GREENSBORO, N.C. - Painted faces are almost a rite of passage for kids on Halloween. I for example was a clown and a puppy dog. But what my Mom didn't know then that we do now:
"You're really gambling if you're using Halloween makeup," said Jen Coleman with the Oregon Environmental Council.
The Breast Cancer Fund published results of tests it did on Halloween makeup kits for sale across the country in 2016. All products geared toward children. Almost half of the 48 makeup pallets tested had at least one toxic heavy metal in them. We're talking Arsenic, cadmium, Chromium. And 9 of the pallets had lead.
"There is no safe level of lead. Even the smallest amount of exposure can have unsafe effects, especially in young children," Coleman said.
The study found the darker the pigment, the higher the level of lead.
Currently the federal government does not require children's face paint makeup to be tested for these contaminants. And in many cases, parents have no idea what they're putting on their kids' faces.
"You're not going to see contaminants like lead listed on the label," Coleman said.
Now we did find warnings on some of the labels, like this one that states you should not wear the blue on the lips. But the group behind this study says the best way to keep your children safe is to use only natural makeup. Like this one I found at Michaels for about $5.
And if you already have some paint at home, click this to read the full report and see if your products contain harmful chemicals.
