WHAT ABOUT THE HEAT AND THE PAINTS?
by Gary Cole
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A common question is how are the face paints affected by high temperature? I can not speak for all brands, but I can tell you that every brand that I am aware of, is effected by the heat. It is kind of the nature of the beast. This response to this question will be directed toward those that use the SNAZAROO brand of face paints because I can not vouch for every brand on the market. This is broken into two parts, one product related and the other in regards to the product while on the face and problems that heat causes.
I live in the Dallas, Texas area and in the summer months we can have 40 days or more where the temperature exceeds 100 degrees. On top of that we have a high humidity factor. Our humidity is not as bad as many coastal areas but it is certainly high enough to be a problem. Certain colors, particularly those that contain iron oxide pigments are more susceptible to the heat. They have the tendency to even absorb some of the moisture from the air during these high heat, high humidity times of the year. The colors that seem to be most effected are the black, pastel colors and skin tone colors.
If you are painting in high heat or direct sunlight I'm going to tell you up front you will be effected. I'm not sure I have the perfect solution but I'm going to tell you what I do and you might try these ideas yourself. Its not a problem that is only related to SNAZAROO. If you leave virtually any brand of face paint or cosmetic in direct sunlight and heat and it is going to either melt outright or at least greatly soften. Your most expensive cosmetic brands will have more dramatic "heat properties" than SNAZAROO any day. Because of our high pigment content and formulation our product holds up quite well as compared to what else is on the market. Most of the cosmetic brands will result in problems from chemical separation to a complete meltdown.
Keep in mind that both heat and direct sunlight will aggravate the problem. Either can be a problem but the combination makes it worse.
Here are my personal tips...
1) If possible attempt to control your environment, negotiate the opportunity
to paint where the temperature is going to be 80 degrees or less.
2) If you must paint in high heat attempt to keep the paint out of direct sunlight.
3) If you must paint in high heat store your paints on a cool surface. I have heard of
painters that keep their containers on top of "blue ice" (the plastic containers
that you can freeze over and over).
4) After you finish painting, store the containers in the freezer for about 20
to 40 minutes (with them level and with the lid on).
This generally brings them back to life.
5) Try to avoid over watering your paints.
6) Keep out a smaller amount of paint. I have found if I am painting with a container only
1/3rd full I have the opportunity to "mix" the water in the paint on the
unfilled portion of the container. This way I avoid sticking my brush or sponge full force
into the soft paint. I feel this gives me a greater amount of control.
7) For your black... keep extra containers in a chilled container or chest. Occasionally
swap out the blacks and this will resolve most problems
8) Using black as an example, it can seem to turn to a thick paste in high heat
and in sunlight. If you are using a full container form a small well that will
go down to the bottom of the container. Then as you load up your brush
with paint, if you are using a round brush roll the brush tip at the bottom or
with a flat brush wipe the tip on the bottom to get the perfect amount of paint.
With a little practice you can be quite effective and still get great results.
With SNAZAROO face paints the true "separation" in the paint product is very minimal. Sometimes you will see some color variation on the surface but that should be no concern. Once you blend with your brush or sponge you will see the color becomes very consistent. This discoloration seems to be worse with the pastel colors. When using a sponge avoid getting too much water and/or paint on your sponge.
Now I will address what to do to maintain that face you just painted on the child or adult. SNAZAROO paints, when properly applied, will dry to the touch on the skin, in 30 to 45 seconds. You then can even touch the face without a problem. Our paints are water based and designed to come off with both moisture and friction. In the high heat or high humidity your perspiration will remoisturize the paint on the face. You will be fine as long as you do not touch the face. If you are in high heat and you paint a child that is jumping in the bouncy house working up a sweat, you better advise him/her to not touch their face. When appropriate, I always tell the child, "now in this high heat, you have to be very careful about touching your face. Do not do it." I might also add something like "and if you touch your dragon face it might make it look like a butterfly face and I know you would not like that."
If your particular situation requires a face that is sweat proof and touch proof you should avoid any water based face paint. Water based paints, by design, are made for easy-on and easy-off applications. If you are a professional clown you could easily use SNAZAROO face paints for your clown face if you are in a cool environment. However, if you are under the hot lights, do a lot of physical exertion, work in high heat, come in contact with water or are in a situation where fingers, clothing or other materials come in contact with your face, then you should investigate what is known as "grease paints". I would avoid these if possible because they are much more difficult to apply and remove. Even the best brands, can clog the pores and add to the concerns of allergic reactions. The better brands of grease paints can endure the "sweat test". We do not recommend you ever using grease paints on children. Grease paints are difficult to remove and have a high chance of ruining clothing or other materials they come in contact with.
If you want to "strengthen" the staying power of water based paints in the heat you might try several things. This is not recommended or even needed if you are in a cooler area. You can "talc" the face or apply what is known as a "fixative" to help protect the water based coverage on your face. Some fixatives can be harmful to the eyes so these should be carefully used. SNAZAROO USA Inc. will soon add a fixative to their line that makes a painted tattoo be much more durable. Watch for the launch of this new product. Some people even use materials such as hair spray over the painted surface but these can be harmful if sprayed in the eyes. We do not recommend the use of these products particularly on children. We also do not recommend any fixative to be used within one inch of the eye.
You may not have found the magic solution to high heat but with these tips you should be able to endure the hot summer months. The most important tip I could give you is to try to negotiate that indoor face painting experience. It will be the most enjoyable for you, the children as well as the paints.
Gary Cole
SNAZAROO USA Inc.
gary@snazaroo.com
