Acrylic Paint on the Face???

I was at a fair this weekend and there were many booths for facepainting. Like everyone else I was curious about the artwork displayed on the boards and was looking around. I looked over to see what kind of facepaint the woman was using and on her tray of all different kinds of facepaints there were 2 bottles of ceramacoat acrylic paint. There was one yellow bottle and one white bottle. I didn't physically see her use them. But she was also picking up dirty sponges off of her tray and dipping them into the water and just squeezing them out to use on another child. They were gross looking. I would never let my child get their face painted there.
My husband also overheard the other facepainting booth telling a parent that the paint would last on the childs face for 3-4 days!!! What facepaint does that? I know that the Wolfe and the DFX that I use does not last on anyones face that long.
Is there any way to have something done about these issues at this fair? It is horrible to see these people walking around with the paint on their faces and wonder if it is facepaint or something terrible.

-Jennybo

It happens everywhere & is unfortunate, but the major public does not understand the face painting industry. All we can do is keep educating parents who come to us for services.
I was at a big event in May & a lot of booths(selling other items) were offering free "face painting" w/ acrylics. The really unfortunate part is there was a face painting booth that was using Snazaroo & because they were PPF were not getting a lot of business.
As far as cleanliness... I'm all for a clean kit(I'm quite neurotic about it actually), but you should see some of the kits of some of the big time face painters. A lot of them have very gross looking coffee water

Usually if it's acrylic, the work will be pretty icky looking because you can't really do nice details on the face with it. If it is an issue for future, I would mention it to the people in charge of the vendors and explain to them the potential dangers of acrylic paint and how that could potentially lead to a legal issue with the fair. But I find usually simply explaining why acrylic is so bad for the skin is enough for them to better police the face paints being used. Also, you should mention to them that any paints found in little plastic pots shouldn't be used either, even if they are called "face paints." These are probably Palmer brand face paints, which contain polyvynyl acetates... which is the same stuff found in acrylics.

As for the cleanliness issue... there is nothing saying that they HAVE to clean them... but they really should, it's just common sense. Just hope that more people are like you and notice this and then choose to take their business to clean face painters like you! Also, like Psalmbook said, parent education is always very important! on the back of my business cards I have a list of safe face paints so they can remember for when they get painted elsewhere when I am not there.

I am one of those painters who trashes their kit after the first 2.5 faces...LOL My husband laughs at me but it works for me. When I first started, I had a super clean kit and other painters laughed at me because it looked like I never worked. With my speed, came a mess LOL A couple of weeks ago I worked 11 days of a 12 day state fair by myself...I gave up keeping it neat and no one complained...I would actually joke about it with the kids once in awhile, I'd look at them shocked and say "Who made a mess of my kit??!?!?!" and they'd laugh and tell me I did it. As for coffee water...I use wolfe/dfx black, I just dip my brush and it gets into the water, I do save a clean water as well, but I have just not found a way to make it work for me, be fast and be all clean and spotless.

you could call the health department if you are really concerned.

We recently went to the local fair and there was a church group offering face painting......they were using acrylic paints......really if people are going to do face painting they should at least TRY to learn what to use!

We have a small local radio station in our town and during festival seasons every Thursday we call up on the station's program called "sound off" where people can call in and voice their concerns or opinions on just about anything. We remind people over the radio about the safe paints and why they shouldn't use acrylics and where people can aquire safe paints if they are planning on painting at a festival. That way it helps get the word out and both parents and potential vendors know what to look out for. You could probably also achieve this by writing to your local paper. Knowledge is the best weapon against this kind of thing, and remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

I am an artist who uses acrylic paints on my canvases. You should never EVER use acrylic paint on a face, or any other part of the body for that matter. Many colors of acrylic paint are made with ingredients that are toxic! Colors like "Cadmium Red, Cadmium Orange, or Cadmium Yellow(or Cad for short)" contain CADMIUM...this is the paint that was used on the McDonald's Shrek glasses and caused a recall. There are other toxic colors as well-some might even contain lead. There are reasons why face paint is face paint and NOT acrylic...you could poison someone's kid.

It is hard to know that right thing to do in some cases. I have been at events and told the workers using the paints that they were unsafe. Sometimes people really are uneducated and just read on the internet to use acrylics. A lot of churches really seem to do this. I have had one church group to refuse to my advise and nothing really happened to anyone so, I guess it worked out. But, I truly think it causes problems for professionals. People do not know the difference in a really good face painters paints and a bad ones. I always try to advertise that I use FDA approved make ups and glitters. That gets a good response from people.

Out of all the years that I have done this. I just recently had someone to try to start some issues with me about my brushes of all things and if the paint would come off the skin LOL! I just nicely set her straight. Her concern was that I use the same brushes on everybody. She didn't ask me she started complaining in line. So, I stopped painting, and told her firmly but nicely that I sanitize my brushes between each and every person that I paint. I put brush bath in one bucket and regular water in the other. I have wipes and sanitizer all over the place. And I pointed it out to her. Plus it gave me an opportunity to say that a painter should use only FDA approved skin paints if they are a professional. I then went further to explain to her that once I get home I wash my brushes thoroughly with special cleansers. Yikes! So, I said all of that to get to this simple point...people just don't know what they are getting sometimes. That goes for the consumer and sometimes the painter too.

now lets first of all not start reaming me after this post please?
I know right now of over 20 face painters that use OMG! acrylic. They bring in sometimes 600 to 1000 a weekend. There are several of these painters that have insurance, I know because we discussed it and I asked how to get it. I have spent about 300.00 on Paradise,Snaz and Wolfe. I use it and I use Acrylic. I sometimes work in such humid rotten conditions that Acrylic is the only thing that will last more then five mins in these conditions. I can sit people side by side paint one with acrylic and one with paradise (and have) and had the one come back not 20 mins later the one painted with paradise asking to get some wet wipes so they can wipe the mess off. I can not take someone's money knowing that within mins it's going to sweat all off.
Now before you all start flipping out...there are face painters out there that have used acrylic paint for over 30 years. I've talked to them and they have never had any issues with it. I understand there are ingredeints that are harmful in "Some" acrylic colors. The lady I've been talking to the most said she looks for alternate colors and avoids the ones that might be harmful. As a Artist that paints things everyday I am noticing that paint is changing and the colors are not the same, I'm guessing that alot of the ingredients that are questionable are getting removed bit by bit.
Personally I am trying to not use it as often and am trying to limit my gigs to indoor and cooler months. I want to do what is right but if you put a acrylic face painter next to a paradise face painter and ask the public which they like better for lasting and durablity down here they are going to choose acrylic.
I just want to say that not all acrylic face painters out there are not knowlageble but they just made the choice to use it instead and it really isn't a cost issue. Please don't assume that they aren't "professional" some have been at it a very long time and make really good money. ( I wish I could make as much as I saw one lady take in over the weekend)
I like the paradise paint and like the feel of it, and enjoy learning how much I can do with it. I just wanted to add that there is no law in the states as of yet against the use of it, you can report it as unsafe to the people over the venues and let them decide or you can debate it with the painter in question. I bought my paradise pallet because I want to be safe, but I still really like acrylic...
Now don't shoot me....

I'm just wondering about the ones that use acrylic and still have insurance. Doesn't their insurance say anything about having to use FDA-compliant face paints?

Having a difference of opinion is what makes everybody unique My daughter had her face painted when she was 5 years old as a kitten and the painter used acrylics on her. It was very hot and the paint did not run... instead she got a rash the shape of the kitty face. I don't know what brand they used. It was pretty, but we weren't happy with the outcome that night. She had a rash for three days before it started to clear. The rash was almost like a sunburn and her skin peeled a little. She was a little trooper and the doctor gave us some medicine that was actually for burns.

I would love to paint with acrylics if they were safe, I like to paint with acrylics for my art classes. But after my experience I am very adamant about feeling that it could potentially be harmful to some children. I hope that I in no way offended anyone that uses non approved paints . When I shared my opinion I was not doing so with the intention to bash anyone on this forum at all...I love this forum.But, I do promote my business as safe and exactly the way I stated above...and I do go to people using those paints and tell them they have the potential to harm children's skin as was our experience.

I've seen acrylic painting and it looks awful... peel and flakes off, thick gobs... now it probably was done by unskilled "volunteers" but I still think that using it on kids faces is wrong on so many levels.

But... those using them can just go ahead - I'm glad to hear that they have insurance as I bet there will be a chance to use it! And I hope that the underwriter is aware they are using non-cosmetic products on the skin as they may get a nasty surprize if they ever try to file a claim and the insurance company asks for the MSDS for the products used.

I have very sensitive skin. I would NEVER risk using acrylic paints on my face let alone someone's child. Some kids lick the paint on their face. It is so not worth the risk!

A great alternative for face paint on hot days are pressed powders(Starblend, Ben Nye, even eye shadow). It's a lot better looking & much safer than acrylic. Acrylic can have various things in it that will be absorbed through the skin & are toxic. Red paints & was the cause of a McDonald's toy recall recently. If it's not safe for a child's toy, it's not safe for the skin. I know acrylics have been used for a long time, but there are many things we used to do in the past that we now know are not safe or good for us. Especially in the history of the make-up industry.
Does anyone have pictures of damage done by acrylics? I've seen them out there(like the ladybug rash around the eye, etc).

I had a lady come in line with her daughter at my event this weekend. Ask for a "mini" of one of my designs. I said sure and asked her if she was worried about the clean up. She said her daughter has a reaction from a painting she got at the zoo.
I proceeded to educate on they "why" of the rash. And explained my paints were safe and cosmetic grade.
She was happy for the explanation and then wanted the full design.
After she left I was glad that she would now know to question the paints used on her child's face.

I also wiped off a hard clumpy design that same day. The mom said came from the zoo. I asked her what they used and she said the woman told her it was water based?....

...Aren't acrylics waterbased too?

Well yeah acrylic and watercolor are water-based, as in add some water to reactivate it, but guess what? so is my white out, lol!

I understand using acrylics on yourself, b/c i've done it to me. But i would NEVER knowingly put something that wasn't ment to be used on the face on anyone else...child OR adult!

There is a reason why there are face paints, b/c acrylic, watercolors, etc.. are not ment to be used on the face. I mean Glue isn't ment to put on the face or on your hands, but come one some of us have done it to get that peeling done, BUT would you CHARGE someone to do it? What if they get a reaction?

For really hot days, I offer both face painting and glitter tattoos. Some designs are $5 the same as the glitter tattoos. I explain to the child and adult that the humidity and heat will cause you to sweat and the paint to come of sooner than later, but that the tattoo will last 3-5 days. I let them make the choice. Sometimes they still get the painting b/c its what they really want, sometimes they choose the tatts...Either way they are getting something but that is cosmetic grade safe

Paradise paints are the worst for running in the heat. Try switching to another brand, or pressed powders, for better results in hot and humid weather. I am in Texas too, so I know all about kids sweating off their facepaint. The best thing to do is advise parents to take lots of pictures right away when it's hot. I've spent a lot of time wiping off other painter's acrylic designs in order to repaint a child, and I have not seen one yet that looked nice after time in the heat. They may not run, but they crack and peel and itch and pull at the skin.

This isn't my picture, but it's a quick look at a full-face acrylic that someone did. Doesn't look too comfy to me.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/like_shipwrecks/2455435512/

I wish I had a picture of my daughter. It basically scolded her skin. The thing is I had told them already that I didn't think that seemed safe and what if it were to get in her eyes??? I was told they used it all the time and it was fine. I was very new to face painting then...and wondered if I weren't being too out there so I let her get painted. ( It was a charity event thing) It was a bad experience...I felt horrible because it was against my own gut feeling about it and then she had a bad reaction to it. Thankfully she just had it on a few hours because she started complaining about it making her face itch, but we were at a place that had no water so, I bought a bottled water and tried to get it off her face. If she had kept it on all day then she would have really had a major reaction to it.

It just peeves me when I talk about it to painters who are ademant about their acrylics usage and they disregard evidence of adverse reaction. I'm sorry, but when Wolfe couldn't come up with a definitive answer to the skin rashes there were resulting from their white paint lots last year, I got rid of my Wolfe white. I know I was being a little irrational, but I wasn't please with the way the company handled the complaints more than anything and I showed them with my wallet. We all know that acrylic paints are a medium that even the companies that make them say are reserved for the non-human/living canvas. That alone should be enough to stop people, but the price tag must be compelling... $.89 vs $8.00...yes sir, that's compelling. HOWEVER, I've heard the horror stories, I've seen the pictures, I am not, in anyway, shape or form willing to take that kind of risk with my own children let alone someone elses and with each of these recorded reactions, the face painting industry as a whole get a little pie in the face and unjustified suspicion. I don't have the right to potentially hurt someone else's child just because the odds of them having a reaction to a product not intended for skin use is small.

If someone has a reaction to my makeup, at least I can have the peace of mind in knowing that I was making the effort to use only safe products intended for their skin. If I was using acrylics, well... it would be a different story all together. When people bring their kids to you, they are trusting you to know what you're doing and to not intentionally introduce potential dangers to those little ones, by using cosmetic grade face/body products, I can look them in the eye and say that all of my products were forumlated for skin use...and not flinch. No amount of revenue is worth feeling otherwise.

Off my soapbox now.

whoa....not saying that using acrylic is right. Just saying it is being used by PROFESSIONAL Face Painters. I Would NEVER and have NEVER done a full face paint with acrylic. I am sinking money into facepaints labeled as Face Paint, if I wasn't interested in trying to bulid my kit with facepaints I would never have joined the group here. I've learned alot here.
I understand it's not labeled for the "Face" I understand that some have seen reactions to "Acrylic" paint. I have seen severe staining with Wolfe and Pardise. I am trying to make a small point. Some people use acrylic paint. Until there is a "law" that says it can't be used I think bashing acrylic face painters is wrong. I think that instead of going off and telling them how bad it is, how about opening a discussion about the products that YOU use, and why. Talk and open the subject. I find that most of the acrylic using face painters are open to using newer safer stuff, they simply don't know about it. We had a jam a few months ago and several acrylic using face painters came. The lady that ran the jam didn't run them off, she included them and they got to meet other face painters that use Face Paints and they got a chance to try them out. The cool thing was the sharing! the willing to listen to each other. One lady that has been using acrylic for over 30 years went and got her self a small Wolfe set and I saw it on her table this weekend. Yep 90% of her face paintings where in acrylic but she went out and got her a Wolfe set, that's progress. Face Painters that have been at it for a long time using acrylic have it down to a science, they know how much to put on and how much is to much. Be open minded. Teach. Don't lecture. Point out the ingredients in Acrylic can be harmful. Talk about the nice results you get with Snaz,Wolfe, DFX etc... Alot more is gained with being kind and positive.
There are Acrylic using face painters. It's up to you to teach, to show, to share! if not for this forum I would have NEVER know there where other options to acrylic.
I still love it and love the way it goes on. I've said it before it's a hard road for me to totally get rid of it. I'm still looking for a face paint that will go on like it and act like it. I'm still LOOKING, meaning I'm still open to change!
It's not about the cost. I spend what ever I need to spend. I sink money back into my kit. I just dropped 125.00 on Paraadise.

I don't know where you got the impression that I hogtie acrylic painters and subject them to cattle prod persuasion techniques...I assure you, I don't.

Unfortunately, not all acrylic users are as open minded and forward thinking Shandi. I've encountered no less than 8 who have told me quite clearly that they didn't have money to waste on 'fancy makeup' and that it would cut into their profit margin. When the discussion turned to the reported allergic reactions, the general response was that the odds were in the painters favor...I even had one painter say something to the effects of "you get what you paid for". So in her eyes, if the parents paid $1 for her acrylic work, then whatever resulted was their fault.

I agree that education, information and gratiousness are in order when approaching these painters, but there is nothing to be done when the painters refuse. I've even produced documents from the Delta site where the company refutes any claims that their acrylic products are safe for use on the skin. That too fell on deaf ears. We have to admit, that to some who call themselves professional painters, it's more about the money and the profit margin. At our jam sessions, it's a FDA compliant face/body cosmetic zone only. Yes, acrylic painters are welcomed (and one has come), but their kits are not because we always paint the restaurant's patrons during the jam and our group doesn't need to be associated with the use of improper products. I have personally demostrated the proper paints usage and let the painter play with my paints (something that rarely happens, let me tell you) and at the end of the night, while talking in the parking lot, she still surmised that her way was best and that our paints cost too much (even for the Snaz 8-color pallette)...she hasn't been back to the meetings since.

My point is that yes, we can teach...and we can do it without lecturing, but many ultimately look at the dollars and cents and err on the side of their wallets. We don't...or at least I don't 'bash' anyone, nor do I label them. I know all about the flies-honey connection, but many don't care, and those are the ones I'm worried about. Everyone here has a right to their opinions...I've stated mine, I'm sorry if you feel that it's accusatory or 'bashing' in nature, but I'm not sorry for having my opinion. We'll just have to agree to disagree.

Thanks Shandi,

That was one of the reasons I had the jam in the first place. To educate the face painters here that simply don't know about actual face paint and for them to either see how they work or to learn how to use them.