When you work with organic reagents, you need to choose gloves to protect your skin from chemicals, not just “whatever box is on the bench”. Start by thinking about what you’re handling, whether the contact is incidental or extended, and how long you need protection. Then match glove material, thickness and cuff length to the job, and change gloves as soon as they are contaminated or damaged.
0. Quick buying guide: glove types & example use (for busy readers)
This section is for readers who mainly want to choose gloves to protect your skin from chemicals quickly. The detailed explanation comes after the table.
You can turn the table below into an affiliate block by replacing “Example product” with real products and adding your affiliate links.
| In this situation… | Choose this type of glove | Example product (affiliate) |
|---|---|---|
| Weighing solids, making small transfers, or briefly handling common organic solvents (such as acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate, hexane). | Type of contact: incidental. Use: thin disposable nitrile exam gloves. Look for: powder-free, about 3–5 mil thickness, good fit, basic chemical-resistance data for common solvents. Not for immersing your hands in liquids. | Medical Soft Max™ Nitrile Exam Gloves, 100 count, blue, latex-free and powder-free |
| Washing glassware with solvent, or frequently handling bottles and flasks that may have solvent on the outside. | Type of contact: incidental → borderline extended. Use: thicker disposable nitrile gloves. Look for: 6–8 mil or above, preferably with an extended cuff; better tear resistance and longer breakthrough time than thin exam gloves. | TitanFlex Heavy Duty Black Nitrile Disposable Gloves, 8 mil, raised diamond texture |
| Longer tasks with one or two specific solvents (for example ketones or esters), where splashes are likely. | Type of contact: extended. Use: reusable chemical-resistant gloves — often butyl rubber for ketones/esters, or nitrile / neoprene depending on the solvent. Look for: listed in the manufacturer’s chemical-resistance chart for your solvent, and rated for extended contact. Often worn over thin nitrile inner gloves. | Guardian CP-14 Smooth Finish Butyl Gloves, long cuff, large size |
| Working with strong acids or bases, especially when heated or in larger quantities. | Type of contact: extended. Use: neoprene or heavy-duty nitrile chemical-resistant gloves. Look for: clearly labelled for strong acids/bases, with cuffs long enough to overlap the lab coat sleeve. | Heavy-duty neoprene–rubber chemical-resistant gloves (2 pairs), long cuff, EN 374 rated |
| Handling very hazardous chemicals that are readily absorbed through the skin (certain carcinogens or highly toxic reagents). | Type of contact: extended, high hazard. Use: multilayer laminate gloves (for example Norfoil / Silver Shield) over thin nitrile gloves. Look for: broad-spectrum laminate glove used as an outer layer, plus disposable nitrile inside for comfort and easier removal. Always follow your local safety officer’s advice. | Optional: Honeywell North Silver Shield multilayer laminate gloves (PE/EVOH), long cuff |
On ChemNorth, we only link to gloves that have at least basic chemical-resistance information available. The examples are not the only correct options; always check the SDS and your lab’s PPE rules.
1. Why glove choice matters in a chemical lab
In an organic chemistry lab, gloves are one of the simplest ways to protect your skin from chemicals, but only if they are chosen and used properly.
The wrong gloves can:
- Give a false sense of security if they permeate quickly.
- Fail silently – a thin glove can let solvent through long before it tears.
- Spread contamination if you keep using them after a spill.
This guide shows how to choose gloves to protect your skin from chemicals in everyday lab work, especially organic chemistry, so that your PPE matches the real risks of your experiments.
2. Step 1 – Understand your exposure: incidental vs extended contact
Most university glove guides start by distinguishing two basic situations:
- Incidental contact
- Small splashes, short handling of bottles, brief contact when weighing or transferring.
- Typical of many student labs and quick bench tasks.
- Extended contact
- Hands immersed in liquids or cleaning baths.
- Handling heavily contaminated items.
- Long tasks with the same hazardous liquid where permeation time matters.
Thin disposable gloves are designed primarily for incidental contact, not for keeping your hands in solvent for an hour.
Before you choose gloves, ask:
- What chemicals am I using?
- Look at each SDS (Safety Data Sheet).
- Note whether the chemical is corrosive, irritating, toxic, or absorbed through skin.
- How will I be using them?
- Small volumes vs. large quantities.
- Occasional splashes vs. continuous handling.
- Do I expect incidental contact, or extended contact?
- If extended contact is likely, you will need more substantial gloves than thin disposables.
3. Step 2 – Choose glove material
No single glove material protects against all chemicals. Always check:
- The SDS recommendations for glove type.
- The manufacturer’s chemical-resistance chart for breakthrough times.
Below are the most common materials in organic labs.
3.1 Nitrile – everyday workhorse for organic labs
For most organic chemistry teaching and research labs, nitrile is the standard disposable glove material:
- Good resistance to many organic solvents, oils and greases.
- Better puncture resistance than latex.
- Latex-free – suitable for people with natural rubber allergy.
- Widely available in different thicknesses and cuff lengths.
Limitations:
- Strong oxidising acids and some aggressive solvents can still permeate nitrile.
- For long or heavy exposure, you may need thicker nitrile or a different material.
Thin nitrile exam gloves are suitable for incidental contact with many common lab chemicals – not for immersing your hands in solvent.
3.2 Latex – dexterity but limited chemical protection
Natural rubber latex gloves:
- Have excellent flexibility and dexterity.
- Are widely used for biological and water-based work.
However:
- Many organic solvents permeate latex quickly.
- Latex can cause allergic reactions in some users.
- For organic lab work, latex offers limited chemical protection and often performs poorly against organic solvents.
In many labs, latex is avoided or restricted. For chemical protection, nitrile is usually preferred.
3.3 Neoprene, butyl, Viton® – reusable chemical-resistant gloves
For extended contact with hazardous liquids, labs often use thicker reusable gloves made from:
- Neoprene – good for some acids and solvents.
- Butyl rubber – useful for ketones and esters.
- Viton® – good for certain aggressive organic solvents and chemicals.
These gloves are usually worn over a thin nitrile glove:
- The inner nitrile glove improves comfort and makes removal easier.
- The outer glove provides the main chemical resistance.
Always match the glove material to the specific chemicals you use, based on manufacturer data.
3.4 Laminate gloves (Norfoil / Silver Shield) for highly toxic chemicals
For highly toxic chemicals that are readily absorbed through the skin, many safety guides recommend multilayer laminate gloves such as Norfoil / Silver Shield as an outer layer:
- Broad-spectrum resistance to a wide range of chemicals.
- Stiff, with poor fit and limited dexterity.
- Often worn over a thin nitrile glove to maintain some finger movement.
These gloves are usually used for special high-hazard cases, not for everyday bench work.
4. Step 3 – Thickness, cuff length and fit
Even within the same material (e.g. nitrile), design details matter.
4.1 Thickness
- Thin exam nitrile (≈ 3–5 mil / 0.07–0.12 mm)
- Good dexterity.
- Suitable for weighing, short transfers and general incidental contact.
- Shorter breakthrough times.
- Thicker disposable nitrile (≥ 6–8 mil / 0.15–0.20 mm)
- Better for longer tasks with solvents or frequent contact.
- More robust but slightly less flexible.
For extended contact, you may need to move beyond disposables to reusable chemical-resistant gloves.
4.2 Cuff length
- Standard cuffs protect hands and wrists in many bench-top tasks.
- Extended cuffs help when:
- You work inside a fume hood with raised arms.
- You handle large volumes or corrosive liquids.
- Your lab coat sleeves ride up when you reach forward.
4.3 Fit and size
- Gloves that are too tight:
- Are more likely to tear.
- Cause hand fatigue.
- Gloves that are too loose:
- Reduce dexterity.
- Can catch on glassware or equipment.
Choose the size that allows you to flex your fingers freely without feeling squeezed or swimming in extra material.
5. Step 4 – Using, changing and disposing of gloves
5.1 When to change disposable gloves
Change disposable gloves immediately when:
- You spill or suspect contamination on the glove.
- You move between “dirty” and “clean” tasks (e.g. from handling chemicals to using a keyboard).
- You see tears, punctures or obvious degradation.
- You have been working for a long time with volatile solvents, even without obvious spills.
Never wash or reuse disposable gloves.
Washing can carry chemicals through the material or damage the glove, making exposure more likely.
5.2 Reusable chemical-resistant gloves
For reusable gloves used in extended contact:
- Inspect before and after each use for:
- Rips, punctures, soft spots
- Changes in colour or texture
- If you see signs of degradation, retire the gloves immediately.
- After use, wash the outer surface according to your lab’s procedure and let the gloves air dry in the lab, not in common areas.
- For highly hazardous chemicals, consider wearing a thin nitrile inner glove so you can remove the outer glove first and keep a clean inner layer.
5.3 Why handwashing still matters
Even if gloves look clean when you take them off, microscopic contamination is still possible.
Always wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing gloves, before you eat, drink, or leave the lab.
5.4 Disposal of used gloves
How you dispose of gloves depends on what they have touched:
- Gloves with no contamination usually go into regular lab trash (following your local policy).
- Gloves contaminated with hazardous chemicals should go into the designated hazardous-waste container, not standard bins.
- Gloves contaminated with biological or radioactive materials must follow your institution’s biological or radioactive waste procedures.
When in doubt, follow your lab’s waste policy and ask your safety officer.
6. Special situations: cuts and cryogenic hazards
This article focuses on gloves that protect your skin from chemicals. Some lab tasks need additional protection:
- Cut-resistant gloves
- Used when handling sharp glass, metal or cutting tools.
- Often worn under or over a chemical-resistant glove when both mechanical and chemical hazards are present.
- Cryogenic gloves
- Designed for extreme cold (e.g. liquid nitrogen).
- May be worn together with thin chemical-resistant gloves when both cold and chemical exposure are possible.
Consult your lab’s safety guidance when combining different glove types.
7. Interactive checklist
Before you start your next experiment, use this checklist to see if you have chosen the right gloves to protect your skin from chemicals:
1. Understand your exposure
2. Choose appropriate gloves
3. Use, change and dispose correctly
8. Common mistakes to avoid
You can keep this as a short section near the end:
- Assuming any glove protects against any chemical. Always verify with SDS and manufacturer charts.
- Wearing the wrong material for organic solvents. Latex is often not suitable for many organics.
- Using disposable gloves for extended immersion. They are designed for incidental contact.
- Wearing contaminated gloves “just a bit longer”. Change them immediately after a spill.
- Touching door handles, phones and keyboards with lab gloves. This spreads contamination instead of containing it.
- Not washing hands after removing gloves. Gloves are an extra layer, not a replacement for hygiene.
9. Further reading & affiliate disclosure
Further reading
- Many universities publish free glove-selection charts and safety summaries. Look for chemical-resistance tables provided by glove manufacturers or your institution’s environment, health and safety office.
- Some EHS websites also provide simple decision trees to help distinguish incidental contact vs. extended contact and choose an appropriate glove material.
Affiliate disclosure
ChemNorth sometimes uses affiliate links to products that meet the safety criteria described in this article. If you buy through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. We only link to gloves that provide clear specifications and basic chemical-resistance information, but you must still follow your own lab’s PPE rules.
10. Safety note
Information on ChemNorth is for educational purposes and small-lab guidance. Always follow the PPE rules, safety procedures and waste-disposal policies of your own institution or lab. When selecting gloves, consult safety data sheets and glove manufacturers’ information, and ask your instructor, supervisor or safety officer if you are unsure.