Oct 28, 2009 5:00 pm US/Eastern
Health: Potential Face Paint Danger
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
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(file)
Michelle Gillen/CBS
Ghosts and goblins might not be the only scary thing to watch out for this Halloween. Some face paint might contain lead, and other potentially dangerous heavy metals, according to a study from The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics.
"I probably wouldn't use any face paint at all. In fact these guys are going to go completely just normal," said Erica Moore, a local mother.
The health and environmental group tested 10 Halloween face paints at an independent lab. They all came back positive for lead.
"The first issue is lead poisoning which is a significant health risk for children, especially children under the age of six for their cognitive development," said Dr. Paul Lyons, a family health physician at Temple University Hospital.
He says the risk is usually associated with prolonged exposure, so one night of Halloween face paint probably won't be that dangerous.
"The only way to be 100 percent safe is to not have any exposure at all," said Dr. Lyons.
Tannia Schrieber's two-year-old son, Gabriel, is going to be a lion for Halloween, with no face paint. But the new report has her worried any way.
"It's sad because I kind of wonder if they're finding this out now how many other things are there that they're going to tell us next year is unsafe that we're using with our kids this year," said Tannia.
In addition to lead, the research also found nickel, cobalt, and chromium in some of the face paints, which can cause allergic reactions. And they're not listed on the packaging because cosmetics aren't regulated.
Related Link:
Campaign for Safe Cosmetics Face Paint Report
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