While my Halloween costumes were never particularly elaborate, I have to say that I appreciate the kids that go all-out for the holiday and get together an awesome ensemble complete with props, hair dye, face paint and the like. Well, unfortunately, parents helping their kids with their costumes are going to have to be a little bit more careful with the last item on that list (not “the like”; the one before that), as a new report states that some children’s face paints contain lead and other contaminants.

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, which the Environmental News Service says is “a national coalition of nonprofit health and environmental groups,” states in its reports that even some face paints labeled “non-toxic” and “hypoallergenic” contain not only lead, but “the heavy metals nickel, cobalt and chromium.” And now, the really un-fun news:

Because these metals are not listed on product labels, parents shopping for Halloween makeup have no way of knowing which products are safe. The only way to know if a cosmetic product contains lead or other heavy metals is to test the product at a laboratory, which the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics did for this report at a cost of $270.00 per sample.

So what’s a worried parent to do, if he or she wants to fulfill a child’s wish of being a tiger or what-have-you, but doesn’t want to expose said child to metals that can inhibit mental growth, even in low levels? Well, unfortunately the report doesn’t answer that question. John Bailey, chief scientist with the Personal Care Products Council (a cosmetics industry group), however, has some tips:

“Parents are advised to follow all directions on how to use and remove face paints, avoid products that indicate they are not to be used on children, and test products on your child’s arm a couple of days in advance to check for any potential allergic reaction,” Bailey advised. “If they follow these basic guidelines, parents can enjoy Halloween festivities with their children without unnecessary worry about the safety of these novelty products.”

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics disagrees, and states that, in fact, parents would be well-advised to avoid all face paints and masks for their children. However, if you want to try and split the difference, the FDA has tips on face paint safety right here. Good luck in your decision-making. Doesn’t seem like there’s an easy answer for this one. Though it seems that Danny has some good ideas for green costumes in his post.

photo credit: jakesmome’s flickr photostream/Creative Commons