It can be fun to wear costumes and paint faces for Halloween. However, Halloween face paints can be scarier than you think. You wouldn’t paint your child’s face with the same type of coloring that car companies use to paint cars, would you? There have been several children’s makeup kit recalls in recent years due to harmful contaminants found in the face paints. You can possibly avoid adverse skin reactions by following makeup safety rules and considering the use of natural makeup alternatives.
Be sure to read the ingredients labels on all makeup and face paint products before you purchase them for use on Halloween night. Besides giving off toxins that are absorbed into skin, bad ingredients can cause adverse skin reactions including rashes, swelling, itching and other irritations.
BASIC SAFETY RULES FOR USING FACE PAINT
- Read and follow the application directions on the package.
- Perform a Safety Check by testing a small area of skin for allergic reactions a few days before Halloween.
- Don’t paint your skin with products that are not intended for use on skin.
- If face paint smells bad, it probably is not safe to use on your skin. Do not use it. Throw it away.
- Be careful when using face paint around eye areas. Avoid eye areas when possible. If you do decide to paint the eye area, make sure to use makeup specifically intended for those areas.
- At the end of the day, be sure to remove your face paint. Wearing it too long can cause skin and eye irritation.
If you think you are having a bad reaction to your face paint/make-up, call your doctor.
Natural Make-up Alternatives and Sources
There are natural make-up alternatives to traditional face paints. Look for products made from non-toxic, hypo-allergenic, paraben-free, lead-free, kid-safe ingredients. If you live near a natural/organic market, it may be possible to find safe costume makeup kits for children in stores. There are also online retailers for natural costume makeup that is affordable and safe. A couple of places to try are Etsy and Amazon.com.
