Minimize skin contact. Since pastel painting is such a tactile experience, it is doubly important to reduce skin contact. Many pastelists working in both soft and oil pastels now wear latex gloves because they are thin and close-fitting, and can essentially preserve the nuances of application achievable with bare fingers. For artists who make their own soft pastels, wearing gloves, a respirator and other protective equipment is strongly advised. Reduce exposure to airborne particles.
Soft pastels are a crumbly, particulate medium.
Since pastel painting involves transferring particles of loosely-bound pigment from pastel sticks to textured paper or grounds, pastel dust is created. Some of this dust contains hazardous components such as heavy metal pigments. Even if the colors used are free of hazardous pigments, inhaling dust is detrimental to the respiratory system. Pastels are usually painted on a vertical surface, ideally slanted slightly forward so that dust falls off the painting. Always wipe up pastel dust with damp cloths to keep the dust from becoming airborne again.