<p>You can buy non-toxic "face paints" or "body paints" specifically made for this purpose. </p>

<p>Product Search: <a href="https://www.google.com/#tbm=shop&amp;q=face+paint" rel="noreferrer"><strong>Face Paint</strong></a></p>

<p>You can also make them yourself.</p>

<p>Face paints (typically) are not a "type of paint" per se, but a mixture of food coloring or other non-toxic dye mixed with a base material to give it opacity. A lot of costume makers, face and body painters mix this up on their own with a combination of</p>

<ul>
<li>Food coloring or non-toxic dye (for color)</li>
<li>Clay, corn starch, or arrowroot (for thickness and opacity)</li>
<li>Face lotion, vegetable oil or shortening, or zinc cream (diaper cream)</li>
</ul>

<p>There are many recipes for face paint on the Internet based on what ingredients you have on hand and how effective/durable you need it to be, but I hesitate to list one here for having not tried any of them myself.</p>

<p>Search: <a href="https://www.google.com/#q=homemade+OR+diy+face+paint" rel="noreferrer"><strong>DIY or Homemade Face Paint</strong></a></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T15:17:37.597Z
Just to add to what Robert has said, there are MANY body paints and face paints on the market. The key for you will be to look for water based paints so they wash off easily, do not need extra equipment to apply and are likely cheaper anyways. That is if you want to buy them rather than make them at home.
EmRoBeau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T13:06:41.017Z
2016-10-28T13:31:13.770Z
2016-10-28T13:31:13.770Z
Robert Cartaino
<p>What sorts of paint are suitable to apply to kids' faces and hands, for events such as carnival or just for classroom use to play games - obviously non-toxic stuff?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-27T17:27:16.380Z
sorry just to clarify, are you saying that you also want to be able to draw pictures with them on paper?
EmRoBeau
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-27T18:55:46.037Z
No, not necessarily, unless using this same coloring tools for paper is common practice. Thanks, though. :-)
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-27T19:27:20.597Z
Have you searched the web for body paint? I'm not sure what you're looking for. We can't really tell you where to find something as the answer depends on where you are on the planet.
Catija
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T11:08:04.013Z
Thank you for providing the terminology. I will search the web for body paint. Thanks.
Jack Maddington
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T12:01:28.957Z
I frankly think this is only barely related to Arts & Crafts, but there is another question that relates to makeup and it can be considered costuming. What more information do you want than "non-toxic", can you be more specific?
Erica
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T13:16:24.540Z
@Erica Yowza, with Halloween upon us, how can costume design  and face/body painting ***not*** be an art *or* a craft? Seems like a bulleye growth area to me. And with folks here asking about painting and alternative media surfaces all the time, I'm sure folks like **[this](http://craigtracy.com/?page_id=41)** would disagree this is "not on topic". Think about it.
Robert Cartaino
CC BY-SA 3.0
2016-10-28T13:39:36.170Z
@RobertCartaino That's why I edited it to focus just on the "what types of paint are suitable [for] kids' faces and hands".
Erica
<paint><kids-crafts>
Paint for kids' skin: what is suitable?
Jack Maddington
# Paint for kids' skin: what is suitable?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2016-10-27)

What sorts of paint are suitable to apply to kids' faces and hands, for events such as carnival or just for classroom use to play games - obviously non-toxic stuff?

**Tags:** paint, kids-crafts

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: sorry just to clarify, are you saying that you also want to be able to draw pictures with them on paper?  
> **username_0**: No, not necessarily, unless using this same coloring tools for paper is common practice. Thanks, though. :-)  
> **username_2**: Have you searched the web for body paint? I'm not sure what you're looking for. We can't really tell you where to find something as the answer depends on where you are on the planet.  
> **username_0**: Thank you for providing the terminology. I will search the web for body paint. Thanks.  
> **username_3**: I frankly think this is only barely related to Arts & Crafts, but there is another question that relates to makeup and it can be considered costuming. What more information do you want than "non-toxic", can you be more specific?  
> **username_4**: @username_3 Yowza, with Halloween upon us, how can costume design  and face/body painting ***not*** be an art *or* a craft? Seems like a bulleye growth area to me. And with folks here asking about painting and alternative media surfaces all the time, I'm sure folks like **[this](http://craigtracy.com/?page_id=41)** would disagree this is "not on topic". Think about it.  
> **username_3**: @RobertCartaino That's why I edited it to focus just on the "what types of paint are suitable [for] kids' faces and hands".  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_4 on 2016-10-28. Score: 8 | Accepted answer

You can buy non-toxic "face paints" or "body paints" specifically made for this purpose.

Product Search: [**Face Paint**](https://www.google.com/#tbm=shop&q=face+paint)

You can also make them yourself.

Face paints (typically) are not a "type of paint" per se, but a mixture of food coloring or other non-toxic dye mixed with a base material to give it opacity. A lot of costume makers, face and body painters mix this up on their own with a combination of

* Food coloring or non-toxic dye (for color)
* Clay, corn starch, or arrowroot (for thickness and opacity)
* Face lotion, vegetable oil or shortening, or zinc cream (diaper cream)

There are many recipes for face paint on the Internet based on what ingredients you have on hand and how effective/durable you need it to be, but I hesitate to list one here for having not tried any of them myself.

Search: [**DIY or Homemade Face Paint**](https://www.google.com/#q=homemade+OR+diy+face+paint)

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Just to add to what Robert has said, there are MANY body paints and face paints on the market. The key for you will be to look for water based paints so they wash off easily, do not need extra equipment to apply and are likely cheaper anyways. That is if you want to buy them rather than make them at home.  

---

