Halloween can be a very fun and exciting holiday, and many people will use various types of makeup to compliment their costume. Often times makeup is much safer to wear than a mask that can hinder your vision but you do have to be careful using Halloween makeup. It is important to follow instructions closely when using face or body paint in order to avoid skin and eye irritations.
The following are some good tips on using Halloween paint and makeup safely:
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Be sure to follow directions carefully
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Do not use products that aren't intended for the skin or face
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Be careful to only use makeup on the part of the body it is intended for, for instance do not use makeup meant for your body on your eyes
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Try to test a small spot on your skin before using makeup to ensure it does not irritate you, this is especially important if you are prone to allergies
A big part of Halloween makeup is color and sometimes color additives can irritate the skin. It might not hurt to do a bit of research on the ingredients contained in the product you intend to use. Luckily there are laws on the types of additives that can go in various cosmetics and body paints, and these rules are set by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are a couple of ways to make sure that the ingredients in the product you intend to use are approved by the FDA. You should always check the list of ingredients on the product and then go to the FDA's website and check the list of approved ingredients for cosmetics. The Environmental Working Group also has a cosmetic database that allows you to enter an ingredient and learn information.
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Ingredient Safety – a list of FDA approved cosmetic ingredients that are proven safe for use
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Cosmetic Safety Database – a database of cosmetic ingredient information from the Environmental Working Group (EWG)
- Halloween Safety - some great tips for safety regarding costumes, decorating, trick-or-treating, and more
Some Halloween costumes call for the use of certain types of makeup or paints that give you a ghoulish type glow. There are two different types of glow effects that you can get from makeup. There are luminescent and fluorescent colors. Luminescent colors glow and in the dark, and in 2000, the FDA approved luminescent zinc sulfide for limited cosmetic use. This is the only luminescent color approved by the FDA for cosmetic use and it is not intended for every day use or use near the eyes. There are also fluorescent colors that can give your skin a neon glow, and there are only seven fluorescent colors approved by the FDA for use, and there are limits on how these colors can be used. Like luminescent zinc sulfide, the seven approved fluorescent colors are not intended for use near the eyes.
FDA Approved Fluorescent Colors
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D&C Orange #5, #10, and #11
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D&C Red #21, #22, #27, and #28
When the party is over, it is important not to go to bed with your Halloween makeup on. Wearing the makeup for a long period of time can cause irritation, and wearing to to bed may cause it to smear and get in your eyes. Removing your Halloween makeup properly is just as important as applying it properly, be sure to read and follow the directions on the package. Even if you follow all of the safety precautions, Halloween makeup can still possibly cause a bad reaction, in which case it is a good idea to contact your doctor.
Written by Michael S. Atwood