If a cosmetic or personal care product is sold at the supermarket, drug store, or superstore, it must be safe, right? Not always.
The Food and Drug Administration doesn’t require manufacturers to test makeup products for safety, and that goes for kid’s play makeup kits.
So, what can you do as a parent to make sure the makeup kits your child is playing with are safe?
5 On Your Side talked with experts and researched advice from patient and consumer advocacy organizations to come up with the best advice.
Dr. Elaine Siegfried is one of only 300 pediatric dermatologists in the country. She practices at SSM Health Cardinal Glennon Children’s Medical Center. We asked her how safe kid’s play makeup sets really are.
“Well, we don't have as much data as we’d like and that's the short answer,” says Dr. Siegfried. “There's so many ingredients in so many of those products that to hone in on each and every one of them would be a big job, and require a huge federal agency to provide that kind of oversight.”
For parents with children who have sensitive skin or eczema, she recommends skipping the makeup and face paint, and having them play with masks and costumes.
For everyone else?
“I think you just have to be careful and read labels for things your children are exposed to,” says Dr. Siegfried.
That exposure can be more than skin deep. Anyone using cosmetics can be exposed in a number of ways, including absorbing them through the skin. But powders and sprays can also be breathed in, and lipsticks and other chemicals can be swallowed.
So what ingredients might you want to avoid?
“The general rule, the longer the list of inactive ingredients in any product is probably the one I would stay away from,” says Dr. Siegfried.
Here’s Dr. Siegfried’s list of the top causes of contact, or skin, allergies:
- Nickel. It’s a metal that’s a common cause of dermatitis, and can be found in jewelry and some cosmetics.
- Any product with the word "fragrance" on a label. That single word can be used to represent a number of different chemicals, and by law, none of them need to be listed. Also, keep in mind, products labeled “fragrance free” may still contain fragrance.
- Cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB) It’s a detergent in some shampoos. It’s a known and emerging allergen.
- Tocopherol used as a preservative, known for causing irritation.
- Formaldehyde-releasing preservatives like DMDM and bronopol. These ingredients can trigger allergic reactions.
- Preservatives in some baby wipes.
- Triple antibiotic ointment. Dr. Siegfried says there are some ingredients in these preparations that are famous for causing contact allergies. She recommends using petroleum jelly instead.
Here are several web resources for more information:
Society for Pediatric Dermatology
National Eczema Association
Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
