Day Glow, Neon & UV Pigments in Cosmetics...
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I'll start off by stating that the issue with the so called "Day Glow", "Neon" and "UV" face paints is a controversial issue. It is something that comes up over and over on the discussion list for face painters. I thought that I'd take the time to address this issue from a FDA perspective. Yes I am very aware that there are several brands of "name brand" face paints that openly market their day glow and UV paints. However, the bottom line is many of pigments used in these products SIMPLY DO NOT COMPLY WITH THE FDA as approved. If you look closely at the labels you with see a labeling that states "for hair or special effects" rather than FDA approved or "cosmetic". Many don't even bother to make that required warning as the supplier is more interested in sales than that of offering a legal cosmetic product. It is pretty easy to separate the men from the boys as they say by taking a good look at the packaging. A cosmetic compliant product will have a full list of ingredients. There should not be a listing such as "and ASTM approved florescent pigments". ASTM is a standard for art products from scissors to permanent markers. The different florescent should be individually identified or they are not cosmetic grade pigments. Currently there is only one manufacturer in the entire world that has gone through the testing process to offer cosmetic grade florescent pigments. Be especially aware if you see the notation "for hair and special effects only". That is a big red flag to let you know that they are using in the face paint products that are meant to be used in hair dyes. It is against cosmetic guidelines to use these pigments in a cosmetic product in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico. It is important to distinguish between the approved pigments and those not tested (and therefore not legally safe). I'll also note that many countries, Germany for example, have much more lenient cosmetic pigment laws than the United States. What is approved there can often be banned as unsafe here in the United States. This FAQ is not to debate if one countries cosmetic laws are better or safer. If it can not meet both the US and EU cosmetic laws then we will not offer the product. I know that when I personally use "the other brand" in their range of UV colors four out of the seven colors break me out. You choose for yourself as ultimately you will be the one held accountable when you get the angry call from the parent. Another key element is these manufacturers leave off the ingredient formaldehyde which is a brightening agent for neon, day glow or UV pigments. We do not use any formaldehyde in any of its formulas but almost all other brands do despite the fact they do not list it as an ingredient. In decades gone by formaldehyde was used in cosmetics and hair care products. This policy has gone by the wayside once it was discovered that formaldehyde was a known carcinogen. You don't have to take my word for it. Smell the other brands as you can smell the formaldehyde in the formula. In the other brands formaldehyde is used as a brightening agent to bring out the bold neon/ day glow colors. Do you really want to use a known carcinogen on your skin or your face painting customers? Do an internet search for "formaldehyde", "fluorescent" and "brighteners". You will find data to back this up.
Yes, you will find many that have been using these products for face painting for years and years with no known side effects. Keep in mind that many people smoke all their lives and still don't get lung cancer. One, at times, has to take the high road and understand that the FDA (food and drug administration) might know a little more than we do about safety. There may be a point that someone comes up with the tens of thousands of dollars needed to do the safety testing but to date no one is willing to do this. We opt to avoid those products or ingredients that can not pass both the United States FDA as well as the European equivalent. These pigments are approved for use in cosmetics in countries such as Germany but they continue to be on the banned list of pigments by the USA, UK, Canada and Mexico. In December of 2005 the FDA did approve a range of UV pigments that are safe for use on the face. In 2010 the FDA approved a line of FDA compliant Day Glow pigments. With those pigments we developed a range of ten fully cosmetic compliant Day Glow / UV colors.
I defer to an article by Christopher Dane, Chairman, Swada (London), titled "Fluorescent colour and cosmetics" link http://www.atalink.co.uk/csb2000/html/art_rawmats_swada.htm where he says simply that most fluorescent colors are not approved by the FDA. You will need to refer to the article and the link because we can not reprint more because it is a copyrighted article.
If you have any doubt look at the ingredient list on the dayglow or neon face paint you purchase and check them against the FDA website of approved ingredients at http://www.fda.gov/Cosmetics/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/VoluntaryCosmeticsRegistrationProgramVCRP/OnlineRegistration/ucm109084.htm You will find those pigments not listed as approved, or worse, not even mentioned on the ingredient list. It is not sufficient to state "and pigments for coloring". They must declare each ingredient by name.
There is also the question of "glow in the dark" or phosphorescent pigments. These pigments were approved for use by the FDA in the United States (in 2000). To date they have been rejected, however by the European Union. For this reason we do not offer any glow in the dark products.
Our suggestion is to take the conservative side of the issue. If the ingredients are not found safe in both the USA and Europe then you should avoid them. Once approved, you receive a safe go ahead and you can be backed by the product liability of the manufactured (when used properly.)
In the comments above the underscore was added to highlight the key issues.
You choose for yourself what is best for you.
Gary Cole
