Thanks

I really am loving the lining experience with the watered powders. It’s not the most economical choice though, so I’ll definitely have to find something I can live with soon that will be cost effective and really safe. I’m going to look into other mineral and natural make-up companies to see if they have a less expensive version of some cake eye shadows. I only really need the black and white for lining after all, and if I can use the natural mineral shadow cakes and just powder them myself, I think I’ll save some money over what I’m doing now.

Thanks for all the great info sharing too.

And I have to tell you, using the powders with water (what Bare Minerals, my own daily makeup company of choice, calls “foiling”) is a phenomenal and inventive idea.

I use Elegant Minerals. Their site is here http://www.elegantminerals.com/Natural_Non_Toxic_Face_Paint_LEAD_FREE.html

and I don’t sell them, so I’m not promoting them for any other reason than that they are safe and natural.

They’re great in all respects, EXCEPT, the lining takes forever (literally) to dry. They’re a cream make-up that comes in a pot, which makes them incredibly blendable (something I’m still learning and playing with), and the color choices are great.

I’ve tried using translucent mineral powder under and over (clouds it over of course when used on top), and the only solution I’ve found to the lining problem is to use their mineral eye shadow line, which almost seems a safer choice as it’s specifically made for use near the eyes anyway. It comes in a powder form, and by using a tiny amount of water, can be made into a really wonderful to work with liner that dries quickly and is removable easily with a dab of water on a q-tip (something the cream will not do, smears and such). The colors are also amazing and even come in ‘brights’. The caveat, (you knew one was coming), is that they dry SO WELL, they can crack if they’re applied too thickly.

The EM paints are reasonably priced, and by contacting the company and telling them you’re a professional, they will offer you a larger size jar for less than $20 (wholesale prices).

I have looked at another Dutch company as well, Eulenspiegel. Their site is not in English however, so there’s little information to be had there, though their products look comparable, I was told they’re highly recommended for their purity and ease of use as well. If I can find out more about them, and now with your information on Kryolan, maybe a lead and metal free alternative will appear. We’ll see.

I think it’s an adjustment, and there is a tremendous learning curve… like learning to make better food choices, or educating ourselves about where everything we buy really comes from ~ it takes time, and a willingness to put in the effort and Change something that has been long-standing, and often widely believed to be the only choice. I also do feel that it makes the painting a bit more challenging in the short run. But in the long run, as I get better at using it, and develop my own technique, I feel it will be the best choice overall, for me, and won’t weigh on my conscience.

What do you propose to use? Honestly, you’re simply not going to find anything completely free of heavy metals. As soon as you’ve got pigments, you’ve pretty much got some metal involvement.

If it’s that concerning, the real best bet is to not get painted and not be a face painter, unfortunately.

Unfortunately, a face paint labeled as passing the US FDA standards, isn’t really anything to write home about since the US Food and Drug Administration has been allowing all kinds of toxins into the food supply for decades. Not that you want any products that are not approved, simply that it’s not the golden banner it once was in terms of product ‘safety’.

In both the CSC report, and a review of the report from Dr. Dennis Woo, former Chief of Pediatrics, and Dr. Wally Ghurabi, chief of emergency services, both of Santa Monica-UCLA and Orthopaedic Hospital, Santa Monica, Calif., there is concern that with regard to young children, no amount of lead is a safe amount. Small children tend to put their hands in their mouths and rub their eyes, taking the face paint with them. Additionally, face painters themselves who may get too close to eyes, nose, and mouth areas, run the risk of exposing the child to lead that then has the chance to enter the blood stream.

As the rate of absorption through the skin is unknown, as well as the dangers it may pose, it would seem prudent to err on the side of caution and simply use products that are lead and metal free. As a mom I just can’t imagine putting my designs, or the reputation, profits, and good name of a face painting manufacturer above my child’s health and well being. If more face painters lobbied against the unsafe ingredients in these paints by refusing to use them, the manufacturers would remove the lead and metals and make them another way. They don’t need to be in the paints at all, but supply and demand keeps them from bothering to remove them.

“Dr. Dennis Woo, former chair of pediatrics at Santa Monica-UCLA and Orthopaedic Hospital, Santa Monica, Calif., who reviewed the report, said, using face paint once a year “is probably not going to do anything at all [healthwise],” . But, he said he is surprised by the amounts of heavy metals found in the face paints. “We should start looking at this stuff. There’s no reason these heavy metals need to be in cosmetics.” His colleague, Dr. Wally Ghurabi, chief of emergency services, Santa Monica-UCLA and Orthopaedic Hospital, believes that even once-a-year use of the face paints may not be worth it. “Concerned parents should skip it,” he said. If those who apply the paints aren’t careful, he said, and get the paint too close to the eyes or nose, that could be potentially harmful.” http://www.achildgrows.com/2010/02/16/is-face-painting-dangerous/

“People can be exposed to lead by ingesting it, inhaling it or absorbing it through
the skin. Ingesting and inhaling lead are, without a doubt, the primary routes of
exposure and the greatest cause for concern. Although lead absorption through the skin
is often ignored, studies show that lead actually can be absorbed through the skin.”
http://safecosmetics.org/downloads/PrettyScary_Oct2709.pdf

I would be more than happy to answer any questions regarding the subject if you email me at
terra@bellarougedesign.com