Planning to dress up for Halloween? Watch out when buying face paints

Dusseldorf (dpa) – As Halloween approaches, you may want to check out the kind of face paints you are buying for youngsters. After all, applying make-up like grown-ups do has a magical appeal for many young children. Manufacturers, well aware of this, make children's make-up sets, make-up cases and nail varnishes – but not all are suitable for kids. To ensure that younger children in particular do not eat lipsticks that smell good or smear nail polish in their eyes, parents should not let their children play with cosmetics unsupervised – regardless of whether they are children's toys or products for adults, says Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia Consumer Advice Centre. Parents should also take a closer look when shopping. After all, objects can quickly end up in kids' mouths, especially with small children, it is particularly important that the ingredients in nail varnish or make-up are harmless, says Kerstin Effers, chemist and expert in environmental and health protection at the centre. Tips to bear in mind: Prohibited substances and inadequate labelling Test results show cause for concern regarding the ingredients in make-up sets and nail varnishes for children, the centre says. Last year, preservatives and colourants were found that are prohibited in European cosmetics because they can be harmful to health. The labelling of many products also leaves much to be desired – not all ingredients contained in the products were listed. Take children's nail varnish, for example: among other things, the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA) in Karlsruhe found the following in 75 products tested last year: Seven prohibited, allergy-triggering preservatives,Eight unauthorized colourants,Five solvents classified as harmful to reproduction,Two children's nail varnishes containing nitrosamines far above the technically unavoidable level, a substance suspected of being carcinogenic. A total of 33 nail polishes were found to be unacceptable, says the CVUA. Around half of the children's make-up tested by the Cantonal Laboratory of Basel-Stadt in 2023 also failed, say consumer protection advocates. Retailer's location crucial If parents want to buy make-up or nail polish for their children, they should pay attention to where the products come from. Consumer protection agencies advise against buying children's make-up and nail polish directly from retailers based in Asia, if you want to ensure that make-up and nail polish only contain ingredients compliant with European legal requirements for cosmetics. If you order children's make-up online, you can find the retailer's location by clicking through to the imprint or retailer address. Play it safe To ensure that children can enjoy playing with make-up without concern, consumer protection agencies advise parents to use natural cosmetic products designed for adults. Ideally look for certified products which are recognisable by seals such as Nature or Cosmos. The requirements for these certifications go far beyond the legal requirements, say consumer protection agencies. When it comes to lipsticks, even those of natural cosmetic quality, make sure they do not contain the white pigment titanium dioxide. The white pigment, which is already banned in food, is often listed as CI 77891. The following information is not intended for publication dpa/tmn mod xxde arw

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