Health and safety terms

 

This information is provided as a guide and is based on my experience as a face painter. It is general and should not be taken as medical advice or expert opinion.

 

Allergies: If you or your child are concerned you may be allergic to face paint, and would still like to be painted, it's possible to do a patch test - a dab of paint can be applied to the inside of the elbow and after 20 minutes we can see if there is a reaction. If in doubt about reactions its best to either avoid face painting or to have a design on the arm or hand which is less susceptible to reactions.

 

Professional, high quality face paint and glitter brands are used: these are with brand names Superstar, TAG, Chameleon, Diamond FX and Snazaroo. These are hypoallergenic and anti-bacterial. Ingredients can be looked at online if you wish to.

 

Ages: It’s inadvisable to paint children under 2 - this is based on the recommendations of most face paint manufacturers  and the rules of the Public Liability insurance policy I hold. The medical reasons given involve the fact that children under 2 do not have a fully developed immune system, and face paint products applied at an early age can cause reactions.

 

Children under 3 years old will be painted at the discretion of the face painter - if the child is unwilling to be painted (perhaps out of fear or apprehension) and/or cannot sit still they will not be painted in order to avoid distress to the child.

 

Skin conditions: if any contagious skin conditions are observed the person will not be painted to avoid contamination of face paint products. Likewise any wounds, cuts, grazes or scabs won’t be painted over which may encourage infection/irritation. This also applies to eczema and psoriasis as face paint further dries these condition.

 

Removal of products: soap and water works best to remove face paint as its water-based. Wet wipes can sometimes cause a reaction when used to remove so these are not advised. Some face paint products have strong pigments that can be seen after the first wash but should come out  by using more soap and water.

 

Face paint practice: sponges are confined to use on one person’s face only to avoid any transfer of germs between people and after use washed in cold water and then very hot water to kill germs. Paint brushes are treated with anti-bacterial products between bookings and hands are kept clean on long bookings with anti-bacterial wipes and changing water frequently.

 

Working conditions: To get best results and to avoid any injury/back pain full size chairs and a normal height table should be provided where possible (if applicable). Adequate breaks should be provided.

 

Number of children: I can paint approximately 12 children per hour with full faces but if you have more children (and not enough time) I can also do quick, cheek art designs and 'quicker' faces to get through an extra 6-8 children per hour. This will be discussed at your party (on the day) or when booking.

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DBS Checks

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Please note that DBS checks are not required for one-off events for face painting, according to DBS rules, mainly due to the fact we are not left alone with children and usually work on single events - although many face painters do have DBS checks. Please refer to the three documents below for further info about this.

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You can also read more here: https://www.facepaint-uk.com/wiki/do-i-need-a-dbs-check