Last year, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics released a report stating that 10 of 10 face paints tested contained lead (a powerful neurotoxin) and other heavy metals. These findings fuel mounting concerns over the safety of numerous chemical fragrances, artificial colors, preservatives and other ingredients in body products (for children and adults).

But kids wear face paint, they don’t eat it, right?

Wrong. What’s applied to the skin is absorbed into the body. Think of body products (face paint, included) as skin food.

So what’s a parent to do?

Make you own, as we did today with New Day Northwests host, Margaret Larson. It’s super easy (and FUN!) and can be made with ingredients you likely already own and trust.

(Not sure if you do trust the products you own like diaper rash cream, or lotion, the base ingredient in our face paint recipe? Be sure to check out www.CosmeticDataBase.com).

Not the DIY type?

Purchase mineral-based makeup from EcoMom.com or TerraFirmaCosmetics.com.

Segment links:

Non-toxic nail polish:

www.hopscotchkids.com

Safe Face Paints (pre-made):

www.ecomom.com

www.terrafirmacosmetics.com

All-natural food coloring:

www.wholefoods.com

Non-toxic diaper rash cream:

www.weleda.com

Get the {eco} Look: Corey’s dress from Issaquah-based sustainable-designer, Lizzie Parker. Lynn’s artisan-designed, reclaimed felt necklace from Digs.com.

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Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

National Costume Swap Day was featured on Q13 (FOX) in Seattle!

Thanks so much to Macaroni Kid (Snoqualamie Valley) and friends for helping us to get up this “mock swap” for the shoot. Watch the video above, and click here for the whole story.

Have photos or video from your costume swap? Send them to us via e-mail and we just might feature you on GreenHalloween.org!

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Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

If you hadn’t heard the incredible buzz (including on Good Morning America!), the first-ever National Costume Swap Day is already a wild success.

With more than 65 registered costume swaps in the U.S. and Canada, there’s a lot of money and landfill space to be saved this year. Plus, swapping costumes is FUN!

Find a swap near you by clicking here.

Hosting a swap? Here are the how to.

Are you planning on attending a costume swap ?

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

We decided it’s time to share some pictures from the Green Halloween festivities last year at Tampa. This year we are gearing up for another amazing run of Green Halloween with over 20 cities hosting events nationwide. We’re all fabulously excited for all of these events launching and hope everyone attending will have a blast!

If you want to host a Green Halloween event, it is not too late! Check out our Get Started section on Green Halloween to find information and simple steps.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.

Do you have a sweet tooth for justice and activism? Then perhaps you will take delight in knowing that trick-or-treaters of all ages in the US can give Fair Trade chocolate attached to an informational card back to adults in their neighborhoods as a mass action to educate the public about how Fair Trade can ameliorate poverty, child slavery/abusive child labor, and environmental degradation in the cocoa fields. Last year, tens of thousands of groups of children reached over a quarter million households in a single night… and you are invited to help make the Fourth Annual Reverse Trick-or-Treating a continued success!

Individual families, schools, congregations, and youth organizations can request kits online through www.reversetrickortreating.org.

DATES TO REQUEST KITS:

Individuals:  September 1-October 8

Organizations:  October 1-8

You can also download a free pdf of our informational flyers or cards from our website and distribute them on Halloween to help us reach tens of thousands of additional households.

We are also challenging households nationwide to buy some Fair Trade chocolate minis to distribute to children from doorsteps on Halloween!

And once Halloween is over, the fun simply does not stop. You can also join our suite of winter holiday programs, including Fair Trade Holiday Caroling, the Fair Trade Holiday Gift Pledge, and the Fair Trade New Year’s Resolution program.

But Fair Trade products can be celebrated year-round. The Fair Trade Campaign at Global Exchange also coordinates Sweet Smarts, a national network of kids, parents and teachers who advocate for Fair Trade certified products through various creative actions (such as the ones mentioned above) to transform communities and corporations, and support small-scale farmers efforts to build a better future for their families and protect the environment.

For a fun informational starter on Fair Trade chocolate, use our FREE Fair Trade Cocoa Curriculum.  More information at www.globalexchange.org/cocoa

Guest post written by Ruby Aguirre of Fair Trade Campaign, Global Exchange.

Green Halloween® is a nationwide non-profit initiative started by mother-daughter team Corey Colwell-Lipson and Lynn Colwell. In 2010, Green Halloween became a program of EcoMom® Alliance and has events in cities across the U.S.