Is children's Watercolors safe to use for facepainting?

I know, I know... FDA approved cosmetic grade facepaints intended for use on skin...

however.. I am really really trying to help this local, and very large festival with their facepainting area. They paint SOOO many kids. I helped out this weekend as a volunteer, so I can help them make improvements. The lady in charge of kid village is really hard headed...she is fine with people using craft paints. Even though I explained it to her...
She stood up for a girl who was using watercolors. I asked her about it, and tried to gently explain about it's use. the girl said that the local art teacher in charge of 700 students GAVE this to her, and told her it was FINE to use on kids. The lady in charge of Kid village stood behind her.
I am writing a report to the organizers of the event, oulining everything from sanitation, safety, line management, etc I am looking for information specifically about watercolors. I see that a lot of facepainters have copied text, and it explains that watercolor pencils are not okay, but I need more. What is IN crayola watercolor paints, that make them not okay for skin? WHY are they not okay... She is spinning it as it's just a marketing ploy to get people to have to buy expensive paints, and I really care about people's safety. The whole festival is about health and consciousness. Could really use some help with this one! Thanks!

Honestly, from a liability standpoint alone I can't believe they're pushing for craft paints and watercolors. It may be true that they've used them before without any reactions or problems but if it were to happen they'd have literally no protection as those products are not being used for the intended purpose. Ask them what they intend to do if someone decides to litigate. It's a heck of a lot more cost effective to pay a little more for high quality face paints than it is to hire a lawyer for a case you're doomed to lose.

Just because something says 'non-toxic' doesn't mean it's safe for the skin. A lot of people can be allergic to things in non FDA compliant products (like myself).

I am on my phone, so I don't have the full of the Internet to find the ingredients that may cause problems on skin; however, just visiting crayolas website it states clearly that their product is NOT to be used on the face or body.

I absolutely agree with the previous posters; just because you can doesn't mean you should. If a child has a bad reaction to having paint meant for paper on their face, the cost of a lawsuit will be soo much more than the cost of FDA complaint face paint. If they want a face painter, they should really invest in the necessary product needed to do it.

And for Pete's sake, there are some CHEAP paints in the market. Most of us wouldn't recommend buying the junk they sell at Walmart for face painting but at least they buy that and have the benefit of saying "Yes, this is face paint".

There are a couple of threads on similar subjects but this is my favorite about painting with things that are non-toxic:

http://www.facepaintforum.com/t11175-non-toxic

Here's another good one:
http://www.facepaintforum.com/t12381-should-i-paint-my-face-with-acrylic-because-i-want-to

omg Funny!!! ha ha.. needed a good laugh!

Ya, ask about getting sued...that should change their mind quickly...the paint isn't that expensive for goodness sake. Some people act like spending a couple 100.00 on something is going to ruin them...come on, keep the kids safe!

.

Water colors contain pure pigment bound by gum arabica.
Cadmium yellow, Cadmium orange and Cadmium red contain, surprise, surprise, CADMIUM! There are phthalates in some purples and blues. An incidental contact with your adult skin may not cause any harm. Children absorb chemicals at a faster rate and their blood/brain barrier is not as developed as adults' blood/brain barrier. This paint is NEVER to be used near a child's mucous membranes.
Never "set" your brush with your mouth, once it has been used for water colors, acrylics or oil paint.
In today's day and age, it is shocking to me that any institution would be unaware of the damage that craft paint or water colors can cause to a child's kidneys and liver. My "Artist's Handbook of Materials and Techniques" is packed away right now, so I cannot quote directly from it.
Always purchase FDA approved ingredients in any makeup, moisturiser, or face paint. My insurance is null and void if I use acrylics, water color, or any kind of craft paint. I am also not covered if I use "Crayola" brand "Face Paint" as this product requires a barrier cream to be applied before usage.

This is NOT a ploy to get people to buy more expensive products. This is to protect ignorant people from harming defenceless children who trust us to paint their faces and not cause damage to their internal organs in the future.

Scratching my head in disbelief
and going back to my box.

Funny I was watching a show on TV about females in prison and they use watercolors as makeup because makeup is prohibited. These people won’t learn until someone files a claim against them.

It's the pigments in the paint that are unsafe, not necessarily the medium they're suspended in.

That said, Crayola is probably not going to put things like cadmium yellow in their products for kids because they know kids will eat them, hence, they're rated non-toxic (inhalation and ingestion are the primary routes for toxicity, not skin absorption). I still would not recommend using these products on skin as they can be difficult to remove.

The flip side is that if your festival/fair organizer permits one type of non-skin paint, they are going to have a difficult time regulating what kinds and brands of non-makeup paint are being used. That may lead to people using other kinds of craft paint which may have more toxic pigments in them.

Cadmiums are used in water colors.

I think at some point, it is good to remember that it is their choice, and people are free to make wrong choices. It is great that you are trying to educate- but I hope you aren't putting yourself in their line of fire. It hurts when people start making it personal.

In watercolors, yes, hence the latter part of my post. the original question was specific to crayola. I checked the msds before I posted but please link to it if I missed a concerning toxic pigment source in their watercolor line. Again, the point is not that it's a good idea to use these products but I also like to be accurate about where toxicity concern should be allocated. There's a lot of bad info circulating in our world that is based on poor resources or is untrue. I hate to add to that even if the intention is good.

Could you make a few split cakes...like rose, leaf, ect...and teach them how to use the cakes? that wouldn't cost them much? I think most watercolors would be sae, but...the liability isn't worth the risk? imho ox

Ugg! Just because it says non toxic doesn't mean it's safe! Jalapenos are non toxic, but I wouldn't rub it on my face!!!

True, but I think stating that Crayola is equivalent to jalapenos is going to get the original poster laughed at instead of taken seriously.

I think the goal is to use the most logical, plausible, non-hysterical statements about safety that can be reinforced with resources. The non-toxic is not skin-safe argument is okay, but the MSDS sheet for Crayola is pretty clear about it's non-irritating effects (as compared to, say, jalapenos).

The argument about having difficulty regulating all the kinds of watercolors or craft paints if they allow one type is probably going to go farther with an event organizer who knows they're too busy to check each and every brand of paint. Liability is an okay argument, but again, you'd be hard pressed to present that argument against Crayola, given it's safety ratings. Extending the argument to other kinds of paint and not being able to control what is used makes the liability argument more credible.

I think it's always important to choose an argument wisely. I am always on the fight against the craft paint crowd in my area, but it makes sense to bring an argument that will be taken seriously and can be backed up with logic instead of hysteria.

I don't have all day to explain to some people the different ingredients from craft paint to face paint ratio. I'm there to paint not teach a class or present my opinions before a board. Telling someone a quick example, like say jalapenos are non toxic, but you wouldn't put that on your face is all I have time for. It gets the point across. Craft paint can burn or irritate the skin just like jalapenos. It works for me.

The Crayola Face Paint here in Canada states, "Must be used with a barrier cream".
Hmmmm.

Cotton Candy, I agree. It's not a conversation I'd have with someone while painting! I'm just responding to the original request for someone who was looking for talking points to present to the organizers of an event she is not painting for.

This is the PDF I was using:
http://content.oppictures.com/Master_Images/Master_PDF_Files/BIN530525_MSDS.PDF

I don't want anyone to think I'm advocating using these products in lieu of of skin-safe products. I just see so many misinformed statements about products that I want those who are advocating for the face painting industry to be well informed. Our skin-safe products can cause dermatitis reactions, too. my only goal is to provide honest info about what is a legitimate threat to safety: pigments containing heavy metals and other metal oxides.

I don't want anyone to feel like they shouldn't speak up against the use of these products on kids. I support you guys and want you to have access to all the facts.

Lots of love!
-Julie

if you don't feel good about it, skip it.