Senator calls for FDA regulation of Halloween makeup

A United States senator recently urged the FDA to require heavy metal testing and ingredients labeling for novelty cosmetic products geared toward children, according to a press release.

Halloween makeup could contain high levels of heavy metals such as lead, nickel, cobalt and chromium, posing a threat to the long-term neurological health of children, the release said. The FDA does not currently test novelty cosmetic products or require companies to list the ingredients on packaging.

Charles E. Schumer

“Every Halloween we worry about the candy we’re putting in our kids’ mouths, but nowadays we need to worry about the face paint we’re putting on our kids’ faces,” U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer of New York said in the release. “Toxic Chinese chemicals in children’s Halloween makeup and face paint is a scary thought, and yet, oftentimes, parents don’t even know what’s in these products. When it comes to the kind of makeup our kids slather on at Halloween, lead, nickel and cobalt do not belong, and so, I am urging the FDA to unmask the ingredients that are often left off the packaging,”

According to the CDC, even low levels of lead can cause irreparable neurological damage to a child’s brain, affecting their academic ability and attention span. Lead exposure, which can be fatal to children, poses a particular risk to rapidly developing children aged younger than 6 years.

“Parents and all consumers have a right to know what ingredients are in the paint they are buying for use on their skin or the skin of their children,” Schumer wrote in an open letter to the FDA. “I strongly urge the FDA to use its existing authority and increase enforcement of products that are currently on the market that are mislabeled, misbranded or adulterated.”