What Harmful Chemicals Should I Avoid in Kids Makeup?
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When I first started looking into kids makeup ingredients, it wasn’t because I wanted to start a business. It started because my daughter Annie developed a rash after using store-bought makeup.
Like many mums, I assumed products marketed toward children would automatically be safe. But after her skin reacted, I started reading ingredient labels more carefully — and honestly, I was shocked by some of the things commonly found in kids makeup.
A lot of the products were cheaply made overseas, loaded with preservatives, synthetic fragrance, and ingredients that simply didn’t need to be there for children’s play makeup.
That experience is what eventually led us to create Naturally Annie — a New Zealand-made range of non-toxic kids makeup designed with gentle ingredients and sensitive young skin in mind.
If you’re wondering what harmful chemicals to avoid in kids makeup, here are the main things I personally look out for as both a mum and founder of Naturally Annie.
1. Synthetic Fragrance
This is probably one of the biggest ingredients I personally avoid.
Many kids makeup products contain added fragrance purely to make them smell “fun” or sweet, but fragrance blends can contain dozens — sometimes even hundreds — of undisclosed chemicals.
For children with sensitive skin, fragrance is a very common trigger for:
- rashes
- redness
- irritation
- itchy skin
In our case, Annie’s skin reacted with a rash, which is what first pushed me to investigate ingredients more closely.
I also personally believe heavily fragranced products are unnecessary for children. Kids makeup doesn’t need to smell like candy or perfume to be enjoyable.
At Naturally Annie, we prefer focusing on gentle, simple formulations rather than overpowering scents.
2. Petroleum-Based Ingredients
Petroleum-derived ingredients are extremely common in cheap cosmetics because they are inexpensive and help products last longer on shelves.
But when it comes to children’s makeup, I personally question whether many of these ingredients are really necessary.
Young skin is delicate, and I believe simpler is better.
Instead of heavy petroleum-based formulas, we prefer using ingredients like beeswax in our products because they feel gentler and more nourishing on the skin.
3. Talc
Talc is another ingredient many parents now choose to avoid in children’s products.
While talc has been used in cosmetics for years, concerns around contamination and irritation have made many families more cautious about using it — especially around children’s faces and eyes.
For me personally, if an ingredient raises enough concern that parents are questioning it, I’d rather avoid it altogether in kids makeup.
4. Excessive Preservatives
One thing that really stood out to me when researching kids makeup was how many products were mass-produced overseas and shipped long distances before reaching shelves in New Zealand.
Products travelling from the other side of the world often require stronger preservation systems and longer shelf stability.
That was something I became increasingly uncomfortable with when thinking about products going onto children’s skin.
At Naturally Annie, one of the reasons being New Zealand-made matters so much to us is because we wanted greater control over quality, ingredients, and standards.
Why I Believe “Toy Makeup” Needs More Attention
One thing I wish more parents understood is that just because something is marketed toward children doesn’t automatically mean it’s gentle or necessary for sensitive skin.
A lot of toy makeup products are designed to be:
- cheap to manufacture
- bright in colour
- highly fragranced
- long-lasting on shelves
But children don’t need highly pigmented adult-style makeup formulas for imaginative play.
Most parents simply want something fun, gentle, and safe enough for occasional dress-ups, dance concerts, birthday parties, and pretend play.
That’s exactly the gap we wanted Naturally Annie to fill.
Why We Chose a New Zealand-Made Approach
Making our products in New Zealand was incredibly important to us from the beginning.
After Annie’s reaction, I became much more aware of:
- ingredient quality
- manufacturing standards
- transparency
- unnecessary additives
We wanted products created to New Zealand standards using carefully selected ingredients that we personally felt comfortable putting on our own children’s skin.
As a smaller NZ business, we can also focus on quality over mass production.
What Parents Tell Us After Switching
One of the most rewarding parts of Naturally Annie has been hearing from mums whose children struggled with redness or irritation from other products.
We regularly hear things like:
- “No more rashes.”
- “No more redness.”
- “Finally something gentle enough for sensitive skin.”
That’s always the goal for us.
Our products are designed for children aged 3 and up and created to support imaginative play without harsh unnecessary ingredients.
What Should Parents Look For Instead?
When choosing kids makeup, I personally recommend looking for:
- simple ingredient lists
- fragrance free
- transparent brands
- products made to high standards
- gentle ingredients like beeswax and nourishing oils
And most importantly — trust your instincts.
If something feels overly fragranced, heavily processed, or full of ingredients you don’t recognise, it’s worth questioning whether it truly needs to go on your child’s skin.
My Honest Advice to Parents
If I could say one thing to a mum standing in a shop comparing cheap kids makeup kits, it would simply be this:
Make sure what goes on your child’s skin is safe.
Children’s skin is delicate, and they simply don’t need harsh chemicals, heavy fragrances, or unnecessary fillers for creative play.
That belief is exactly why Naturally Annie was created in the first place.