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Trick-or-treating. Halloween parties. Zombie runs. No respectable zombie is complete without fake blood and face paint. Of course, dressing up like a zombie is no fun if your costume is actually making you sick.
Conventional face paints and fake blood usually contain heavy metals such as lead, chromium, nickel and cobalt. They also have fragrance, dyes, parabens and petroleum products. These hidden toxins have been linked to everything from lifelong skin sensitization to cancer and birth defects.
A 2009 report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, tested ten different children’s face paints for heavy metals. Ten out of ten face paints contained low levels of lead. Six out of ten products contained nickel, chromium and/or cobalt in levels far above industry safety recommendations. Early exposures to lead (even low levels) has been linked to hyperactivity, impulsive behaviors, aggression and IQ deficits. It can reduce sperm quality and increase risk for miscarriage. And increases your risk for Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Nickel, chromium and cobalt can lead to lifelong skin rashes.
Unfortunately, choosing safe face paint for your kids isn’t so easy. None of the product ingredient labels listed these harmful metals. Even more alarming, their labels contained claims such as “hypoallergenic” and “FDA compliant.”
Non-Toxic Alternatives to Conventional Face Paints and Fake Blood
1. The safest alternative is to avoid face paints and fake blood altogether.
2. If your child’s costume requires the use of such products (such as for the perfect zombie), try making your own all-natural face paint.
3. Choose all-natural, non-toxic face paints and fake blood.
- Non-toxic stage blood from Gravity and Momentum for all of your living dead needs made from food grade ingredients
- Pure Poppet offers natural face paint and makeup crayons for kids. It is non-toxic and uses vegetable dyes.
- Natural face paint from Elegant Minerals is lead-free, talc-free, fragrance-free and vegan.
- Terra Firm offers natural face paint and fake blood that is free from toxic ingredients.
- Nova Naturals face pencils are non-toxic, lead-free and paraben-free.
- Luna Star costume makeup is all-natural, non-toxic and hypoallergenic.
- Pink Quartz Minerals stage makeup is non-toxic and vegan.
For more ways to green your Halloween:
- DIY Halloween (The Lightening Bug Costume)
- My Green Halloween 2010 (The Robot Costume)
- Green Your Halloween Costumes and Face Paints
- Green Your Halloween Decorations
- Green Your Halloween Pumpkins and Jack-o-Lanterns
- Green Your Halloween Treats
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