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Face painting

Child with a painted tiger face

Face painting is popular with young children particularly at carnivals, fetes and birthday parties, and most of the time people do this without a problem, but not always. Here are some pointers to avoid your child getting a rash, swollen eyelids or other avoidable problems.

There is a lot of information on the internet but here is a brief summary of what needs to be considered. You can also contact the Public Health Team at your local council. See details at the end of the page.

What to consider as a customer

  • It is not advisable to paint children under the age of 3 years as they may develop sensitivity to ingredients in the paint. Some paints, such as Snazaroo and Paradise, state they are not suitable for children under 3 years and so anyone using them on children under this age will not be covered by their insurance.
  • If your child suffers from sensitive skin, it is probably better not to have their face painted.
  • It is not advisable to use a face painter who is not covered by Public Liability Insurance. A good face painter should be able to show you proof of their cover.
  • Good quality face paints such as Snazaroo, Grimas, Kryolan, Mehron, Ben Nye, Fardel etc should be used by the painter and even if they look well used, they should be kept as clean as possible. Poster paint or similar is not suitable for use on the skin.
  • The face painter should ideally only use one sponge per child and have a container for dirty sponges. However it is acceptable for the sponges to be used several times as long as the face painter keeps them clean during the session. Good face painters will boil or hot machine wash the sponges after each event to ensure they are clean for the next participant.
  • Ideally clean water should be available for every child and a good face painter will have clean water available in some sort of container. However, it is acceptable for the face painter to only change the brush water at regular intervals throughout the session.
  • Brushes that are used should be good quality and a selection for different techniques should be available. The face painter should keep them clean during the session and, ideally, they should be rinsed after each child.
  • Before leaving, ask the face painter how the face paint should be removed before the child goes to bed. Wearing face paint overnight might irritate the skin and bits may flake off or smear and get into the eyes.

What to consider as a face painter

  • Ensure you have sufficient Public Liability Insurance. You should be able to show the certificate to any customer who wishes to see it.
  • Ask the parent or Guardian if the child has any food allergies or allergic reactions to soap, skin creams etc. If so, then ideally you should carry out a patch test first on the inside of the child's arm. Leave the test patch for a reasonable amount of time (20 - 60 minutes) and if no reaction occurs, then apply face paint.
  • Use only good quality professional face and body paints that are EU or FDA approved such as Grimas, Kryolan, Paradise, Snazaroo etc and follow all directions carefully, including the appropriate age range for the product.
  • Do NOT paint any child that has an obvious skin condition such as eczema, cuts/bruises or contagious disease such as chicken pox, cold sore, conjunctivitis or who seems unwell.
  • Check each child as they sit down for signs of head lice. As a painter you will probably hold the child's head steady while painting and this could help the transfer of lice from one child to another.
  • Clean your hands between customers. You could use wipes or a sanitiser gel.
  • Have a container of clean water available so that your brush water can be changed regularly. Ideally clean water should be available for every child.
  • Do NOT add disinfectant to the brush water as the correct face paints already contain agents which act against yeast, mould and bacteria.
  • Try to use only one sponge per child and have a container for dirty sponges to be kept in after use. As long as you keep sponges clean throughout the session it is acceptable for them to be used on more than one child. After the event, ensure you boil or hot machine wash the sponges to ensure they are clean for the next event.
  • Have sufficient brushes available. Ensure they are good quality and suitable for the techniques you will use. Rinse them through after each child.
  • Although there is no specific health and safety legislation that covers face painting, the Health and Safety at Work etc Act will probably apply. These common sense guidelines should help ensure that children have an enjoyable and safe face painting experience.
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