Why is best to order Face Paint Supplies from a Professional Store

This post is written by someone that owns and operates a store. So, yes, you can consider it bias. But the intention is not to convince you to buy from our store (JestPaint.com) but rather for you to buy from any professional face paint store, whichever one you like. You will be doing yourself a favor and helping the industry. This is just of course our opinion based on 14 years in the industry, but we think it can help those that are just getting started. And if you need more advice on how to get started, please visit this blog post, it has a complete and 100% FREE Face Painting guide with everything you need to know.

PROTECTING THE CHILDREN

Face Paints are applied directly on the skin of young children, their skin is sensitive and we should make sure to only use safe, tested and compliant cosmetic grade products. When you buy reputable brands from professional face paint stores you are buying products that manufacturers claim to have tested in the USA and or Europe, that they claim to have checked for ingredients to verify its source, purity and compliance with makeup regulations and if they entered the USA or Europe through the proper channels they have a chance to have been inspected by the regulatory agencies in charge of keeping bad products out of the market.

Products sold only on marketplaces that come directly from China without a legal entity (brand) that represents them in your country (USA, Somewhere in Europe, Canada, etc) have no incentive to do things right. They can offer cheaper prices by using unsafe ingredients tainted sometimes with things like led or mercury, because they don't have any legal representation outside of China, so it becomes impossible to hold them accountable. Amazon and other marketplaces do not ask makeup companies to provide proof that the product is safe so anything can be sold there and anyone can make any claims they like. Companies based in Europe or the USA will make sure not to make claims they can't back up because they risk loosing a big court case, that is not the case when you buy direct from China through Amazon, or Alibaba, AliExpress, etc from companies with no legal representation in your country.

Did you know that often these generic brands being sold direct from China have been entered into the country as "used clothes", "empty containers", etc? The issue is, no country has the ability to scan every package that crosses their borders so if they did not scan the package then it clears the border without proper inspection. Why do they do that? Because they know that if they use words like "makeup" or "face paint" to get their products into the USA or Europe, the products will undergo FDA inspection, which sometimes includes a physical inspection of the label, and sometimes even testing. Many of these brands know they would not pass those tests so they avoid it all together by claiming that something else is inside those shipments. 

Some of these brands also claim to have done safety tests but they show you just a copy of a safety test conducted on 3 or 4 colors that are not enough to make every color they carry, and it is not proof that what they tested is what they are actually using to make the product you are buying. If you are buying something that is almost 50% cheaper, it is not because you are being scammed by professional stores, it is because those direct to consumer brands sold on those marketplaces are often using cheaper unsafe ingredients, skipping testings, avoiding insurance and legal presence fees, etc. We should focus on quality and safety when purchasing something that will be on a kid's skin for hours.

CUSTOMER SUPPORT and PROFESSIONAL ADVICE

When you buy from a professional face paint store you will get customer support from professionals in the industry with years of experience in the field, and deep understanding of the products and regulations of our industry. No Amazon rep will have that level of knowledge (unless you are buying from an Amazon seller that also has a professional store, in which case, why not buy directly from their store and avoid them having to pay Amazon fees).

INSURANCE

Some insurance companies for face painters want you to buy your products from dedicate professional stores. Why? Because those stores usually carry general liability insurance to respond in case of an allergic reaction. Also, the brands they sell usually have a representative in your country, which means a legal presence should you need it. Brands sold only on marketplaces or directly from China usually have no legal presence in your country and have no insurance.

QUALITY

Often I see post from people wishing products were cheaper, and hence they try and find cheaper options. In this industry price and quality (and safety) are strictly related. A product sold at a professional face paint store from a professional face paint brand costs more because they are made with safe ingredients, with high quality pigments, they have gone through the proper inspection channels, they have gotten tested, etc. Products bought directly from China or marketplaces usually are brought into the country like "empty containers" or "used clothes" taking advantage of the fact that not all packages get scanned to verify what is inside, and by avoiding to declare that the products are makeup they don't have to go through the makeup regulating agencies, which means they don't get a compliance check.
Products might look the same on a picture, but there are differences you won't see until you try them (like the lack of pigmentation or oily formula), or worse, things you will never notice (like the use of unsafe pigments, the lack of testing, etc). Don't trust images of tests that some companies in Asia show, they usually only tested a few pigments and noone guarantees you that those are the same pigments used on the makeup you are buying. When you buy from professional brands those brands are in charge of making sure the pigments used are always the ones that were tested and determined safe.

BUT WHY ARE PROFESSIONAL BRANDS MORE EXPENSIVE?

To cover the costs of high quality ingredients, safety tests, insurance, registrations and legal presence in different countries, proper regulatory agency fees paid at Customs, trained professionals that provide customer support, etc. When you charge the right fees for your services these products are actually very reasonably priced. In the USA a face painter average hourly rate is at $150 USD an hour, while a 32gm of face paint goes for about $7.00. Take a look at the makeup industry now sending this "new" trendy wet liners... they are jut face paints labeled as "wet eye liners" sold for up to 3 times the price we pay in our industry.

SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY

Those that own and operate professional face paint stores are the ones on all of the Facebook groups, and Instagram providing free advice, supporting new members with free content to teach them how to use the products, how to get their business started, etc. These same people are the ones spending hours every week learning new regulations, making sure companies producing paint are up to standards, making sure labels are done correctly and developing new products for everyone to expand their business. No Ebay or Amazon seller will help you grow your business like professional face paint owners do.

PROTECTING THE INDUSTRY

If you want to work in an industry that is well respected then using the right products is key. When something goes wrong at a big festival and it gets into the news because someone used cheap face paints and a person got a reaction, that hurts us all, the public looses trust in our industry and we all get affected. By using the right products, following the right procedures, being insured, etc you help uphold high standards for the industry and protect the job you have as a face painter.

SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESSES

Professional face paint stores are all owned by small business owners, none of us here are millionaires. Amazon, Ebay, Alibaba owners are already millionaires. And many of the brands sold direct to consumer there come from giant factories in Asia also owned by millionaires. The brands sold at professional face paint stores are also own by small business owners. So, by buying from a professional face paint store you are supporting a lot of small business owners like you.

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS STAND OUT

If you use products that any mom and dad can get at a regular store, they won't see the value in your service and think they can do it to. If you buy brands they don't see at regular stores, you can let them know you use only professional products, and they can notice as well the price difference if they ever land in a professional face paint store, which will help raise your value as a professional.