Update 10/20/17: Finally, there are commercially made natural face paints for Halloween. Check out this one that certified organic by Go Green Face Paint.

My daughter brought home Halloween face paint.  She knows better and waited to open it until I read the ingredients.  Although many cosmetics are not required to give full disclosure of ingredients by the FDA (trade secrets are protected), the package my daughter brought home was full of enough parabens to give anyone a fright!

The Environmental Working Group explains why parabens are so harmful to our health and the environment:

WHAT ARE THE POTENTIAL HEALTH EFFECTS?

Some parabens can irritate the skin or cause allergic reactions (Schamberg 1967; Nagel 1977; Soni 2001, 2002; CIR 2006). Laboratory studies indicate that parabens are estrogenic, meaning they can mimic the hormone estrogen, disrupting normal function of the hormone system (Routledge 1998; Oishi 2001, 2002a, 2002b; Byford 2002; Darbre 2002, 2003; Inui 2003; Gomez 2005; Mikula 2006; Pugazhendhi 2007). In a recent study, traces of 5 different parabens were found in the breast cancer tumors of 19 of 20 women examined (Darbre 2004); other lab studies also link parabens to cancer (Byford 2002; Darbre 2002, 2003; Pugazhendhi 2007), and to reproductive health problems as well (Oishi 2001, 2002). When personal care products containing parabens are combined with chlorinated tap water, a number of chlorinated paraben byproducts can form (Canosa 2006). These chlorinated paraben chemicals have not been assessed for safety. Some are persistent, and have been detected in samples of untreated wastewater (Canosa 2006). Parabens are also linked to ecological harm; low levels of butylparaben can kill coral, according to laboratory tests (Danovaro 2008).

Giving my daughter this information, I allowed her the choice as to whether or not she wanted to risk the exposure for one night of Halloween.  She chose the make up.  Darn.   Today, she asked if fake fingernails were toxic too. I said yes.  That idea died right there 🙂

Instead of simply leaving the choice to my teenage daughter, I should have helped her find recipes to make her own natural, face paint.  It’s not too late!  Here are some recipes I found:

Non-toxic Face Paint Recipe:  Green Craft Kids

Base:

1. 1 tsp cornstarch
2. ¼ tsp water to make paste
3. 1/2 tsp Diaper rash cream for staying power!(California Baby and Burt’s Bees are good, but you can choose another natural brand.)
4. Colorful foods (pureed in a blend) to make desired shades (you can also use natural, organic pigments or food coloring, see below)

Mix the first three ingredients together to make a thick white paste. Then, take a little bit of the base and mix with different foods to create your desired colors. We’ve had a lot of success with blackberries (pretty rose color), avocado with a squirt of lemon juice (green) and hummus (orangey-brown). You can also use coffee/tea (browns, black), corn (yellowish color) and cherries (red). As different foods have different water content, you make have to add a bit more cornstarch to the mix depending on if your paint gets too runny once you add the colorful foods.

Seriously Easy Homemade Face Paint: Pop Sugar

What You’ll Need:

• Corn starch
• Face lotion
• 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Washable paints, natural food coloring, or homemade dyes
• Small containers
• Small bowl

Directions:

1. Start by making a base for the face paints by mixing together equal parts corn starch and your favorite face lotion until it forms a thick mixture. Add the vegetable oil, which helps the paint from caking. You want things to be smooth without being too watery.

2. Now add a spoonful of the mixture to a small container and add a pea-sized amount of washable paint. You can find packs of colorful washable paints at your local craft store for only a few dollars. Using washable paint instead of natural food coloring creates solid colors that won’t stain clothes — or your face. Most are nontoxic and, when diluted, are safe to use on skin. Just remember to avoid using around the eye and mouth areas. You can also swap for a few drops of natural food coloring or homemade dyes.

3. Continue adding colors until you’ve got an entire set of face paint. For a bit of shimmer, sprinkle glitter eye shadow into containers or swipe over finished face paint for allover glitter.

Face Paint and Halloween Makeup:  Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

To avoid heavy metals and other potentially harmful unknown ingredients in traditional Halloween face paint, try making your own using food-based ingredients. Remember, foods can cause allergies in some kids: always test your concoctions on a small patch of skin and read up on natural food colorings before sending your little ghouls out for a night of painted fun. And don’t forget that some foods can stain skin and clothes.

Face Paint Made with Natural Food Coloring

Natural food coloring is available at health food stores and typically derived from foods and spices. We recommend reading up about natural food colorings and potential allergies first. Do not substitute conventional food coloring, which may contain synthetic chemical ingredients.

Ingredients:
-Base of safe, unscented lotion (search Skin Deep for safe options) OR pure cocoa butter (available at health food stores) OR safe, fluoride-free toothpaste (search Skin Deep; avoid mint flavors, as they can make skin tingly)
-Natural food coloring (see note above)

Instructions:
Mix a few drops of natural food coloring into the base ingredient of your choice. Test on a small patch of skin before applying to face or body.

Face Paint Made with Food

Make sure young children understand they can’t eat these paints unless you make them without the base. Test a small patch of skin first to make sure your child isn’t allergic to the food you’re using.

Ingredients:
-Base of safe, unscented lotion (search Skin Deep for safe options) OR pure cocoa butter (available at health food stores) OR safe, fluoride-free toothpaste (search Skin Deep; avoid mint flavors, as they can make skin tingly)
-Turmeric, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, beets, avocado, spirulina, cocoa, chocolate sauce, squid ink or other colorful foods, juices, herbs and spices

Instructions:
Yellow: Add 1/4 tsp. and a large pinch of stale turmeric to base.

Pink: Using a sieve, mash the juice from 3 fresh or thawed frozen raspberries, blackberries or beets directly into the base. Or, use a deeply colored berry juice or puree.

Mint green: With a fork, mash 1/4 of a small avocado until creamy. Mix this into your base.

Emerald green: Add small amount spirulina or bright green chlorophyll to base.

Purple: Using a sieve, mash the juice from several fresh or frozen blueberries into the base. Or, use blueberry juice.

Brown: Add cocoa powder or chocolate sauce to base.

Black: Use a small amount of squid ink in base for true black.

White: Mix powdered sugar and water.

It’s not just parabens to be concerned about in face paint, but all of the face paint tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics contained heavy metals!  This research is five years old, but I don’t have much faith the situation has improved.

• 10 out of 10 children’s face paints we tested contained low levels of lead, ranging from 0.05 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm).

Experts say there is no safe level of lead exposure for children and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that parents avoid using cosmetics on their children that could be contaminated with lead.

Lead exposures early in life can lead to hyperactivity, impulsive behavior, IQ deficits, reduced school performance, aggression and delinquent behavior. It can also impact fertility, including increasing risk for miscarriage and reducing sperm quality. Early-life lead exposure can even increase risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

• 6 out of 10 products contained the potent allergens nickel, chromium and/or cobalt at levels ranging from 1.6 to 120 ppm – far above the safety recommendations of industry studies.

We will be revisiting the face paint idea this evening and perhaps trying some of these recipes.