Creating and Managing Safe Face Painting

By: Bobbie Weiner — Bloody Mary Makeup – IAHA Director

Kids from 3-93 love to get their faces painted at amusement parks, haunted houses and other events. There is always a long line and a lot of anticipation of what your choices are when you finally get to the head of the line. I have always treated face painting as if you are going to a nail salon. You want to make sure that everything is clean and fresh.  Many makeup artists reuse  Q-tips, sponges and brushes. The last thing you want is some one else’s cold, I have face painted for up to nine hours at a time at Army PX’s and someone always has a cold, runny nose, etc.  I do not want the next child to catch what the child before them has. Always have a large inventory of disposable applicators.

When you hire someone to face paint at your park or attraction, always ask them for a resume and photos of their previous face painting work. Do they have insurance? Sometimes a child does not want his or her face touched. As soon as a child winces when you go to apply makeup, stop! The makeup artist should have stickers and tattoos on hand and they can always apply something fun on the knees, legs or arms.   Some makeup includes beeswax as an ingredient, which can pose a danger, especially if your child is allergic to bees. You do not want the whole family to end up in the hospital.

Kids tend not to sit still. You always must place a hand gently on the top of their head so they will stay still. If a parent insists you put makeup on them and the child is a “Wiggler,” stop. You can end up poking them in the eye or mouth and this is a safety hazard you should follow. It is a good idea to have a small hand mirror so the child can see what you are creating. This will help settle them down. Kids do get antsy when they are anticipating the outcome of their painted face.

The makeup artist should be fast and do an easy program. I always have a poster of brightly colored images including Holidays, Christmas, Halloween or Easter. This way the child can choose what they want and you can move the line along much faster. It is always good to make suggestions. People become impatient and fidgety when they have to wait too long and they tend to leave and become disgruntled with the makeup artist. This is a big part of the day when the child gets their face painted. It is always a good idea to have a helper or assistant to keep the line in order. If the line gets out of hand, he or she can give them a time to come back so they can continue enjoying the other features of the Park.

Products should be FDA approved and should wash off with soap and water. Many face paints have vibrant colors, but the dyes are bad for you if they get near your eyes or mouth.  Any good face painter knows that kids rub their eyes and smear the paint within minutes of leaving your makeup station. Your face painter is representing your park or attraction.  You only want to have someone who is aware of these important safety issues.

Remember, do not face paint a child if the parent or guardian is not with them to give their consent! Also, some kids do not want to be face painted. You do not want to face paint a child who is opposed even though the parents are persistent.

Bobbie Weiner, better know as Bloody Mary, is an IAHA Director and one of the few elite makeup artists who specialize in special effects makeup.  She is a make-up consultant for 20th Century Fox.  She has transformed hundreds of actors into blue-lipped, icicle-covered corpses in the Oscar Award winning film, Titanic.  In 1999, her company, Bobbie Weiner Enterprises, LLC introduced a line of Halloween Special Effects Makeup under the name of Bloody Mary.  For more information about Bobbie Weiner and her Bloody Mary makeup line visit www.DearBloodyMary.com.