she had to take a rest from the work for a while. She had nothing to do, without even having a hobby. She started watching YouTube videos and soon became immersed in watching slime.
Soon she wanted to play with it herself, but it was hard to get the ingredients in Korea two years ago. After trial and error, she made a perfect slime with colorful decorations. She grew creative and uploaded photos on Instagram.
She then started to receive direct messages asking whether she intended to sell the products.
She set up a store selling manufactured goods, but had another idea ― she wanted to establish a lab where customers could make things from slime.
Referring to the controversy about toxic chemicals, she said it was important to use slime bases and embellishments with a Korea Certification mark ― approved by the Korean Agency for Technology and Standards.
SLKO took 230 chemical tests, such as tests for alkaline and preservatives.
“We actually found one of the beads had lead components, so we had to take that one out.” Lim said.
Slime cafe was originally aimed at women in their 20s and 30s but children came along. That means parents, too.
Lim said parents felt like they were shopping with the children when they chose “slime beads.”
“I can see mothers are enjoying as much as the kids,” she said. “They recommend pretty beads to their children and put them in the basket. Kids just love it,”
Glitters and beads at SLKO cafe.
What to do in a slime cafe?
Different beads are displayed like in a candy shop. A customer can choose beads, sparkles and shell-shaped parts to his or her liking.
The customer is given a tray of glitter, activator, color additives and scents. It's play time.
This reporter used all “six” senses ― touching, seeing, smelling, hearing (the sound of the beads) and tasting. The taste came from a drink served at the cafe. The final sixth sense was one of relaxation.