How to Make Homemade Natural Face Paint
Fun events like birthday parties and Halloween aren’t supposed to put our children at risk for lead exposure. Yet that’s exactly what happens when we use some brands of commercially available face paint.
Related: The Best Eco-Friendly Gifts for Kids
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics created a study that tested the ingredients in 10 face paints. During that study, they found that all 10 contained lead, and 6 of them had high levels of skin allergens, such as nickel, chromium, and cobalt.
Related: How to Naturally Ease Eczema
Fortunately, it’s very easy to create your own homemade natural face paint. Plus, if you’re short on time, you can also purchase organic and non-toxic face paint.
This natural face paint recipe uses just 4 simple ingredients and 4 easy steps to create a skin safe face paint.
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What You’ll Need to Make Homemade Face Paint
- Homemade dyes
- Face lotion
- Corn starch
- 1/4 teaspoon of vegetable oil
- Small bowl
- Small cosmetic containers
Directions for Making Natural Face Paint
1. Begin by creating a base for the face paints by mixing together equal parts of face lotion and corn starch in the small bowl until they form a thick mixture. Add the vegetable oil to prevent the mixture from caking. You want to reach a smooth consistency without letting the mixture get too watery.
2. Add a spoonful of the mixture into the small cosmetic containers, and then use an eyedropper to add drops of natural dye until you reach the desired shade. You can make your own homemade natural dye at home in just a few simple steps by using fruit and vegetable scraps. If you don’t have time to make your dyes, you can also purchase natural dye made from fruits, vegetables, and herbs.
3. Apply to your face using face sponges. You can also use makeup brushes for creating details. If your homemade natural face paint starts to dry out, you can add a few drops of water.
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4. As always, rub a small amount of the homemade natural face paint on the skin to check for a reaction before applying.
More Natural Crafts for Kids
Are you looking for even more easy-to-make craft projects that your kids will absolutely love? Then you need to check out these natural crafts for kids!

You’ll get natural versions of some of your children’s favorite crafts, including natural slime, homemade sidewalk chalk, natural finger paint, and homemade bubble solution. Not only will your kids have a blast making these crafts, but they only require natural ingredients that you can feel safe using around your kids.
Help your kids have safe and natural fun without worrying about what types of chemicals they’re being exposed to by picking up these printable natural crafts for kids!
Making Natural Face Paint
Since this natural face paint uses color from fruits and vegetables for the dye, it’s one of the best face paints for sensitive skin. Skip the harsh chemicals and choose this natural face paint recipe for all your holiday fun!
Additional Eco-Friendly Tips
Now that you see how easy it is to make homemade natural face paint, are you looking for even more eco-friendly tips? Be sure to check out some of our other popular posts:
- How to Have an Eco-Friendly Halloween
- A Master List of Where to Donate Toys
- How to Get Energy Naturally and Quickly
- Tips for Packing a Waste Free Lunch


Erin
Wednesday 2nd of September 2020
Hello! Do you know if it makes any difference to use vegetable oil or a different oil? I would prefer not to put vegetable oil on my face, and I have some argan, jojoba, and sunflower oils. Thanks!
Kristen
Thursday 3rd of September 2020
Hi Erin! Great question! You can use any type of oil you feel comfortable putting on your skin. The oil's job is to smooth out the face paint and prevent it from caking, so it's perfectly fine to use something different.