can you put acrylic paint on your face

Is Acrylic Paint Safe For Skin? No, But There Is A Fix

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Last Updated on November 7, 2025 by Masha Eretnova

If you clicked on this article, chances are you have wondered if can you put acrylic paint on your face.

Ideally, you should not use acrylics on face or body skin – it is not a makeup. Acrylic paint has low amount of toxic chemicals and can stain! You need a special face and body paint to paint your skin safely.

Ask yourself why you would want to paint acrylic paint on your face. Is it for a Halloween party or a fun night with the children? If that is the case, there are plenty of face paints for you to choose from instead of acrylic paint that I will share.

Can You Put Acrylic Paint On Your Face? Is It Safe?!

Can You Put Acrylic Paint On Your Face?

You can but you should not be putting acrylic paint on your face or body. Acrylics are not tested or approved for the skin.

There are mixed opinions when it comes to this, with some saying they’re okay while others say there are toxic ingredients in them. You will find brands like Apple Barrel do not recommend putting acrylic paint on the face.  

You may have heard people saying they have put acrylic paint on their face and experienced no side effects, but the truth remains that even if your acrylic paint has the label “non-toxic” on it, you should not use it on your face. 

The only three chemicals that make up acrylic paint are pigment, an acrylic binder, and what is referred to as an acrylic vehicle. But many paints will also have preservatives that mean to make paint last decades on canvas. Not on your face.

The paint’s hue is a result of the pigment. Pigments CAN be slightly toxic.

The thing is, there are chances of you stumbling upon ingredients such as cobalt, manganese, and cadmium, among other additives in cheaper acrylic paints which may cause reactions on sensitive skin. 

Whereas with special face or body paints, you will find that there the absence of parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic colors, and other potentially dangerous ingredients is expressly stated on labels. 

It is crucial to make informed judgments when applying any paint on your face, whether you are painting a model’s face for an upcoming photoshoot or you’re simply looking forward to throwing a face painting party for your kid. 

What will happen if you put acrylic paint on your face?

In majority of the cases, nothing will happen.

However, if you have sensitive skin, you can have allergies immediately. When using paint on your face the main issue is that you can accidentally inhale, ingest or it will get in you eyes.

According to a study in Frontiers in Public Health, at least six kinds of acrylic paint leak toxic substances into the air, especially as they dry.

How To Make Acrylic Paint Safe For The Skin?

There is a way to turn acrylic paint into face paint because it is so flexible. I advise you to take the actions listed below to prevent any unwanted skin reactions.

You will need 3 items:

  • acrylic paint (better to choose well-known brands with detailed descriptions and non-toxic acrylic paints)
  • Lotion of some sort.
  • Setting spray.

After having these two supplies, you can use acrylic paint to create face paint. Follow these quick and easy steps, and you are good to go!

Prepare face acrylic paint:

  1. The acrylic paint must first be squeezed onto your palette.
  2. Then, using a mixing brush, apply the lotion or moisturizer to the color of your choosing until it is thoroughly blended. The ratio is 1:1. Make sure your face skin doesn’t have an allergic reaction to the lotion, or it is not too heavy for it (especially if you have oily skin)
  3. Protect your skin with a regular setting spray.
  4. You can now paint your face with this concoction!

An extra tip would be to create a thin barrier between your skin and the face paint; you could choose to moisturize your face first. Remember that acrylic paint may crack if exposed to your skin for an extended period and may require touch-ups.

Safe Acrylic Paint Alternatives For Using On Face, Hands, and Body

To make paint safe for the skin on your face or body, use these specific types of paint: water-based FDA-approved face paints (TAG, Kraze), alcohol-activated face paints (EBA, Encore), special safe metallic paints (Diamond FX), oil-based face paints (CC Beauty, Ucanbe), latex body paints, or simply natural henna or natural face paint!

1. FDA-Approved Water-Based Paint

Many of the water-based paints on the market today are tightly controlled and must adhere to a stringent set of rules in order to be approved. Kids can use it with ease because it is non-toxic and simple to remove after usage.

This kind of paint can be applied with a variety of tools. Got a Halloween party? Get your brushes out and paint away. Having a fun face painting night? Use your hands and get messy!

You get the point. You can go wild with these kinds of paint. 

2. Alcohol-Based Paint

You know those cool special effects makeup that knocks your socks off?

Yeah, this is where alcohol-based paints come in. This kind of body paint is typically applied for special effects or to create airbrush tattoos. It works best for body painting underwater or in hot, sunny locations, and sweat won’t cause alcohol-based paints to crack or flake because they are waterproof.

One thing to bear in mind is that this type of paint may not come off easily, and you may have to use rubbing alcohol to remove them. As you wash the paint off your skin, you might have to wait for a day or so, providing your skin to recover from being applied with rubbing alcohol. 

3. Metallic Paint

Have you stumbled upon men in silver or gold? They seem to be covered head to toe in silver and gold paint, have you wondered how that is done?

This is where metallic paint comes in. The person probably employed this kind of body paint to give himself that shiny, glossy appearance. Real metal powder mixed with a unique liquid is used for metallic body paints to provide the “statue” impression.

However, because they include metal powder, these paints are known to irritate the skin and should be used with caution. Additionally, it is more difficult to remove than water-based paint. Simply avoid using it unless you absolutely must for performance.

4. Oil-based paints

Many good quality face paints are oil-based paints but not the same as oil paint we use for canvases! Regular oils same as regular acrylics are not safe to use on the skin. Face oil paint is usually very creamy, allowing them to stay flexible while the skin is moving.

Safe oil-based paint for face and body paints are CC Beauty and hypoallergenic UCANBE face and body paint.

5. Henna

Henna is the oldest natural pigment people use to dye hair and skin. It is relatively safe to use on the skin, both face, and body. Black henna may cause reactions, so please test before painting. In some countries, henna is mostly used on hands for decoration or special ceremonies. Be aware that henna sticks to the skin for a few weeks once dried!

Some girls also use henna to make freckles or temporary tattoos. Isn’t it amazing?

The downside of henna is that due to the nature of the pigment, there is no such variety of colors as we have with water-based face paint.

6. Latex Body Paint

Latex paint is mostly used to cover the whole body or large areas, and not really good for the face as face painting requires more details and less paint, actually. The finish looks glossy just like latex and offer great coverage.

Liquid Latex Fashions produce a large variety of body paint for Halloween and full-body costume painting.

FAQs

Can You Use Acrylic Paint On Baby Skin?

Can You Use Acrylic Paint On Baby Skin

Acrylics should absolutely never be used on baby skin. The chemicals in acrylic paint are likely to be absorbed into the skin and it is toxic to ingest which can easily happen with kids.

Here are some tips the next time you buy baby paint supplies:

  • Choose water-based paints and other creative supplies over oil-based ones.
  • Look for paints that use natural pigments extracted from plants or minerals or baby-safe crayons.
  • Read the labels. It often says from what age you can apply the paint. Ex., this Dress Up America Face Paint is safe to use from the age of 3. 

Can You Put Acrylic Paint On Your Hands?

Any portion of your body, including your hands, should not be painted with acrylic paint. Never paint your hands with acrylic paint or use it on your child’s hands for creative projects. 

However, don’t panic if you accidentally get messy with acrylics doing pouring or painting (it happens all the time during pouring, y’all know! You tilt the canvas, and all paint drips on your hands, or during painting, want it or not, the paint will be everywhere, lol).

If you wash it off immediately, you will be fine. But if you have preexistent skin conditions or just like everything to be clean, use gloves. If possible, use compostable gloves to help our planet.

Can you put acrylic paint on your face JUST for a day?

When acrylic paint is used on human skin, there is no acceptable minimum exposure period. Varieties of acrylic paints can cause strong reactions, moderate or no reaction at all in certain people.

All forms of artists’ paints are not formulated with cosmetic-grade pigments and weren’t designed to be applied to the skin. Some items used in the cosmetics and special effects industries include acrylic bases that have passed FDA testing and have been allowed for use on skin. 

It is nevertheless strongly advised to use specifically made face paint to avoid any potential irritation or reactions from using acrylic paints on the face. 

Read also: Best Edible Markers for Cookies Decoration [Buyers Guide]

Does acrylic paint wash off skin?

In most cases, warm water and soap should be enough to remove acrylic paint from face or body with a bit of scrubbing.

If you don’t have a sink nearby, try alcohol or baby wipes or any form of oil (baby oil or regular vegetable oil) and dry it up with some paper towels.

If the layer was quite thick, you can also simply peel arylics off your skin.

Do not put acrylic paint on fabrics – it won’t wash off.

Wrap Up

At the end of the day, acrylic paints were never intended to be applied to the skin. They can include harmful compounds, have a tendency to solidify on the skin, and are challenging to remove when it dries up.

It may cause skin irritation and is not suggested to be used as face or body paint, depending on the individual. Therefore, it is better to stay away from using acrylic paints on the skin in favor of water-based, non-toxic alternatives that are created with skincare in mind.