Turns out, the popular face-painting product Snazaroo
    is not such a good choice for you little tiger!

Getting ready to send out a dastardly Dracula, or a wicked witch, or a terrible tiger, this Halloween?  You're probably already aware of the safety precautions for trick-or-treaters you should be following.  But did you know there's an even scarier danger that could be lurking inside your costume chest?  Beware: The face paints could contain dangerous levels of toxins!

A new report by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics reveals that many popular children's face paints contain lead, a potent neurotoxin, as well as nickel, cobalt and chromium, which can cause lifelong skin sensitization and contact dermatitis. Creepier yet, these metals were listed on few of the product labels.

Among the alarming findings in the study:

• Ten out of 10 children's face paints contained lead ranging from 0.05 to 0.65 parts per million (ppm). The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that parents avoid using cosmetics on their children that could be contaminated with lead.
• Six out of 10 children's face paints contained nickel, cobalt and/or chromium, which are top allergens in children. The metals were found at levels ranging from 1.6 to 120 ppm -- many of them far exceeding industry safety recommendations of 1 ppm.
• Snazaroo Face Paint, labeled as "non-toxic" and "hypoallergenic," contained some of the highest levels of lead, nickel and cobalt found in the study.

Because all the face paints tested contained lead, and none of the metals detected were listed on ingredient labels, the CSC organization is recommending that parents should avoid using face paints on children until safety standards are put in place.

In the meantime, here are some options:

• Choose costumes that don't require face paint or masks (which may also contain toxic chemicals and impair vision and breathing).
• Make your own face paint with food-grade ingredients. Here are a few face-paint recipe ideas.
• If you do use face paint, keep it away from kids’ mouths and hands so they don't ingest it.