This is a question I am often asked when painting. The face paints that I use are made especially for use on the skin so they should not irritate and be fairly gentle to remove. The most important thing to know about professional face paints is that MOST are WATER-ACTIVATED. What this means is, as soon as you add water, the paints are activated and therefore can be quite messy. (This includes sweat and tears!)
When we paint your child's face, we add water to our products to give it a good wet consistency so that we can create our designs. The paint dries quite quickly to a lovely powder-like finish and will remain on the skin until washed away. However just adding water makes the paints wet again and what may have been a cute little butterfly or dinosaur now becomes a piece of abstract art.
So... What is the best way to remove face paint?
For best results.. USE LIQUID SOAP.
- Apply liquid soap only to the painted area (be very careful around eye area - see below) and mix together well with fingers in little circles. (DO NOT USE WATER YET!) The soap will lift the paint and create a slimy mess.
- Combine until really, really mixed up!
- Use a DAMP CLOTH to start wiping the paint away. The paint/soap mixture should wipe away quite easily.
- When paint/soap mixed is removed, rinse the area well with water.
Face paint should come away easily however some colours do contain more pigment than others. If you find any skin that is left with a stain, add moisturiser to the area and leave for 1/2 hour before trying again. Please do not scrub little faces.
**EYE AREA**
Sometimes an artist will paint the eye area. Obviously, It is not recommended to put soap near the eyes. Instead I recommend an oil-based make-up remover ( Micellar water & Coconut oil works too). Put a little remover on a cotton pad and wipe away from the eyes using a fresh section each time so that you are not reapplying paint to the area once paint has been activated.
**Wet Wipe Warning**
Please note: although a wet-wipe will often remove face paint, it is not recommended as wet-wipes are made for bottoms and not faces. Some ingredients found in certain brands of baby wipes have been known to cause skin irritation to little faces. A wipe that is specifically for make-up removal should be fine though.
If in doubt at any time, it is always a good idea to speak to the artist applying the paint. We paint ourselves, our kids, friends, friends kids and anyone who sits in our chair. We have had lots of practice and want to make your whole face paint experience a great one!!