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Halloween Face Paints Contain Lead and Heavy Metals
Healthy Child
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
According to recent product tests, many children’s face paints contain lead, which can impact brain development at extremely low doses, as well as nickel, cobalt and chromium, which can cause rashes and lifelong skin sensitization. Because these substances are not listed on product labels, parents shopping for Halloween make-up have no way of knowing which products are safe. While this is particularly concerning for parents at this time of year, the lack of cosmetic safety standards is a problem that extends to all cosmetics sold in the United States.
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental groups, sent 10 children’s face paints to an independent lab to test for heavy metals, and also reviewed ingredient labels of Halloween products sold at a seasonal holiday store. The findings include:
* Ten out of 10 children’s face paints contained lead at levels ranging from .05 to .65 parts per million (ppm)
* Six out of 10 children’s face paints contained the potent skin allergens chromium, nickel and/or cobalt at levels ranging from 1.6 to 120 ppm – far exceeding safety recommendations of industry studies of 1 ppm
* Snazaroo Face Paint, labeled as “non-toxic” and “hypoallergenic,” contained some of the highest levels of lead, nickel and cobalt found in the study
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control specifically recommends that parents avoid using cosmetics on their children that could be contaminated with lead. “Lead is dangerous to the developing brains of children at any level. It is now widely accepted in the scientific community that there is no threshold level below which lead is safe,” said Dr. Phil Landrigan, Director, Children's Environmental Health Center Mount Sinai School of Medicine
Nickel, cobalt and chromium are top allergens in children, and early-life exposures increase the chance that kids will become sensitized and develop contact dermatitis. None of the four heavy metals found in the face paints were listed on product labels because contaminants are exempt from labeling laws.
The report also found several other hazardous ingredients in Halloween hair-color sprays and make-up products, including butane (persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic), thiram (possible carcinogen), alumina (toxic to the brain), propylene glycol (possible carcinogen) and the dyes pigment green 7 and pigment blue 15, which are not approved by FDA for use in cosmetics.
“Parents should not have to worry that face paint contains lead and other hazardous substances. Companies are not making the safest products possible for children, even though children are particularly vulnerable to toxic exposures,” said Lisa Archer, national coordinator of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics from the Breast Cancer Fund.
“It is clear the system is broken – we need to update the laws so that companies are required to remove lead and all other harmful substances from body-care products, and make the safest products possible.”
In the meantime, here are some tips for a safer Halloween: Choose costumes without face paint or masks (which can also have toxicity problems, as well as safety concerns due to interference with vision and breathing), or make your own face paint from natural products and ingredients.
Founding members of the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics include Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow, Breast Cancer Fund, Clean Water Fund, Commonweal, Environmental Working Group, Friends of the Earth, Massachusetts Breast Cancer Coalition, National Black Environmental Justice Network, National Environmental Trust and Women's Voices for the Earth.
Take Action!
Support safety: Sign the Petition for Safe Cosmetics, which calls for the removal of toxic chemicals in all cosmetics and personal care products - from face paint to baby shampoo, and body lotion to deodorant.
Additional resources:
Lead Prevention Tips, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
FDA Page on Hypoallergenic Products
Posted by Larissa on 10/28 at 10:37 PM
Please read my response to this, containing a response from Gary Cole, owner of Snazaroo.us at http://njfacepainter.blogspot.com/2009/10/face-paint-safety.html.
This study was sloppy and not done to industry standards.
While I cannot vouch for party store face paints, professional brands are FDA-compliant and perfectly safe.
Posted by The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics on 11/02 at 11:00 PM
This is pretty scary, huh? Help us give the beauty industry a makeover, and demand regulation of all cosmetics - from face paint to lipstick to bubble bath to aftershave! Join the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics at www.safecosmetics.org!
Posted by Larissa on 11/03 at 06:46 PM
It’d be scarier if the “study” had been conducted properly and accurately. And if the levels of heavy metals found weren’t many, many times smaller than those deemed safe by the FDA.
Posted by Larissa on 11/04 at 04:45 PM
MPR News issued a wonderful response to this “lead in face paint” story, located here: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/10/30/lead-in-face-paint/
Posted by Nurture on 10/28 at 09:05 PM
Great post. Also, check out the latest recall on Halloween flashlights! I’ve posted it to my blog. Have a happy and safe Halloween!