Simple Tips

October 28, 2009 | Print

Homemade Halloween Face Paints

Lyndsey’s neighbor loaned her a bag of face paints, complete with theatrical blood, for the boys’ spooky Halloween this weekend. The store bought paints included a range of colors, with non-toxic written on the labels. Then, in a not so fast reminder, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics releases their report finding lead in children’s face paints.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested ten different face paint brands and found lead, a neurotoxin, in all of them. Six of the 10 contained the heavy metals and skin irritants nickel, chromium and/or cobalt at levels higher than safety recommendations from industry studies. None of the face paints listed lead, nickel, chromium or cobalt as an ingredient. Since parents have no way of knowing the actual ingredients in face paints, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics advises parents not to use face paints on children until the FDA establishes safety standards.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics suggests some recipes for homemade face paints. The instructions remind us of our trials and errors with natural Easter egg coloring, but also a fun Halloween project to tackle with preschoolers. We’ve been carving pumpkins, roasting seeds and cheering costume parades, with three more days before the Halloween finale we appreciate something new!

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