Non-toxic Halloween Face Paint
Halloween is right around the corner and that means all of the princesses, fairies, pumpkins, and superheroes are going to be asking for some costume-themed face paint. Concerned about your face painting skills? Don’t worry! We are all in the same boat! Instead, let’s worry about what is in those store-bought face paints.
Did you know that 100% of the face paints tested by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics contain lead, a dangerous neurotoxin? (The Centers for Disease Control say there is no safe level of lead for children.) Fortunately, it’s really easy to create face paint using supplies you likely already have at home!
Making homemade, natural face paint is pretty easy and takes almost no time at all. Here is one recipe:
Safe & Natural Face Paint Recipe
Base:
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp water to make a paste
- 1/2 tsp mineral sunscreen or natural diaper rash cream for staying power!
- Colorful foods (pureed in a blend) to make desired shades (you can also use natural, organic pigments or food coloring, see below)
Mix the first three ingredients together to make a thick white paste. Then, take a little bit of the base and mix with different foods to create your desired colors. We’ve had a lot of success with blackberries (pretty rose color), avocado with a squirt of lemon juice (green), and hummus (orangey-brown). You can also use coffee/tea (browns, black), corn (yellowish color), and cherries (red). As different foods have different water content, you make have to add a bit more cornstarch to the mix depending on if your paint gets too runny once you add the colorful foods.
Use a clean sponge, paintbrush, or fingers to apply the paint. You can easily remove it with soap and water.
If you aren’t able to achieve the colors you want with food, or are just short on time or produce, you can always add natural, organic pigments or even food coloring to your base. Food coloring is not natural, but it’s still much, much safer than the store-bought versions!
Looking for fun-tastic activity this season? Consider our Halloween Slime Lab Box.
Every month a different box! For kids ages 3-10+
With 4-6 activities each, our Boxes pack a punch!
