Face painting

Kids love painting especially the face painting. This is a way for them to express their hidden dreams of being a superman, superwoman, hero, Disney characters and many more. In birthday parties, Halloween party,  festivals and other kids gathering kids love to get their face painted. It is a fun activity and has advantage over wearing mask because kids can clearly see.

When painting face, parents of young children should take maximum care. Young adults who wish to paint their face on various occasions must take proper precautions. When painting designs on face, follow the instructions so that paint should not cause any problems like skin allergy and breathing issues.

If you are using glow paints which is something we use during Halloween, take extra precautions. There are two kinds of “glow” affects you might get from Halloween-type makeup. Ready for some ten-dollar words? There are “fluorescent” (say “floor-ESS-ent”) and “luminescent” (say “loo-min-ESS-ent”) colors. Here’s the difference:

1. Fluorescent colors: These are the make-you-blink colors sometimes called “neon” or “day-glow.” There are eight fluorescent colors approved for cosmetics, and like other colors, there are limits on how they may be used. None of them are allowed for use near the eyes.
2. Luminescent colors: These colors glow in the dark. In August 2000, FDA approved luminescent zinc sulfide for limited cosmetic use. It’s the only luminescent color approved for cosmetic use, and it’s not for every day and not for near your eyes. You can recognize it by its whitish-yellowish-greenish glow.

 Safety tips for face painting

•  Follow all directions carefully that is given in product label. Non toxic does not mean safe to put on skin. There are particular kids face paints available in market and use suitable paints.
• According to reports in unmasking toxic chemicals in kids make up – more than 50% of face paints and cosmetics marketed for kids contains at least one toxic ingredient that is linked to hormone disruption, learning difficulties or developmental delays. Labels will not show if it contains lead and cadmium. Read review of the product or ask an expert before buying paints.
• Use plant based, organic products.
• Don’t decorate your face with things that aren’t intended for your skin.
• If your face paint has a very bad smell, this could be a sign that it is contaminated. Throw it away and use another one.
• Like soap, some things are OK on your skin, but not in your eyes. Some face paint or other makeup may say on the label that it is not for use near the eyes. Believe this, even if the label has a picture of people wearing it near their eyes. Be careful to keep makeup from getting into your eyes.
• Even products intended for use near your eyes can sometimes irritate your skin if you use too much.
• If you’re decorating your skin with something you’ve never used before, you might try a dab of it on your arm for a couple of days to check for an allergic reaction BEFORE you put it on your face. This is an especially smart thing to do if you tend to have allergies.
• When buying glitter paint look for paints that made of polyester with size of 0.008 microns in size or smaller that is considered as cosmetic size and as per FDA it is safe to use.
• Wash off the paint/make up as soon as kids get home. Don’t allow children to go to bed with glitter or any paint on. Wearing paint for longer time can irritate your skin, and bits of makeup can flake off or smear and get into your eyes.
• Wash brushes used for painting thoroughly, read instructions how to wash brushes. Leaving brushes in water or alcohol can promote bacterial growth in brushes.

For more refer : https://www.fda.gov/

Photo by Gift Habeshaw on Unsplash (Free for commercial use)