Halloween is quickly approaching, and if you’re celebrating, it’s time to nail down your family’s costumes. You may need a healthy alternative to Halloween face paint.
How to make non-toxic face paint.
I have many fond memories of creating my costumes (or rather letting my mom and grandmother create my costumes) as a child. Some of my favorite costumes were in fact the simplest ones – a scarecrow or a witch. I never liked wearing a mask, so oftentimes, my costumes involved a bit of makeup or sometimes a full painted face.
A healthy, DIY alternative to Halloween Face Paint
Looking for a non-toxic alternative for your child’s Halloween Face Paint?
I’ve always had sensitive skin, so some of the commercial face paints you can find on your local Halloween displays would really irritate my skin. I would break out in a rash, so we would have to either forego using the Halloween face paint, use high quality (read expensive) cosmetics in bright colors, or make our own. There are many dangerous toxicants found in conventional face paints, including lead, nickel, cobalt, and chromium.
How do you make your own face paint exactly? The good news is that it’s really quite simple. We really like this recipe from Sophia Ruan Gushee, author of A-to-Z of D-Toxing: The Ultimate Guide To Reducing Our Toxic Exposures. Sophia has created the ultimate recipe for nontoxic DIY face paint that the whole family can have fun making together!
You may also enjoy some of our yummy and incredibly fun Halloween recipes too! Be sure to check out our:
We’ve also rounded up some delightful witch themed Halloween treats for you as well as some great Monster themed treats to celebrate too!
The Recipe
Making a healthy, non-toxic alternative to commercial Halloween face paint is easy.
This recipe is quick, easy, and a great alternative to the common varieties out there. You may even have what you need already in your pantry. You need:
Ingredients
· 1 ½ tbsp cornstarch
· ¼ tbsp all purpose flour
· 2 tbsp honey
· ½ tbsp water
· Natural food color (seek nontoxic products on Amazon, or use household food items that can act as natural dyes)
How To:
Step 1
Step 1. Mix the cornstarch and flour in a bowl. Add the honey and water to your mixture. It should create a thick, gluey substance that resembles a paste. If the paint is too thin, add more cornstarch and flour. If too thick, add extra water.
Step 2
Step 2. Divide the mixture into separate bowls, and add your coloring. For example, you can use turmeric for yellow, and paprika for red.
Step 3
Step 3. The paint comes out a bit more thick and gooey than conventional face paints, but the colors come out beautifully and stay on for hours.
Step 4
Step 4. While the paint dries well, the honey component makes the paint slightly sticky to the touch. Avoid touching the paint after it is applied.
Et voila! You have a healthy, non-toxic alternative for your Halloween face painting needs! Have a wonderful Halloween!
Other options for non-toxic face paint
If a DIY isn’t your thing, we don’t want to leave you hanging. Here are some great options you can find on Amazon if that’s more your speed.
Marlynn @ UrbanBlissLife says
I have very sensitive skin and remember the first time I tried the typical store-bought face paint as a kid for Halloween. My skin hated it! Thank you for this non-toxic option that I can now also use for my own kids.
Heather Denniston says
I love the idea of getting so creative with Halloween paint. Super fun. But it is so important that we are careful about what we put on our skin!
Bobbi Burleson says
Thanks for this. I love that it is non-toxic!
Willow says
I have sensitive skin, so this is great for me! I usually avoid painting my face, but now I will consider it!
ananda says
such a fun diy! i will have to try this recipe! love the fact it is gentle on the skin!