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.

Thanks to a handful of generous designers and companies, my Halloween in NYC was not only fun, it was eco-fabulous!

Here is what I wore to the Green Halloween kick-off party on Friday night. (Clearly, I need a new pose.)

Wearing (and loving) Lizzie Parker – a Seattle local designer and amazing woman. I’m a huge fan. The outfit was not intended to be a costume, but for this photo I donned a black witch hat, borrowed from my daughter. Also wearing a necklace made of funky, upcycled materials and upcycled guitar string hoop earrings from Etsy. Not in photo – black Lizzie Parker cape and chocolate candy wrapper clutch from Ecoist.

That same night, I also wore “Coffee Couture” – Made by designer Susan Alveshere and loaned to me by A Masquerade in Bellevue, WA. The dress is made of hand-dyed burlap coffee bags (surprisingly un-itchy!), hand sewn coffee bean embellishments, and coffee filters (complete with a coffee filter flower hair clip). With Rainforest Native acai necklace and bracelets, MapleXO upcycled skateboard hoop earrings and bangles, Mohop sustainable wood wedge platform sandals, and Cosabella bamboo tank top. (See the exact dress on the runway here - page 24.)

On Halloween at the Green Halloween NYC family festival (with my mom and I and costumed friend, Leslie Bocskor), wearing rented (reused) dress, necklace and “windswept” mask courtesy A Masquerade.

We’ll be posting more news and photos from our time in NYC, but in the meantime, we’d love to hear from you… What did your family do for Halloween? What did your kids wear? What about you? Post comments below.