Halloween Makeup Safety Tips

By Teresa Zawada, aesthetician at Windsor Dermatology 

It’s that time of year again...Halloween. For aestheticians such as myself, this day isn’t just about candy and trick-or-treating, it’s also about advising our patients how both they and their kids can safely use Halloween makeup. Parents often ask me about the “safety” of using Halloween paint or makeup, especially if they have young children who want to be painted green as goblins or yellow as Sponge Bob. So here are some quick tips to help:

Using makeup is one thing, but when paints are formulated to glow in the dark, congeal like blood, or shimmer and shine, chemistry is throwing its weight around in formulations. In recent years, many companies have come under scrutiny for including lead, nickel and chromium as ingredients, but not labeling them on the packaging. Keep in mind, “expensive does not equal quality,” however, there are exceptions when it comes to Halloween makeup.   

If you have the option of buying 10 colors for $3, or one color for $3, opt for the latter. Make your purchase, take it home and do a few tests for yourself. 

First, you want to check if the product or the company has had any recalls. Secondly, you may want to test a small inconspicuous area on your body with the paint a few days before you need to use it.

 
If you are prone to allergies or have had allergic reactions to cosmetics or costume jewelry in the past, you may want to have an anti-allergen like Benadryl on hand. If you’re using the product on small children, spot test them as well, but also look for wording on the package such as “FDA approved,” “non-toxic” and  “child toy safety” ratings. This will ensure the product went through rigorous tests and if the product should get into the nose, eyes or ingested, it is not toxic.

After all of that prep, you were thrilled with the outcome, you were the hit of the party, and now it’s time to take off all that gook. For adults, use a gentle cleanser, I do not recommend mixing cleansers with active ingredients, but rather, using a creamy gentle cleanser with a microfiber cloth. For children, nothing is gentler than the old fashioned baby wipe, and with less water run-off, it’s more easily controlled when wiping their delicate faces. Proper cleansing at the end of the night will ensure that your face makeup will not make a new home in your pores, and you will wake up looking like yourself again!  

Happy Halloween!