If you’re looking for the easiest way to remove face paint, we’ve got you covered with our tips and tricks.
Learn how to remove face paint with these tried and true methods!
Note: This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. If you make a purchase, this site may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you. You can read our full disclosure policy here.
Although most children want to know how long their face paint design will last, most parents are thinking ahead, wanting to make sure they can easily remove the face makeup without staining.
First of all, it’s important to not sleep in your face paint design. Yes, we know young children will want their face painting to last for days if possible, but sleeping in it increases the risk of staining clothes, bed sheets, and pillowcases.
Not only that, but it can make it more difficult to remove the paint once it’s been on the skin for long periods of time. So it’s a good idea to wash it off at the end of the day.
Whether you’re the face painter at a carnival or fair, are doing face paint designs for your own children, or have recently had your face painted with Halloween makeup for costume parties, you may be wondering how to remove face paint.
We’re sharing a wide variety of methods with you, as well as sharing which ones are our top picks.
How to Remove Face Paint Makeup from Your Face
When you’re wearing face paint or body paint, it can be tricky to figure out how to remove the makeup from your face or body after the fact.
Depending on the type of face paint and your skin type, you might have better luck with certain methods over others, but with the right approach, you should be able to remove face paint makeup from your face relatively easily and painlessly.
Many of the recommended methods below use general household items you probably have on hand already, or you could easily obtain at a local drug store.
Here are some of the best methods for removing face paint makeup.
Gentle Soap and Water
Washing your face with a gentle soap or face wash and warm water will work for the vast majority of water-based face paints, so we recommend trying this method first, as it is often the best way.
The first step is to wet your face with warm water (or cold water, if you prefer). We generally recommend avoiding hot water, since it can dry out your skin.
Next, take a mild soap, such as baby shampoo or a gentle face wash, and massage it into your skin in a circular motion. Continue this for about 30 seconds before rinsing off with lukewarm water.
Rinse well, then pat dry with a towel or blot dry with a paper towel.
The best thing about this method is that practically everyone will have soap and water at home already.
Makeup Remover Wipes
One of the easiest ways to remove face paint makeup is with makeup wipes, such as Neutrogena makeup remover wipes. This tends to work well for fairly stubborn face paint, too, in addition to various kinds of makeup.
Just gently wipe your face with a makeup wipe, and the paint will come right off.
Depending on the size of the design, you may need to use a few wipes to remove all the paint, but it’s much easier than scrubbing it off with a washcloth.
You can also use eye makeup remover on a cotton ball or cotton pad, though the texture of makeup wipes seems to be more effective in some cases.
If you have sensitive skin, avoid using alcohol-based makeup remover because that can irritate the skin.
After removing the makeup, thoroughly rinse your face and apply moisturizer. Finally, check for any leftover traces of paint by looking in a mirror at different angles.
Alternative: If you don’t have makeup remover wipes on hand, you can try baby wipes. Many people report good results with these, since they’re generally made to be gentle on baby skin.
You’ll want to make sure you have good-quality hypoallergenic wipes that won’t irritate your face before you try this option, particularly if you are prone to allergic reactions.
Micellar Water
Another highly successful method of removing face paint is to use micellar water, such as Garnier micellar cleansing water.
Like makeup remover wipes, micellar waters contain little molecules that help to cleanse the skin of makeup and face paint.
If you’re using a gentle face paint color, you can apply the micellar water directly to your skin and gently massage it.
You can also soak a cotton ball or cotton pad in micellar water, and gently massage the skin to remove the face paint makeup.
After this, rinse off any residue with warm water and pat dry.
Oil For Stubborn Residue
For stubborn face paint stains on your skin that can’t be removed by other methods, consider using oil, such as coconut oil or mineral oil (aka baby oil), to remove the paint.
Some people report success with olive oil, but it can be comedogenic, so I don’t recommend that option.
Soak a cotton ball or pad in oil and gently rub it over the face paint. You may need to do this a few times to get all of the paint off.
Afterward, wash with a gentle soap and pat dry.
Rubbing Alcohol for Face Paint Stains
As a last resort, if you’re having trouble getting the paint off, you can try using a little bit of rubbing alcohol on a cotton ball, or use an alcohol swab.
Be sure to test it on a small area first to ensure it doesn’t irritate your skin. Keep in mind that alcohol will dry out your skin, so you’ll want to avoid this option if possible (or at least limit it to the smallest area necessary), and moisturize well afterward.
How to Take Off Face Paint
In general, a mild soap (or facial cleanser) and water is your first option to try when you need to remove face paint after the fact.
If that method doesn’t work, consider makeup wipes or micellar water, both of which are a good choice as your second option.
As a last resort, consider oil or rubbing alcohol for stubborn stains and residue.
No matter which method you choose, try to avoid harsh scrubbing of the skin, which can lead to irritation and dryness.
Sometimes, exfoliating can be useful in removing dead skin cells that may be holding onto color, but again, try to be as gentle as possible.
And of course, you’ll want to follow-up with a good moisturizer or face cream to keep your skin from drying out.
Whether you’re planning to incorporate Halloween face paints with this year’s costumes or are considering setting up a face painting booth of your own, you’ll now know the different methods for removing face painting remnants!
Removing Face Paint from Clothing or Bedding
If face paint gets onto your clothes or bedding, the ease of washing it out will depend largely on the type of paint used.
For best results, try to rinse out excess paint by hand in a sink of cold water, if possible. You can try using a liquid soap, like Dawn dish detergent, to see if any of the stain will come out.
Then you’ll want to pre-treat the fabric with stain remover before washing it in your washing machine with laundry detergent.
Be sure to save this article to your face paint board on Pinterest!
