Do you say something?

[Perry Noia]

My mentor clown and I are currently contacting a local media group that does short educational segments from local businesses in a daily online show... they used to do it on a daily news broadcast, but our local news channel is closing down so they took it online. We're hoping they'll have us on to do a segment on face painting which would allow us to not only show some of our best work but also talk about professional face paints and let parents know that if they see craft paints, don't let them put it on your child's face. I hope they will have us on.... it would be cool.

[Zippy Zoo]

Originally Posted by pixcoco

The fact is they can buy the craft paint for 25 cents each on sale. They are just to cheap to spend the money we do on the good stuff. They only care about profit and not the children.

A little off topic, but where do you get craft paint for a quarter? I'll just use it on crafts, I swear! Just wondering because I've never seen it, although most toxic paints(like fabric paints) say specifically not to use them on skin so I would think these so called "face painters" would know that. Do you think they might be illiterate? Only excuse I could figure. Even then, they could ask, "what does this say?" <<(sigh)>>

[Perry Noia]

the craft paints generally say "non toxic" and they use that as an excuse that they are safe... it also says however, that if you get it on your skin (accidentally) to wash it off with soap and water while it is still wet. They are not tested for being hypo allergenic and are a liquid plastic which means they don't let the skin breathe at all.

I've seen them at the dollar store, but not for a quarter.

[Zippy Zoo]

Scary stuff!

[pixcoco]

They are non-toxic when used in the manner they were intended.

Micheal's has the craft paints on sale from time to time. They are sometimes as cheap as 25 cents. I have seen a local "clown" snatch them up in a frenzy to use for face painting.

I still think educating the public is the only way to deal with this. Not scare them. Educate them before someone is hurt and causes big headlines. Educating the face painters has limited effect if all they are looking for is bigger profits. Once there is a bad result you are fighting an up hill battle.

[Zippy Zoo]

Maybe we should educate the public to simply be cautious and check to make sure it IS face paint. Check to see if the "face painter" has a label they can check. If not, go elsewhere!

[MissKris]

I was hired by another local children's entertainer this past weekend to do balloons at a couple of events while she did the face painting. She was using Mehron liquid paints, and the Mehron metallic powders. But instead of using the mixing liquid that I've seen, she mixed the powders with hairspray. I was blown away - I've never heard of face painters doing that, and while it seemed wrong, I don't use that powder so I can't say I've done any research on what can properly be mixed with the metallic powders.

I didn't want to say anything in front of the clients, and totally forgot to ask her about that after.

Has anyone heard of using hairspray as a mixing liquid? She says she's been doing this for 20 years, but after a weekend of seeing the most scatterbrained entertainer with the worst time management I've worked with, i'm not sure how she keeps getting repeat customers.

[Cinnamon the Clown]

Originally Posted by MissKris

she mixed the powders with hairspray.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmm..............................yikes! !

Can't say I've ever heard of that. But in MHO I wouldn't let anyone put that on my kids face. And I would never DREAM of using it in my painting.
Yeah, that's just, um......weird.


C~

[Zippy Zoo]

Originally Posted by MissKris

instead of using the mixing liquid that I've seen, she mixed the powders with hairspray.

Surely she knows that hairspray is poisonous! I think that it's even more dangerous than acrylic. What are these people thinking!?!

For the children's sake, I hope she didn't have many(or any) little customers!

[Happy Chappy & Daisy]

I ran into a facepainter at my last event. It sure looked like junky craft paint - the artwork reminded me of the California Clown School in Las Vegas. She said she was using face paint (probably Palmer's), so I tried to steer her toward Mehron and Snazaroo before her next gig. It's hard to tell somebody that you think their materials and all are garbage, but hopefully I handled things tactfully enough that she'll get quality stuff before her next activity.