How to Remove Face Paint

Did your kiddo come home with Spiderman face paint and now there are red and blue stains all over their face? And they have school in the morning? Let me help you with that. 

Now, most professional face paints are water activated and very easy to remove from the skin. If you haven’t tried removing it yet, start with whatever gentle soap you would normally use on your child’s face and some warm water. With most face paints on most kids, this should be a simple process where the paint comes off in the bath, or even with a baby wipe to the face. However, even some professional face paints can have serious pigments. Red and dark blue are the most likely culprits here. And some kiddos have skin that seems more susceptible to soaking in that color. The paint probably looked super vibrant on them when it was fresh! But all things have to come to an end eventually and part of the beauty of face paint is its transient nature. 

So, if you have already done your normal face washing and this paint is still on their face, my next step would be to let it soak. This could mean a warm bath where they’re getting their face wet and play in there for a while, letting the humidity soak in, and then you attempt another gentle removal, or you could do your soaking with facial lotion or a skin safe oil. When I say that most professional face paint is water activated, what I mean is that in its container it is hard, similar to a water color pallet, so to use the paint the artist gets it wet with a brush, sponge, or spray bottle. The moisture brings the paint to life and the lotion you apply to the painted area should have a similar effect. Let that sit for a few minutes, then try wiping it off with a warm rag. The warm temperature also helps those paint particles begin to release from the skin. 

If you follow these steps and there is still staining, I personally wouldn’t attempt any more abrasive methods that could be bad for their skin. I would hope that their next bath would do the trick and keep their skin moisturized throughout the day. If that paint is really stuck on there after washing and it’s more than slight staining, it’s possible that the paint that was used was not meant for faces at all. I would still stick to gentle methods and gentle exfoliation with a wash cloth, and contact your child’s doctor if a rash or other skin reaction begins to form. This is very rare with professional face paints, but not rare with acrylic and other craft store paints that are not designed to be used on the skin.  

If this is the day that you’ve discovered that your child has skin that is prone to staining from face paints, face paintings can still be a part of their future party and festival experiences. Let your face painter know that you’re concerned about staining, and they can paint a hand or arm instead. They could also choose to use less pigmented colors that will still look great on the skin. Some painters even carry pigmented powders that are safe on the skin and even less likely to cause staining. Ask them what your options are and your child should be able to join in on the fun without a school night stressor.