As Mamas, we all know that Halloween can be a time where children are exposed to GMO filled candy, with toxic food dyes and harmful ingredients. This is enough to spook anyone! There is a neverending plethora of research out there that suggests exposure to food dyes can have all kinds of consequences, ans can be linked to behavioral disorders like ADHD. Halloween decor has its fair share of scaries too, with cadmium, lead, and other shocking toxins lurking in pieces you purchase from Home Goods, Target, and other stores. Heavy metals are all around us, present in our drinking water, cookware, and even building materials. However, there are steps we can take this Halloween, to decrease our family's exposure to such scary toxins. Read the tips below, to help your family decrease their sugar intake and the amount of chemical exposure from decorations.
Opt for Healthier Versions of Store-Bought Halloween Treats & Candy
Make your Own Homemade Halloween Treats
Creating a few traditions of tried and true recipes for Halloween is a great way to know what your family is eating, so you can avoid natural flavors and hidden ingredients. Unwanted additive and preservatives are scary. In my family, we have to modify each recipe we make, since my family has allergies to gluten, dairy, and soy. We have our own traditions we make as it gets closer to Halloween such as pumpkin banana smoothies or apple tarts. We also use Halloween cookie cutters and make sugar cookies with sugar replacers such as Swerve.
Choose Natural Halloween Decor & Accessories
Don't get tricked into buying toxic Halloween decor! Sadly, many decor pieces you find at stores, are made from materials that contain a ton of toxic chemicals, whether they are made from plastic, polyurethane, or even ceramic. Decorating with natural materials is not only fun for the kids, it keeps your home free of toxins.
Natural Fall Decor - Decorate with natural materials you can find on a nature walk such as acorns, logs, rocks, hay, dried eucalyptus, large maple leaves, pumpkins, dried wheat, gourds, or even apples and dried oranges.
Create decorative garland and crafts with natural materials such as wool, twine, etc.
Witch Broom - DIY your own witch broom with twigs, and twine.
Small Spiderwebs - Use cotton balls to stretch across decor pieces in your home to give them a spooky, spiderweb covered effect.
Tissue Ghosts - Make tissue ghosts with simply just tissues and twine! Decorate their faces with three dots from a marker. Voila!
Construction Paper Bats & Spiders - You can order these off Etsy or make them yourself with your little ones! Just trace one bat and one spider and keep them as your main stencil to trace the other shapes. Cut out each one and stick to the wall with only tape! Fold the wings up to give the illusion they are flying.
For those decor pieces you just can't live without, but little hands shouldn't touch? Place them up high on a mantle, away from little hands and mouths.
Halloween Costumes, Jewelry & Face Paint
When addressing costumes, nail polish, and face paint, think twice about the products you're using, even if it's just for one night. Avoid toxin filled face paints, makeup and jewelry that you find at the dollar store. Reading those ingredient labels is more important now than ever. Children are much more susceptible to chemical exposure and negative effects on their immune system. Make your own face paint or utilize toxin free makeup that you already have in your bathroom cabinet from approved brands like 100% Pure, or Piper Blue Organic Makeup. You can even find bright eyeshadows from Stouderhouse. Use code MAMABEAR for a discount!
The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics tested samples of face paints, finding that all ten contained lead, six of the ten contained chromium and other allergens, while many of them contained formaldehyde, phthalates, parabens, dioxins, and other petroleum-derived products. Yikes!
Read below for tips to stay safe from toxins this Halloween.
DIY your own face paint, with this recipe from PopSugar or Personal Creations
Utilize cleaner, store-bought option for face paint: such as Earth Paint Natural Face Paint or Kleen Naturals
Use safer options for nail polish, such as Ella and Mila
DIY your costume with safer, breathable fabrics or wool and cotton or choose accessories to wear with an organically made outfit
Choose safer store-bought costumes for kids that are free of lead and BPA like accessories from Maisonette or Hanna Andersson - or options from Kiwi Co.
How do you avoid toxins during the month of October? Share your tried and true tips below!