Kids cosmetics can be a dilemma for most moms, when trying to figure out at what age it is ok to buy your little girl her own makeup set.
They say that every little girl at some point wants to have her own makeup. Maybe she saw you in the morning when you were putting on your makeup or her friend from school has it.
The general guideline would be around 5-6 years old, but it’s nothing wrong with buying makeup for your 3-year-old princess to play with.
Just make sure you are following these 5 tips and you can feel confident that you have made the right purchase, regardless of the brand.
1. Brand name does not guarantee quality ingredients
Some people identify well-known brands with superb quality, but that is not always the case.
Even big makeup brands can contain ingredients which are well known for triggering an allergic reaction. You need to check what is in the makeup you are buying, regardless of the brand. That is one of the most important things to be careful about.
To avoid any potential risk make sure to check if testing has been done on items you are buying. Ask for lab testing reports, especially for lipstick, blush and eyeshadow to ensure that the makeup your kids are playing with is toxin free.
2. Adult cosmetics are not suitable for kids skin
Some moms give kids their own makeup. That’s not a very smart choice.
Children’s skin is much more sensitive than that of an adult, so the ingredients must be suitable for their gentle skin.
Adult makeup is made to last the whole day, some of them are even waterproof and as such, very hard to remove. They can contain multiple additives that can inflame a kid’s gentle skin.
So, when you decide to buy your little princess a makeup set, make sure it was made for kids.
3. Watch out for expiry date
Never give your kid old makeup to play with.
Adult cosmetics has lots of artificial preservatives that hold the chemistry together up to 2 years or more before expiring. This cannot be avoided as all cosmetics must use preservatives in order to prevent microbial spoilage that would make the product unsafe for use.
For kids, ideally, the makeup should contain minimal preservatives. This will ensure that more natural ingredients are used in production. You can easily check this by finding the expiry date.
Kids products should have their expiry date between 1 and 1.5 years for an unopened item and a maximum of 6 months for opened items.
4. Avoid UV protection in kids cosmetics
Adult cosmetics often use additives that block UV rays as a “marketing ploy”, boasting that it protects from the sun.
Do not fall for this trick.
Studies show that the presence of sunblock and UV additives in cosmetics can lead to deformation of cells, and pose a threat linked to cancer in a long time exposure.
To avoid potential risk, always read the statements on the back of the product or in the instructions and make sure that it doesn’t contain any UV protection additives.
5. Washable or not?
The last point is by no means the least important.
Most makeup brands include “long-lasting”, “resistant” or even “permanent” versions, essentially boasting that whatever you put on your face, it will be hard to remove.
Kids skin is very sensitive to the chemicals that are required for the “hard to remove” part of the makeup. Furthermore, kids usually do not need to wear makeup the entire day. Most parents are buying makeup sets for playing, dress up parties or special occasions.
So washable is definitely the wiser choice when buying cosmetics for kids.
An easy way to make sure that the set you purchased for your kids is washable is to apply it on your skin and then try to remove it with soap and water to see how easy or hard it will be.
Be aware – washable from skin, does not mean it will not stain.
All the items in your washable makeup set will still stain your clothes, floor, walls, rugs, and other items, just like any other cosmetics would.
To sum up, kids cosmetics should be
- made from materials friendly to kids sensitive skin
- tested to make sure there are no toxic chemicals or other harmful ingredients present
- made without UV protection, to avoid the risk of cell damage
- washable because they are less aggressive on kids skin, and contain fewer additives
- new, sealed and unopened when you buy them, so always check the expiry date
One last thing…
The most important thing parents can do to ensure their kids will have a fun and safe playtime is to be present and join in on their pretend play.
Use this opportunity and teach kids how to correctly use and apply makeup and help them clean and wash off at the end of pretend play.
This way you will ensure a fun and safe playtime for everyone and prevent any unpleasant surprises and unnecessary cleaning bills. Not to mention your kids will love you even more for playing with them.