Halloween is a fun and festive time for adults and children alike, but it’s best to get into the spirit safely. Here are four costume accessories to avoid if you don’t want Halloween to come back and haunt you:
Decorative contact lenses
For some Halloween enthusiasts, no demon or alien costume is complete without lenses that change the colour of their eyes.
Despite the popularity of decorative contact lenses, they are considered medical devices by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and, as of last July, Health Canada.
The FDA says decorative contact lenses should never be an over-the-counter purchase.
Decorative or not, a poorly fitted contact lens can cause serious eye damage, including scratches on the cornea, corneal infection, pink eye (conjunctivitis) and decreased vision or blindness.
If decorative contact lenses are a must this Halloween, the FDA recommends visiting your eye doctor to obtain a valid prescription that includes a brand name lens with proper measurements and an expiration date. You should also follow all directions for cleaning and disinfecting the lenses before use. Another visit to the eye doctor is even recommended for follow-up eye exams.
Masks and makeup
Health Canada says improperly fitted masks can obstruct a child’s vision or interfere with breathing, so it’s best to leave them at home and get creative with face makeup.
But if you are planning to use body or face makeup, plan ahead: Try testing the makeup by putting a small amount on your arm a few days in advance of Halloween. If a rash or redness appears, it could be a sign of an allergy. Health Canada says that even products labelled as hypoallergenic may still cause allergic reactions.
Dark clothing
This one should be a no-brainer but there’s always someone who dresses like a mime or a vampire while trick-or-treating.
Likely every police officer, firefighter and paramedic in the world will tell you to never go out trick-or-treating on Halloween in dark clothing. In fact, it’s best for any pedestrian to avoid dark clothing after dark on any day of the year.
So if your child is insisting on dressing as a bat, a vampire or a witch, consider incorporating into the costume reflective tape or gear, glitter or bright colours so that they are visible on the street.
Flammable costumes
As children go door-to-door on Halloween, they’re likely traipsing past candles that are lighting up pumpkins on the porch. Best to put your little one in a costume made of fire-retardant materials. The labels should read “flame resistant.” If you’re making the costume, stick with flame-resistant fabrics such as heavyweight polyester or nylon. However, Health Canada warns that flame-resistance doesn’t mean fire-proof.
