Choosing a Low Tox Halloween Costume
Most kids LOVE to dress up- and mine are no exception. They have loved to dress up since they were little - it was definitely not just a Halloween thing! In fact we still have some of their costumes from years past that they squeeze into on occasion … but just a couple of years ago they were a main activity in their play room.
but - as with so many other things - not all costumes are created equal. The good news is that in the past few years things have gotten better: we have seen a reduction in harmful chemicals in kids Halloween costumes. By law, in the US, items designed for children under the age of 12 do have to meet certain requirements including heavy metal and phthalate limits. However go to a Halloween store and pick out something not necessarily designed for an under 12 (a mask for a preteen for example or jewelry / accessories) and testing is no longer required. Additionally, through my work as a consultant reviewing testing for children’s items, I have come across large brands that are selling kids Halloween costumes with components with detectible levels of lead, phthalates , antimony and more. These are all within legal limits but…as we know.. you don’t want ANY lead detectible in any item your child is using! It is, thus, fair to say that some costumes, in fact, can expose you to some well studied and harmful toxins.
What you should avoid when choosing Halloween costumes:
PVC: many costumes (particularly with face masks) are still made of PVC . These are bad because:
PVC will expose you to plasticizers like phthalates that are known endocrine disruptors (they mimic your hormones) and linked to:
PVC can be contaminated with lead
Generally, for kids, I say avoid all masks unless it is a felt or cotton or wool mask.
2. Flame Retardants: Some costumes contain flame retardant chemicals. They will usually state they are flame resistant on a label.
When in doubt choose these fabrics that (while some are synthetic) are flame resistant and thus will not contain flame retardant chemicals: : acrylic, modacrylic, nylon, olefin, polyester, wool, or any combination of these fibers, and/or tight fitting clothing/cotton
Flame retardant chemicals are bad because: they have been linked to issues including hormone disruption, lower IQ, attention problems, reproductive problems and cancer.
3. Plastics: Most costumes today are made of polyester which will never biodegrade, contribute to micro plastic pollution when washed and could potentially be a source of BPA…. of course because it is naturally flame resistant I would still choose polyester over a costume with added flame retardants.
4. Heavy metals: accessories, metal pieces in costumes (belt buckles, zippers etc) and costume jewelry can contain heavy metals like lead and antimony; known neurotoxins. While products designed for children under 12 should in theory meet standards of lead (no more than 90ppm of lead) they can sometimes still contain detectible levels of these toxins (and we now there are no safe levels of lead for children period) jewelry that is not necessarily designed for children often exceed those limits
5. Asbestos and lead: Some face paints have been found to contain asbestos and lead
Instead, look for:
Costumes made with wool, 100% cotton, silk or other natural fabrics
Avoid metal and plastic accessories and instead look for wood, cardboard and/or fabric accessories
Instead of masks try all natural, non toxic face paint (my choices below)
Consider making your own!
From Top left: Band of Wild, Band of Wild dragon, Lovelane desings Pink ragon Mosnter, Sarah’s silk mermaid, Meri Meri (4) , The YArn Mermaid, Tree and Vine and Hunting Faeries
Here are some of my favorite sources for safe, non-toxic costumes for kids
Band of Wild BLUE UNICORN FULL COSTUME: (available in white and pink) Costumes are made from 95% cotton and 5% spandex and 50% of the fabric sourced is dead-stock. Organic cotton is sourced whenever possible. Hood and tail are detachable-
Lovelane designs Pink Dragon Monster Costume Set Handmade for toddlers and kids. Made in USA and Hand-printed onto 100% cotton canvas with eco & kid friendly water based inks.
Sarah’s Silks: made of biodegradable silk, this company was founded by a mom in California and their sets are meant to last for years!
Meri Meri: They have come a long way with costumes and have cute designs. Many are still made with polyester but no heavy metals nor phthalates not PVC
Some I love
Etsy: another source of many a cute costume here are some I particularly like
The Yarn Mermaid: handmade knitted costumes that are gorgeous. She makes many inspired on popular characters
Tree and Vine: if birds and other flying creatures are your jam this Etsy Shop makes gorgeous costumes
HuntingFaeries: If its gorgeous animal masks you are looking for this is the place to go to
FACEPAINTS
Natural Earth Paint, Natural Face Paint: made in the USA with Certified Organic ingredients & Mineral Pigments.
Klee Naturals made with gentle botanicals like beeswax, shea butter, and mango seed butter
Some perspective…
Will my own (now ages 8 and 11) kids be wearing these? Sadly no… they are dead set on inflatable costumes because they find them hilarious and all their friends are using it. Am I worried? For one night of fun a polyester or nylon costume is fine. They are not little anymore and dont wear it the rest of the year to play - so I have come to terms with it. I can still insist on no: flame retardants, heavy metals and PVC which are the ‘worse’ of the toxins I am concerned about. For younger kids (and when they were younger) we definitely stuck to safer, more natural. materials and I am glad we did. .. not only are these costumes better quality and last longer, they tend to foster more creativity and are way cuter!