Is It Safe To Use Crayons For Homemade Makeup?

Expensive beauty trends are tough to keep up with, but repurposing art supplies, like crayons, as makeup can seem both practical and surprising. After all, it seems like a great way to recycle something that would usually get tossed. Influencers on YouTube are notorious for getting creative with their makeup tricks, and with numerous looks recreated using these coloring tools, what could be the harm? As it turns out, it may not be as safe to use crayons for makeup as social media makes it look. 

In one tutorial by YouTuber Julia Gilman called "DIY Crayon Makeup Vs. Crayola Makeup," which racked up over 72,000 views, Crayola crayons are melted over a candle and deposited into the pans of a makeup palette, then applied to different areas of the face. This looks easy enough, but is it safe? Knowledge is power, so before digging out that stash of crayons, it's best to know what you're in for, along with the risks that come with experimenting with this beauty technique.

It can be tempting to follow along with the colorful looks seen in DIY crayon tutorials, but this may be one trend you want to avoid. That's because art supplies, like crayons, don't contain the same preservatives found in makeup and can be festered with bacteria, which can lead to irritation on the face (via Cosmopolitan). According to Crayola, "Although our products are nontoxic, we do not recommend using them to make eyeliner, lipstick or other makeup, and strongly discourage their use in this manner." One reason for this can be that makeup manufacturers are required to have labels with instructions for proper use on their products to keep consumers safe, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 

Using Crayola crayons as makeup poses a safety issue because they lack the testing to support this type of use. When in doubt, no matter how exciting a trend may seem to be, it's best to err on the side of caution and stick to the uses intended on the label. The good news is that Crayola has teamed up with beauty manufacturer Crea to launch a line of makeup products inspired by the childhood favorite art products, which are actually meant for use on skin (via Crayola). Many of these products can be purchased at ASOS. Alternatively, there are plenty of other fun ways to experiment with the bold makeup trends coming down the pipeline in 2022.