Buyer Beware: The Halloween Safety Squad

As a dedicated member of the Halloween Safety Squad, I have a responsibility to inform the public about how to protect their children during one of the most dangerous nights of the year. So, for our buyer beware project the squad and I tackled the face paint conundrum of which brand is the best/safest. We threw away safety and humility as we tested 6 brands of face paint in five days. You would be surprised about how many people don’t question why four girls are wearing face paint. I guess the general public just accept Cre Comm students as weird.

While wearing the individual brands, we tested the paints’ application, longevity, skin irritability, performance under pressure, removal from skin and removal from clothing.
We experienced a wide range of variation in all categories and came out with some definitive results. The brand that tested the highest among the squad was the Lucky Art brand priced at $1.99, purchased at Party Stuff. The colours were vibrant, the paint went on smooth, it lasted all day, and it was quite comfortable to wear.

Other brands did not perform so well. The Dollarama brand cost $1.00 and claimed to be non-toxic, however in fine print it read, “if swallowed, contact the poison information center or seek medical advice.” The paint was extremely faint and hurt me physically when applied to my face. My face was itchy and uncomfortable all day, and if that wasn’t bad enough, it stained my favourite sweater. The Fun World brand was purchased from Walmart for $2.93. This product stated that it was hypoallergenic but had an allergy warning on the back, which was concerning. As someone with a history of odd allergies I was sceptical to try this one. I should have trusted my first instinct: after application, the paint really irritated my eyes to the point where I was in the bathroom vigorously wiping my face. Next was Rubie’s brand, bought at Superstore for $2.99. Because this was the most expensive brand, we expected big things. Everything tested ok, but when the time came to wash the product off, I was left with a rainbow on my cheek. Dinner with my dad has never been so uncomfortable. The Seasons brand found at Value Village for $1.99 was another catastrophe. The product itself was quite good and at times I forgot I was even wearing face paint. Unfortunately when I accidentally rubbed my face with my t-shirt the whole design came off and destroyed my shirt and then my pants. Finally, we tested the Danson Decor brand bought at Party Stuff for $2.19. The paint was nearly unnoticeable until the physical activity portion of the testing. During a run on the treadmill the paint began to bleed into my eyes and mouth.


Dr. Earl Minuk, A Gentleman and a Scholar

After the experimental testing, I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to talk to two experts. First was Dr. Earl Minuk, who was willing to answer questions and offer his expertise on skin safety and cosmetic product awareness. Dr. Minuk advised the public to stay away from preservatives and fragrences in cosmetics. He also showed us a way to test products for allergies before you use it on your face. You simply just dab some of the product on the inside of your arm to see if you have a reaction.

Next I interviewed Simmie Nasberg aka Simbo the Clown. Simbo was extremely educated and intelligent when it came to the dangers of face paint. Over the past 26 years she has experienced firsthand the disasters of face painting and provided us with professional insight. Her recommendation was, don’t be cheap when it comes to your children’s faces.
Note: This is not Simbo the Clown

Overall the project was a success; I was very pleased that we found a clear winner among the brands. The only regret I had was not interviewing the specialists before testing the products. I might have been able to avoid some of the problems I had experienced. So this Halloween go with the Lucky Art brand priced at $1.99, found at Party Stuff. It will keep your face safe and your kids happy.