Blog claims 10 out of 10 fpaints tested contain lead?

A friend sent me a this link which promotes 'eco friendly' living and has some recipes for homemade facepaints. She claims 10 out of 10 facepaints tested contain lead. I'd like to make a comment, but I want your opinion on her claims. I guess it depends on what they're 'testing' but really...that's a pretty bold comment. I'm pretty confident you wouldn't get FDA compliancy if the paint contained lead and mercury.

http://www.granvilleonline.ca/gr/family/home-economics/homemade-face-paint-without-lead-arsenic-mercury-or-other-crap

Same crap, different blog.

This stuff crops up every year... usually closer to Halloween. I did a post on my blog in 2009 about it http://shannonfennell.wordpress.com/2009/10/29/proper-professional-face-paints-are-safe-cosmetics/ There are some links there you probably could use.

Oh, and there is lead in EVERYTHING... can't avoid it.

Thanks! I knew you'd have some useful info Shannon I added a comment referring to your link. I love how her blog notes her DIY recipe will stain clothes etc. LOL

These twits really annoy me.

Even IF you were nuts enough to make your own "face paint" with all natural ingredients you will still have trace lead, and everything else. It is in the air, water, soil... therefore in all our food and other materials. All those years of leaded gasoline and heavy industry, DDT, etc. It all stays in the system and is absorbed into our food chain...

They should test their recipes too... and then let's see who has the MOST trace elements?!

LOL... Shannon!!!! Everyone needs to do their homework on things. Some people just have the disease of acute stupidity,.... and then some are well incurable!!!! :-D

And in make your own facepaints I'd want to test for other contaminants, bacteria etc. I'm a clean freak but I still confess my kitchen/house is not sterile enough to be creating paints to put on other kids faces..and even if my sink is clean i still wash it before I clean my kit after a job - now after spending a few years on communes as a vegetarian hippy I'm not too sure that the crowd that are drawn to the make your own thing can claim that cleanliness is their best quality...
I'd rather paints that had been tested with a company that is answerable and liable for what is in their paints KWIM?

Whata crock! Have you ever actually tried to make these recipies?? They really suck and stain far, far, worse than wolfe black!
Shannon your really on the ball with this stuff - its very reassuring!

JBM wrote:And in make your own facepaints I'd want to test for other contaminants, bacteria etc. I'm a clean freak but I still confess my kitchen/house is not sterile enough to be creating paints to put on other kids faces..

LOL.... my mom would NEVER let us buy things at bake sales. She didn't trust other people's cleanliness in their kitchens...

If she was so concerned then why did she use "dodgy dollar-store face paint".. thats like me saying I eat mcdonalds and then raving about how bad whole grain bread is for you... and she didnt state what brands were tested or even a link to the actual study...

I had never heard of this report before, which apparently came out in 2009.  If you'd like to read it, here is the link:

http://www.safecosmetics.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Pretty-Scary.pdf

Lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium were found in 10 samples of face paint.  Lead was in all of them, including some major brands.  Apparently, there is no known "safe level" of lead in a child's bloodstream.  The other chemicals were present in levels 2-5 times what is considered acceptable.

This issue has recently been in the news again.  NY Senator Schumer is calling for the FDA to regulate face paints.  What a blessing that would be!  As of now, we don't even know what's in these paints, because these metals are not listed on the containers.  Canada and Europe ban them in cosmetics.  Why don't we???  Those who want to stick their heads in the sand and claim that the level is so small that it doesn't matter, just don't have the facts to back them up.  I am devastated, and I feel totally betrayed by these major manufacturers who claim their products are safe.

I saw some paint called "Go Green" on amazon. It claims to be organic and free of lead, nickel, and cobalt. But the reviews (some of which are glowing) indicate that it is pretty useless stuff for any serious professional face painter.  I just don't know how I can bring myself to put any regular paints on any child's face again.  Very upset.

interesting that most of the samples were made in china, however the one with the highest levels was snazaroo, made in the uk. bet the cosmetic ingredients are imported from china, though.

I was asked to face paint at my theater last night (am working stage crew on their production). It was just a shame there were no kids there due to Halloween. So I painted one person, a guy wanting to be a mad scientist. I painted bags under his eyes and green druel. He was happy. lol.

Anyway, this woman (ritzy snobbish woman) walks up and starts questioning me about the paints; I felt like I was the subject of a Beef thread! She commented about the whole 'lead in the paints' article she recently read, and asked how it comes off, does it stain. It was weird. She wasn't even getting her face done, I guess just curious since she never saw paints up close? I dunno.

Glad I had read this thread before hand and I was able to at least give her insight about the FDA vs cheap paint versions.

It must be the lead that makes me so tired and lead-footed after a week like last, right?

Exactly Annie!

10 out of 10 Blogs have words in them.
They may not always be the truth.

xoxo

If you are referring to my link, it was not to a blog. It was to the actual report. I don't see anyone denying its accuracy. I must say I am really shocked by the lack of concern about this. This may not be the proper forum for this discussion, as the space and administration are very kindly donated by a business that sells this paint. However, I have seen strong concern about the chemicals in baby wipes, but very little about the toxic chemicals in paint. Of course, none of is wants this to be true, it's just too awful. How much damage have we already caused? How much more are we willing to cause? What I would dearly love to see is a concerted effort to petition the manufacturers of this stuff to leave out the toxins. I know that is very difficult, because the people in China are not about to change their ways. Based on my experience, it is even difficult to get anyone in China to tell you what chemicals are in their products, let alone stop using them. I just don't think sticking our heads in the sand is the answer.

In Perspective--people use baby wipe a heck of a lot more often than they get their face painted--AND on INFANTS!!

I think the most "at risk" for face paint, is us painters who have contact with it hour after hour, week after week--don't you?

Personally, they probably get more funk from the food chain on a daily basis, than they do from an occasional face paint or we would definitely hit the news big time after holidays like Halloween.

Maybe all the positive energy from the experience protects us.

Life is terminal. There are chemtrails.

i think the point is not just about face paint, but about this kind of contamination in any product that is eaten or applied to the body.

and if we are being exposed to many different products, each with above average toxicity, we are getting frequent exposure.

when levels of contaminants are above what has been determined as a safe risk, it is a problem. sometimes one that can cause serious illness, injury, or death, if the levels are high enough.

we've seen the occasional news reports when that happens.