As busy moms gear up for Halloween, the excitement of planning costumes may be part of the fun. But, amid all the preparations, there is often an important detail that gets overlooked.  The makeup and face paint you’re using on your child’s skin.  Now is the time to ask: Is your child’s Halloween makeup safe?

Transforming your child into their favorite spooky character is exciting. However, choosing the right makeup is crucial. Sometimes, products marketed for children can be more harmful than those for adults.

📌 Pin for Later

*This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission if you purchase through my links (at no extra cost to you). As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my full disclosure for more information.

The Real Dangers Hidden in Kids’ Makeup

Many parents assume that products labeled for children are automatically safe.  But that’s often not the case. 

In the U.S., cosmetics, including those for kids, aren’t subject to pre-market approval by the FDA.  The exception to this is for color additives.

This means manufacturers have a lot of freedom in choosing ingredients.  And not all of them are safe or friendly.  Especially to young, sensitive skin. 

Children’s makeup and face paint often contains vibrant colors, glitter, and fun scents.  Sounds great, right?   

Unfortunately, these can include heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, neurotoxins, and carcinogens. These ingredients can trigger allergies, irritation, and a number of long-term health issues.

Avoid These Tricky Ingredients

FDA testing on face paints indicate they may contain toxic chemicals and heavy metals such as lead. The Environmental Working Group tested samples of makeup, including those marketed for kids. They found asbestos in some of the samples. [Source 1, Source 2]

The Breast Cancer Prevention Partners (BCPP) released a 2016 report detailing the dangers they found in cosmetics products marketed to kids. [Source]

Testing was conducted on 39 kids’ products, including:

• Lip balm
• Makeup and nail kits
• Shampoos and lotions
• Party favors
• 48 Halloween face paints

The results are downright scary.  

• More than 50 % of face paints and cosmetics for kids contain at least one ingredient or contaminant linked to hormone disruption, developmental toxicity, learning difficulties or cancer. 
• Nearly half of the face paints tested were contaminated with at least one heavy metal. Some of them had as many as four heavy metals.

Here’s a breakdown of the harmful ingredients found:

• Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs)
  • 20% of the tested products had at least one VOC. 
  • Flavored lip balms were the most likely to contain these harmful chemicals.
  • Seven different VOCs were detected, with four having serious long-term health risks:
    • Toluene: A reproductive toxicant found in some products.
    • Styrene: A probable carcinogen and endocrine disruptor found in some products.
    • Ethylbenzene: A possible carcinogen found in some products.
    • Vinyl Acetate: Another possible carcinogen found in some products.
• Ethoxylated ingredients
  • 28% of products had ethoxylated ingredients. 
  • They can create ethylene oxide and 1,4-dioxane during manufacturing.
  • These harmful chemicals are linked to breast cancer and other cancers 
• Lead 
  • There is no safe level of lead.
  • Lead can cause learning disabilities and development problems.
  • It was found in nearly 20% of the Halloween face paints tested. 
• Cadmium 
  • Cadmium is linked to kidney, lung, breast, and prostate cancer.
  • It was found in nearly 30% of the Halloween face paints tested.
• Toluene:
  • Toluene is a developmental and reproductive toxin. 
  • It was found in almost 11% of products tested. 
• Parabens:
  • Parabens can disrupt hormones.
  • At least one paraben was found in 34% of products.
  • 3% of the products had two or three types of parabens.
• Formaldehyde:
  • Formaldehyde is a known human carcinogen.
  • Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives were found in 3% of products. 

Making Safer Choices: What to Look Out For

When choosing Halloween makeup (or any makeup), it’s crucial to go beyond the misleading labels.  

Don’t be fooled by terms like “non-toxic” or “hypoallergenic.”  Unfortunately, these terms aren’t regulated and are often more about marketing than safety. 

Instead, look closely at the ingredient list. It’s important to avoid products with parabens, phthalates, synthetic dyes, and fragrances.  These are common dangers when it comes to health risks and skin reactions. 

Choose brands that are transparent about their ingredients and prioritize safety over profits.

Tips for Choosing Safer Makeup

Avoid Heavy Metals

Choose brands that test their products to ensure they are free from harmful heavy metals.  Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury can be especially harmful.  Be aware that these harmful ingredients WON’T be listed on the ingredient label.

Avoid Fragrance

The word fragrance on labels can hide a mix of up to hundreds of harmful chemicals.   Choose products that do not have these ingredients: parfum, fragrance, or perfume. To learn more about why to avoid this ingredient, read my article about the hidden dangers of fragrance.

Use the EWG Skin Deep Database:

Check the EWG Skin Deep database for safety ratings and detailed information on cosmetics and personal care products. This tool can help you identify safer products based on their ingredients.

Perform a patch Test

Before applying new makeup, it’s a good idea to do a patch test on a small area of skin.  A good place to patch test is the inside of the elbow. If possible, wait 24 hours to be sure there’s no reaction. This can helps avoid allergic reactions and sensitivities.

Check Expiration Dates

Yes, makeup can expire and lose effectiveness or cause irritation.  Look for the Period After Opening (PAO) symbol on the packaging to see how long the product will stay safe and effective after opening.  The PAO symbol is a small “open jar” icon with a number followed by ‘M’ (for example, 6M, 12M). It’s a good idea to throw out makeup that’s past the POA date.

Remove Makeup Promptly and Properly

After the fun, use a gentle, child-friendly makeup remover.  Thoroughly remove the makeup and then clean with a safe facial cleanser. Follow the same safety guidelines for choosing a remover as you do for the makeup itself.

Avoid Other Toxic Ingredients:

Be aware of and avoid common toxic ingredients found in skincare. The recipes in the next section are for easy, DIY face paints. You can also check out my article on 15 Toxic Ingredients to Avoid in Skincare for a detailed list and tips on what to look out for.

Make Your Own DIY FACE PAINT

This video shows a great method using mineral sunscreen.  I love this safe mineral sunscreen. Using mineral sunscreen for this is a great idea because it sits on your skin, rather than absorbing in.  Pretty neat to watch her transformation, too!

It’s fairly easy to make your own face paint.  A quick search revealed many, many recipes.  Some are safer than others.  

Here are a few of the safer recipes I found.

• Non-toxic face paint for Halloween by Greenkidcrafts
  
• 6 Fruit and Vegetable Pigmented Colors for a Homemade Face Paint by Organicauthority
  
• Nontoxic Halloween Face Paint by Sierra Club
  

Empowering Education

Halloween is a great opportunity to teach your child about safer choices.  Of course, the extent you can do this will depend on your child’s age.

Share the importance of knowing what they’re putting on their skin. Explain why you’re choosing certain products over others. 

Let them know that some ingredients can be harmful, but there are safer choices.  This way, they learn early on to make informed decisions about their health.

Summary

Halloween can be a fun and festive time!  It can also be a safe time, if we take some precautions to make sure our children’s health and safety are at the forefront. 

You probably already regularly check your child’s candy when they get home from Trick or Treating. 

Another way to keep them safe is to take the time to choose Halloween makeup products with their well-being in mind.  You may even want to make your own DIY Face Paint as a way to avoid harmful chemicals. 

Join the Conversation: Is your child’s Halloween makeup safe?

I want to hear from you! Is your child’s Halloween makeup safe? Have you checked it for harmful ingredients?

Your insights could help other parents make informed decisions this Halloween.

Leave a comment and join the discussion on how we can all keep our kids safe while enjoying the holiday fun!

Don’t forget to 📌for later! ⬇