Guest post

Face painting is an eco-friendly solution to all the synthetic, wasteful, and expensive Halloween costumes out there. With some painted-on whiskers and a blackened nose, your child can easily be transformed into a loveable feline. With some black circles around their eyes and a white sheet (with eye holes, of course) over their head, they’re instantly the scariest little ghost on the block.

Unfortunately, the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reported that 10 out of 10 face paints they tested contained lead (a powerful neurotoxin), while others even contained nickel, cobalt, and chromium. Masks aren’t a healthy alternative either, as they have been discovered by the Washington Toxics Coalition to contain high levels of cadmium, another toxic heavy metal in paints that can accumulate in the body. Masks may also contain hormone-disrupting, off-gassing phthalates. Even trace amounts of chemicals and toxins are worrisome to parents, as children absorb about 50 percent of all the lead that enters their systems; and it never goes away.

Thankfully, there are natural, healthful alternatives available to eco- and safety-conscious parents.

Luna Star: This mother-and-daughter-founded company based in New Hampshire offers natural, hypoallergenic costume makeup for Halloween as well as other dress-up occasions. The ingredients, which include natural oxides, micas, and essential oils, are gentle enough for delicate young skin, and still easy to remove. Luna Star a proud signer of the Compact for Safe Cosmetics and comply with their non-toxic, no animal testing standards. Luna Star products do not contain preservatives, artificial colors, fragrances, parabens, or gluten. Their jars are also BPA free, and they use recycled shipping boxes and labels.

Terra Firma Cosmetics: Terra Firma Natural Face Paints are non-toxic, kid-safe, and eco-friendly. The Washington-based company is committed to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics and donates 10 percent of its proceeds from paint kit sales to Green Halloween! Each kit includes an applicator set with an instruction pamphlet. The paints include ingredients like vegetable glycerin, aloe leaf juice, rose water, jojoba oil, beeswax, and grapeseed oil. Terra Firma Cosmetics also hold a record of making the best double jogging stroller available in the market.

Wee Can Too Edible Art Supply: Edible face paint? That’s exactly what Wee Can Too has done. This natural, eco-friendly, non-toxic face paint is made with organic fruit and vegetable dyes – real blueberries, beets, pumpkin, and spinach – mixed with rice cereal and rice flour! The ingredients are vegan, free of wheat, dairy, sugar, and preservatives. Purchase Edible Face Paint by Wee Can Too through the Susty Party website.

Celebrate Green! recipe: If you want to know the exact ingredients in your child’s face paint, make it yourself. Try this DIY recipe from the mother-daughter founders of Green Halloween and authors of the book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations & Traditions for the Whole Family.

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ChasingGreen is a website dedicated to sharing the message that ordinary people can positively impact our world in their everyday lives. ChasingGreen knows that your life is already complex and works to show you how you can reduce your environmental impact in simple practical ways.

For the last two days, we’ve  promised to share the easy-to-make, healthy face paint recipe from our book, Celebrate Green! Creating Eco-Savvy Holidays, Celebrations and Traditions for the Whole Family.

So (drum-roll, please) here it is! Direct from page 100…

Make your own perfectly natural face paints

A test performed by Washington Toxics Coalition and a Seattle-area investigative reporter found that even children’s products labeled as non-toxic may be laced with known toxins such as lead. Store-bought, non-toxic face paints are no different and can expose you and your children to an array of chemicals and preservatives, including BHA, formaldehyde, kohl (due to lead), phthalates, and parabens, which the Environmental Working Group states, can disrupt the hormone (endocrine) system, and [in one report] were found in the breast cancer tumors of 19 of 20 women studied. Given that most face paints and pencils contain parabens, your best bet is to make them yourself. You might just save some money doing it this way too.

To DIY-for face paints:

• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp water
• ½ tsp all natural diaper rash cream, such as the California Baby brand (we know, we know, it sounds weird, but it works)
• 1-2 drops natural/ organic food coloring

In a small bowl, mix water and cornstarch. Add baby cream and food color and mix a bit more.

Budget101.com can also help to turn you into a Hollywood worthy make-up and wardrobe artist with their list of do-it yourself, chemical-free or easy to alter recipes for all your kids costume requests, from the sweet to the gross and ghoulish.

Not the DIY type?

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

(Photo by Holli Dunn)

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Have you made your own face paints? Have another recipe you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it. Add your comment, below.