Halloween is coming up fast, and it’s honestly one of the most chemical-heavy holidays of the year once you start looking, between the face paint, the plastic costumes, and what ends up in the candy bowl. I don’t believe in skipping the fun, though. This week I’m walking through exactly how we handle Halloween in our house: what I look out for, and the swaps that keep it just as festive without the stuff I’d rather not have on my kids’ skin or in their candy bag.
🎙️ Before we get into it —
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Let's test your Halloween IQ this week:
Independent testing from groups like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has found which of these in popular conventional Halloween face paints?
A️. Just synthetic fragrance
B️. Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury
C️. Nothing, face paint is unregulated but safe
D. Only an issue in costumes, not face paint
Think you know the answer? Scroll to the bottom of this week's newsletter to see if you got it right.
Did you catch my recent reel on the drinks I’ll never put in my Target cart as an Environmental Scientist?
I broke down Gatorade’s sugar and dye situation, Celsius’s stacked caffeine and sucralose, and why Ocean Spray’s cranberry cocktail is basically sugar water in a vitamin C costume.
Non-Toxic Tip of the Week
Planning a Non-Toxic Halloween
Halloween brings together three things that are worth a second look: what touches their skin, what they wear, and what ends up in the bag. None of it requires skipping the holiday, just a few swaps.
☐ Know what’s in the face paint: Testing has repeatedly found lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury in conventional face paints, along with parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. These heavy metals can affect neurological development and hormones, and there’s no safe level of lead exposure for kids. I look for mineral-pigment, food-grade face paint instead, like Earth Paints.
☐ Skip the PVC costume: Most store-bought costumes are polyester, nylon, or vinyl, and PVC is commonly treated with phthalates, endocrine disruptors linked to reproductive and developmental harm, plus flame retardants that off-gas VOCs. Cotton, linen, or wool costumes breathe better and skip both. Thrifting or sewing something simple works great too.
☐ Rethink the candy bowl: Most conventional Halloween candy leans on artificial dyes like Red 40, Yellow 5, and Blue 1 (linked to hyperactivity and behavior issues), corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, and preservatives like BHT and TBHQ. The easiest swap I’ve found is Tricked by the Treat, their Healthy Halloween Variety Pack bundles 10 better-for-you treat brands with no artificial colors, flavors, high-fructose corn syrup, or hydrogenated oil.
☐ Host a non-toxic party instead: A kids’ party at home lets you control the whole environment, decorations, snacks, activities, without losing any of the magic. It’s one of our favorite ways to do Halloween now.
☐ Try a “Switch Witch” buyback: If your kids still want to trick-or-treat, let them trade their candy for cash, a book, or a non-toxic toy afterward. They get the tradition, you skip most of the sugar and dyes, and they keep a few safer treats.
☐ Keep a few safer sweets on hand: I keep a running list of the candy brands I actually buy, YumEarth, Cocomels, and others made without artificial colors or GMOs, so stocking up is simple.
I go deeper on all of this in my latest blog post:
| Mystery Link of the Day | Non-Toxic Dad |
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| You never know what's inside Always something useful. A non-toxic reference guide, a product we're loving, a big discount, a health tool, or a link full of resources you probably haven't seen. |
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Recipe of the Week
Heirloom Pumpkin Scones
A cozy, bakery-style scone made with stone-ground heirloom wheat flour instead of conventional bleached or bromated flour, so you’re getting a cleaner ingredient list from the first bite. The real pumpkin puree keeps them moist, and warm fall spices make the kitchen smell incredible while they bake. They come together in one bowl and are perfect for a Halloween party table or a quiet morning before trick-or-treating starts.
Halloween doesn’t have to be an either-or between fun and non-toxic. A few swaps in what touches their skin, what they wear, and what ends up in the bag go a long way, and the kids never notice the difference, except maybe that the candy tastes better. Thanks for being part of the Non-Toxic Dad community. Happy almost-Halloween, see you next week!
✅ B: Lead, cadmium, arsenic, and mercury
Testing from groups like the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics has repeatedly found these heavy metals in popular conventional Halloween face paints, along with parabens and formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. Heavy metals like lead have no safe exposure threshold for kids and have been linked to reduced IQ and attention problems, which is why I stick to mineral-pigment, food-grade face paints instead.
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