How to educate people about safe face painting?

Ok we all know most of the people try to find volunteer for face painting o for the chipest face painter around the area; which usually is someone that most of the time does not have any knowledge about face painting or safety and hygiene.

I have being read and hear all kind of stories and complains about the same issue all the time... including myself!, and I am starting to wonder... who do we think should be responsible for educate people about safe face painting?

To be honest before I start doing face painting I just trust people that paint my kid, because as a parent we think who ever is organizing a child event has the caution of keep our kids safe. Now I know that is not true there are people that just does not have the knowledge and another that just don't care.

I wonder if any of you have starting to do something to inform your community about the risk of having their kids being painted with acrylic or any other unsafe stuff?

I am asking this because I would like to star doing something about it in my location
maybe some of you guys around Ottawa might be interested on join me in this journey.

Best wishes to everyone

I make a point to let everyone know i use water soluble makeup, not "face paint"....and i make a point to use finger quotes when i say face paint....

when a parent starts telling me to only paint the kids hand, and lets me know it is because they were left with a horrible rash, I simply say "oh, did the paint look like mine?"
that's when they say "actually, no! it was in a bottle and it was liquid".

I don't make accusations, I simply tell them about mehron liquid paint, grease paint, walmart "face craft paint", elmers paint and acrylic paint....and let them know that my paint dries to a matte finish, will not rub off, and comes off with just a quick swipe of a wet wash cloth.


the next thing i do is point out my isoprophyl alcohol on the table, and tell them how i let the brushes sit for 60 seconds and air dry completely between uses, and show them my bucket for used sponges, wipes, and q-tips...usually i keep my bucket out of the way in my paint bag so nobody can see (gets kinda gross to see so many used items!) but i will show the parent so they know nobody is being double dipped.


the last thing i do is give them the paint test and have them come back in an hour so they know whether or not they have a reaction.

i NEVER mix paint brands....if i am using TAG on a design, it is 100% TAG.
if it is SNAZ, it is 100% SNAZAROO, and if it is wolfe, it is 100% WOLFE. everything, even the line work.

i also carry a data sheet of the ingredients just in case someone asks, so they can read up on it if they are that curious, and EVERY PARENT with a concern gets my business card to call back if there is a problem....which there hasn't been so far.



as a mom myself, it is MY JOB to educate MYSELF on what is going on my KIDS faces.

frankly, i question the parenting of some people who just let ANYBODY spackle their childs face.





also, i wouldn't be quite so jerky about the acrylic paint as others are....afterall, MARC REID painted for EIGHT YEARS with acrylic.
if you have a board display, maybe add a little fact sheet. personally, i don't...so i just chat about it while i paint, if i'm approached. i don't go around educating people that don't want to be educated, but if the question comes up, I'M THERE!Lol  

all you have to do to "Educate" is let them know what is some basic things that can open the doors of wisdom for them...just "turn them on" to what type of things they should be looking for when waiting in line to get their kids painted in the future.

When talking to people I make it a point to refer to the products we use as makeup. If you are using professional grade products -- and I assume you are -- that's what it is. Face Painting is what we do, but the products we use are makeup.

In any case, if you look professional the issue doesn't really come up.

If someone is seriously concerned send them on their way. It's not worth the hassle and it's not a conversation you should be having in public. You don't want to plant the idea in some other customer's mind that it might not be perfectly safe. Just compliment them for paying more attention to these things then most parents, assure them that while YOUR products are safe, in their case it might be best not to take any chances.

You want them to leave feeling great about it, and if you handle them professionally enough you never know -- they might well change their mind about you and the products that you offer.

In my opinion.

nikkili26 wrote:I make a point to let everyone know i use water soluble makeup, not "face paint"....and i make a point to use finger quotes when i say face paint....

when a parent starts telling me to only paint the kids hand, and lets me know it is because they were left with a horrible rash, I simply say "oh, did the paint look like mine?"
that's when they say "actually, no! it was in a bottle and it was liquid".

I don't make accusations, I simply tell them about mehron liquid paint, grease paint, walmart "face craft paint", elmers paint and acrylic paint....and let them know that my paint dries to a matte finish, will not rub off, and comes off with just a quick swipe of a wet wash cloth.


the next thing i do is point out my isoprophyl alcohol on the table, and tell them how i let the brushes sit for 60 seconds and air dry completely between uses, and show them my bucket for used sponges, wipes, and q-tips...usually i keep my bucket out of the way in my paint bag so nobody can see (gets kinda gross to see so many used items!) but i will show the parent so they know nobody is being double dipped.


the last thing i do is give them the paint test and have them come back in an hour so they know whether or not they have a reaction.

i NEVER mix paint brands....if i am using TAG on a design, it is 100% TAG.
if it is SNAZ, it is 100% SNAZAROO, and if it is wolfe, it is 100% WOLFE. everything, even the line work.

i also carry a data sheet of the ingredients just in case someone asks, so they can read up on it if they are that curious, and EVERY PARENT with a concern gets my business card to call back if there is a problem....which there hasn't been so far.



as a mom myself, it is MY JOB to educate MYSELF on what is going on my KIDS faces.

frankly, i question the parenting of some people who just let ANYBODY spackle their childs face.





also, i wouldn't be quite so jerky about the acrylic paint as others are....afterall, MARC REID painted for EIGHT YEARS with acrylic.
if you have a board display, maybe add a little fact sheet. personally, i don't...so i just chat about it while i paint, if i'm approached. i don't go around educating people that don't want to be educated, but if the question comes up, I'M THERE!Lol  

all you have to do to "Educate" is let them know what is some basic things that can open the doors of wisdom for them...just "turn them on" to what type of things they should be looking for when waiting in line to get their kids painted in the future.

Respectfully, I am a completely intollerant of artists using acrylic. Mark Reid did it because he didn't know any better. It was wrong then and it remains wrong today. It's potentially dangerous to the kids, and it's a royal pain in the butt to get off -- which means the next time they are thinking about getting something done they are going to think twice and perhaps walk away.

Mind you, I don't get in other artists faces about it, but it irritates me.

I publish this topic for three reasons:

1.- I am a Mom that I wish that when I did not have the knowledge that not all the paint is safe for facepainting, somebody educate me (Obviously my own personal perspective).
Sincerely I don't think that moms in general; before go to an event or any time during their day start reading about safe face painting at least that the topic come around in the web, which I don't consider irresponsible, I just think that they just trust us which I deeply appreciate and I don't judge their parenting for that because that does not make you better or worse parent.

2.- I am a face painter and care about little ones including those that are not mine.

3.- I have being around my area with my kids for family event and make me feel so sad to see events where the "face painter"  is using some kind of acrylic paint or when using the right product using the same sponge for all the kids in line, and in general seen that they don't have any caution at all; in fact last event that I attend the guys painting was smelling awfully to smoke. (my girls don't get painted  outside home, at least that I approve it) and of course I don't approach everybody telling them that what I see is wrong.

I mainly do birthday parties  and you are right! all my customers have information about my products and that acrylic is a no no no and what they have to look for when painting their kids in public to keep the kids safe!

In public events I don't talk about it at least that a mom bring the topic or make a comment about the difference in products and quality compare with the previous face painter.

as a mom, in public, I just don't let my kid get painted with acrylic or "facepaint".....and if I am with a friend, I will educate my friend if they are considering letting their kids get "face painted".

that is when I whip out my sampler and quickly lay down something on OUR OWN kids faces.


it's not my Job to educate other adults in every scenario. honestly, they would do the research if they care.

just like you did, just like I did.
and while acrylic is no good, some parents obviously continue to let people put it on without a question.



PERSONALLY, the first time my kids got painted and I saw what the girl used, I ASKED "what on earth is that, why does it look like that!" because it looked like that "model car" hobby paint. but she told me it was liquid makeup.

when I saw her poor results, I did two things:googled "what is facepaint liquid makeup" and "how to facepaint kids faces".


here I am today

Funtasy, I'm curious as to what you say to look for when a person is facepainting in public. Liquid face paints and hybrid paints look a lot like acrylic but is not. We don't want to instill fear and hurt the market, needlessly.

I just recommend my costumers don't feel afraid to ask if the products are specially made for face and body painting and FDA approved, and of course the basic recommendation about the face painter is not using the same sponge to paint all the kids, that clean his/her hands, wash brushes between kids, this kind of things that you don't need to be an expert to know that you can trust but that sometimes we miss.

I usually send letters or emails to whoever put on an event if I see unsafe products being used and I have made an impact in my community already! I know of a few yearly events with tons and tons of kids that now use safe (albeit, cheap) face paints and one that started hiring professionals.

So, here's the letter I sent to a local city parks and rec department. Feel free to use it!:

http://www.facepaintforum.com/t7586p15-help-anyone-have-a-letter-to-the-pto-pta-about-not-using-acrylics#118188

I also posted an announcement to all mommies in the area on a local mommy's support group forum. Although that was long time ago. I should do it again.

I have a page about face paint safety on my website here: http://facesbygina.com/face-paint-safety

and I have written a blog post about it here:
Locally available safe face paint: http://facesbygina.blogspot.com/2013/10/locally-available-safe-face-paints.html
Halloween face paint: http://facesbygina.blogspot.com/2013/10/halloween-make-up.html

I plan to write one about using safe face paint at fundraisers and community events on my blog soon too. I'll let you know when I'm done.

Thank you Gina for sharing that letter.

I think will be very useful for anybody that share the same ideology and want to make a difference.

I am glad to read that you already are doing something in your community and that already have an impact, that really inspire me to pursuit my goal.

I am sure that this fact does not just give you the confidence of your community and bring you more business but reflect your quality as a person and face painter.