Dr Carol Treasure, Founder of XCellR8
As Hallowe’en approaches, it feels timely to consider the safety of face and body paints, used by so many children (and adults!) for those spooky seasonal parties or trick-or-treat expeditions out into the cold autumnal nights. So, cozy up with a hot chocolate around a crackling fire (or just get a cuppa at your desk), and let’s look at some of the key points surrounding these very niche cosmetic products:
What’s the guidance?
In some countries, there’s specific Government guidance about this product category, warning against use on sensitive or damaged skin, and avoiding altogether in children under 3 years old (due to increased risk of ingestion or getting the product in the eyes).
For children and adults alike, it’s advisable to do a test on a small area, at least 24 hours ahead of application to a larger surface area, and avoid further use if there’s a skin reaction.
Never use these products on your pets! They aren’t designed for animals and could easily be harmful if ingested, get into the animal’s eyes, or cause skin sensitivity.
One of the most important points is to ensure that all products used for face painting are fully approved for use on human skin. Paints, crayons, inks and glitters must be specifically made and tested for cosmetics use! It may sound obvious, but there are many reports of general art supplies being used for face painting, with consumers misinterpreting a “non-toxic” label on products such as crayons to mean that it’s safe to use topically. Some users are allergic to colours and other chemicals used in craft paints and other stationery products.
Another common mistake is to assume that food ingredients (such as colours) are automatically safe for skin. They are not, because the gut has so many detoxifying mechanisms that just aren’t present in skin.
Safety assessments
Since some ingredients are absorbed across the skin into the circulation, systemic safety is just as important as local safety in the skin, so a thorough assessment for ingredients of face and body paints should always consider skin absorption, and where appropriate, include endpoints such as acute toxicity and genotoxicity, as well as the more obvious local skin and eye irritation, and skin sensitisation.
Choosing leading brands of products, specifically sold for face and body painting, should of course bring consumer confidence that a thorough safety assessment has been conducted, taking into account the total exposure when the product is used on a large surface area of skin (and repeat exposure, perhaps several nights in a row for the party animals out there!) There are many small brands available, especially online, and it’s important that they’re supported in making credible safety assessments to satisfy both regulatory and consumer demands.
Are face and body paints cruelty-free?
Face and body paints fall under cosmetics regulations and are therefore covered by the animal testing bans in place in the UK, Europe, and an increasing number of global regions. Cruelty-free claims such as Not Tested on Animals should never mean not tested at all! As with all products, it is the responsibility of companies to provide the safest possible face and body paints for human use. Questions should ultimately focus on how products ARE tested, rather than how they aren’t. Human-relevant scientific methods are now available to ensure that products are safer than ever for humans to use.
Uniquely, XCellR8’s tests go further and are completely free of animal-derived components. This means that the tests are fully relevant for humans, AND they meet ethical demands for cruelty-free and vegan products.
Product safety can be a scary topic but there’s no need to let it spook you, at Hallowe’en or any other time! If you’d like to find out how XCellR8’s completely animal-free in vitro safety and efficacy tests can support your products, including a clear demonstration of mildness to skin and eye, please do get in touch for a virtual fireside chat!
You may also be interested in our previous blog post about XtraMild – October’s Test of the Month, for demonstrating mildness to human skin. We’re offering special pricing this month to help more companies to access the test, try it out for the first time, or take advantage of discounts for batches of samples.
Email info@x-cellr8.com
Call +44 (0)1925 607 134.
Follow Us!