Heavy Metals in Face Paints

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics sent 10 children’s face paints to an independent lab to test for heavy metals. Among their findings: 10 out of 10 children’s face paints they 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. Nickel, chromium, and cobalt can trigger skin rashes that appear throughout life with subsequent exposures.

What You Can Do
Because all the face paints we tested contained lead, and none of the metals they found were listed on ingredient labels, they recommend that parents avoid using face paints on children until safety standards are put in place.

In the meantime, here are some options:
- Choose costumes that don’t require face paint or masks (which may also contain toxic chemicals and impair vision and breathing).
- Make your own face paint with food-grade ingredients. Check out their recipe ideas.
- If you do use face paint, keep it away from kids’ mouths and hands so they don’t ingest it.
- Dressing up for Halloween (or dressing up for a night on the town) should be fun, and face paint and everyday cosmetics should not pose a threat to our health.

Article extracted from Cosmetics database. Download this 36 page report.