Face Painting is Beautiful But is It Safe?

Face painting is a great draw for the holidays and summer events but most unfortunately sometimes comes with a bad reaction, as seen in the photo.

I am a professional face and body painter delighted to make the children and the young-at-heart smile when they see my designs in the mirror. Through the years I have seen other face painter's work, which brings to mind a concern within the face painting industry that you should be aware of too. 

The major concern is making sure your child will be painted with safe face paint before being painted.  Some face painters and volunteers at local events use acrylic craft paints and Sharpies, both containing harsh chemicals and carcinogens that even the manufactures warn about getting on the skin.  Cheap face paint can also cause a reaction or leave stains after washing.

The little girl in the photo got her face painted by church volunteers at a fair using craft paint that made her feel itchy as it dried. Ten minutes later, the child was brought to a professional face painter's booth to get it off and "have a real face painting put on" the dad said. 

So many times I've heard the same from my clients at parties and events who never thought to ask what kind of paint was being used before their child got painted.  

Professional face painters invest quite a lot in buying safe professional face and body paints formulated specifically for use on the skin. Snazaroo is a professional face paint originally created by a British mother for children with sensitive skin and it is manufactured in England. 

There are other brands of professional face paints like Wolfe, Diamond FX and TAG, all manufactured in the far east, but personally I prefer Snazaroo as it comes right off with a wipe and doesn't leave color stains behind.

Even the glitters professional painters use to finish off the face paintings are smooth edged Cosmetic Grade that won't irritate the eyes or cut into the cornea like glitters bought at the craft stores can. 

Always ask what kind of paint or glitters are being used before you or your child get in line to be painted. Professional face painters will be glad to tell you what they are using, even let you read the ingredients on the back of the products, so don't be afraid to ask. When in doubt, walk away because there are usually are other face painters at big events. Being safe is so much better than having a skin reaction that ruins the fun of the event.