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Archive for the ‘Halloween Makeup Safety Tips’ Category

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Halloween is the greatest holiday of the year, especially since you get to dress up and become someone – or something – else for a day. Costume makeup is a big part of the fun of transforming yourself into a new character, but there are some basic safety precautions you need to take to make sure nothing untoward happens to ruin the fun. Never Apply or Wear Makeup Near an Open Flame. Don’t light those scented candles in the bathroom while you put on your makeup, stay away from Jack O’Lanterns and the fireplace, and don’t cook dinner on the stovetop while wearing your makeup. Chemicals in makeup can be flammable, and you could be hurt, even under the best circumstances. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz, received second degree burns on her face and hands during filming when a flame rose a few seconds too soon, and missed almost two months worth of filming on the movie because of her injuries. Don’t risk this happening to you!

• Never Use Anything on Your Skin That Isn’t Specifically Intended for Use on Your Skin. Your skin is actually an organ of your body, and just as it will absorb moisturizer or suntan lotion applied to it, it will also absorb anything else applied to it, good or bad. There was a documentary on the History Channel which mentioned a medieval parade where a young boy was painted gold and dressed up like a cherub. Thanks to his “paint job”, he died of blood poisoning a week later. Don’t risk making yourself ill – don’t use ANYTHING that isn’t specifically intended for use on skin, and don’t use anything on your face or around your eyes that isn’t specifically intended for use on your face.
  

  
  For example, don’t put regular glitter on your eyelids or your lips, glitter can have metallic components or sharp edges which could irritate your eyes, nose and mouth if it falls in. If you want the glitter effect, buy glitter eyeshadow, Face Painting Glitter, Glitter Makeup Crayons, Roll On Glitter or Glitter Lipstick instead.

• Always Read the Makeup Instructions Before Applying. Preferably well before sitting down to apply your makeup – you’re more likely to miss important details in the rush of getting ready. Read the back of the package as soon as you purchase or receive the cosmetics, because that is your best opportunity to learn if you need a different applicator, if you need something special to remove it (as you do with Spirit Gum), if the product you purchased is not intended for use on the face or should not be combined with other kinds of makeup you intend to use.

• Check the Makeup Ingredient List. If you aren’t sure whether a product is safe for use on the face or around the eyes, check the ingredient list against the FDA List of Approved Color Additives and Approved Uses. This is a really useful chart which lists FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approved color additives, the year they were approved for use, and what they were approved for, and any restrictions. For example, Henna, a plant based dye, is approved for use as a hair coloring, but not for use around the eyes (it shouldn’t be used in mascara or products for the eyebrows, in other words).

• Test All Your Makeup for Allergic Reactions BEFORE Using It. This is particularly important for people who are prone to allergic reactions, who don’t routinely wear makeup, or if you are using a new kind of makeup. The last thing you want to do is go out on Halloween and have an allergic reaction on your face and hands. Test all makeup first, and allow yourself enough time to replace any makeup that causes a reaction. Apply a small amount of each kind of makeup you intend to use to the underside of your arm, each color (test each separate color you intend to use because the different colors will contain different pigments or chemicals to produce that color) and brand separately, wait at least an hour, and then inspect for reddening or a rash. Anything that causes a reaction on your skin should be replaced.
  

  
  If you DO have a reaction to a costume makeup product, you may want to Report Your Costume Makeup Problem to the FDA. If enough consumers are having problems with a product, the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) needs to know about it so they can deal with the problem.

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