10 Ways To Protect The Kids From The Toxic Halloween Face Paint

Halloween is here! Time to take your costume out of the closet and paint your face… Ooops! You should probably skip the face painting part.

Some children’s face paints contain toxic ingredients that are poisonous and known to cause health problems such as skin sensitivity and brain damage. The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics conducted a testing program that showed face paints, which includes those that are used for the kids’ Halloween costume make up, contain heavy metals such as lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium.

Scary, isn’t it?

However, if the kids really want to have their face painted, the Daily Green shares with us FDA’s recommendations on how to protect yourself and your children from toxic and irritating substances present in Halloween costume makeup.

1. Follow all Halloween face paint directions carefully, including warnings against using around the eyes.
2. Don’t decorate your face with products, paints and colorings that aren’t intended for your skin.
3. If your Halloween face paint has a very bad smell, this could be a sign that it is contaminated. Throw it away and use another one.
4. Before using new Halloween costume makeup, perform a simple simple patch test, particularly if you or your child is prone to allergic reactions, a few days before Halloween.
5. Read ingredient lists and don’t buy any product that has non-approved colors. The FDA lists coloring agents approved for use in cosmetics.
6. Don’t use products with fluorescent colors (D&C Orange No. 5, No. 10, and No. 11; D&C Red No. 21, No. 22, No. 27 and No. 28; and D&C Yellow No. 7) near the eyes.
7. Don’t use luminescent (glow-in-the-dark) colors (zinc sulfide) near your eyes.
8. Wash thoroughly (and follow label instructions) once trick-or-treating or the party is over; don’t go to sleep with Halloween costume makeup on your skin.
9. Before using older products, check it against these two May 2009 recall notices for Fun Express children’s face paints.
10. If you have a bad reaction to Halloween face paint, report the incident to the FDA, so that other consumers can be protected.

A better alternative to face paints are natural makeups or cosmetics. This way, you are guaranteed of a lesser chance of getting adverse side effects.

Stay safe and enjoy your Halloween!

Image by foamcow.