Officials speak out about serious chemicals lacing popular Halloween costumes: 'Putting your kids ... in harm's way of toxic exposures'

Before you buy that cheap last-minute Halloween costume for your child, it is vital to check the label — if there is one.

What's happening?

Ahead of this year's Halloween season, the Guardian spoke to experts and detailed a 2021 study from the Center for Environmental Health that found toxic substances — lead, cadmium, and bisphenol A (BPA) — in costumes made by popular specialty stores Halloween Express and Spirit Halloween. The levels exceeded what requires a warning under California's Proposition 65, which regulates carcinogenic or reproductively harmful chemicals in consumer products.

Any exposure to lead is dangerous, especially for children, and can damage the nervous system. Cadmium and BPA affect the gastrointestinal and hormonal systems. Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (better known as DEHP), another endocrine disruptor like BPA, the newspaper reported, was found in 49% of secondhand polyester clothing tested by Ikea and H&M through an unusual partnership of the seemingly unconnected brands.

"Customer service agents at Halloween Express could not explain why a children's costume would warn that it could contain lead, since lead is not allowed in children's products," the Guardian stated.

Why is this important?

The outlet called the holiday the "ultimate" in ultrafast fashion because costumes are designed to be worn just once, hence the cheap prices and even cheaper quality of those rubber masks and other accessories that go hand in hand with the spooky spectacular.

The danger extends to products from Amazon, Temu, and Shein — all go-to companies for those must-haves that you only hear about from your kids when it's nearly too late. Selected clothing from that group — typically from overseas brands — has been found to include lead, phthalates, and formaldehyde.

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The U.S. government has banned lead, cadmium, and some phthalates, but only in children's clothes, the Guardian said.

"In theory, [sellers are] supposed to meet some requirements for kids' products," Scott Echols, chief impact officer at ZDHC, which works to phase out hazardous chemicals in the fashion industry, told the outlet. "But I wouldn't bet on that."

What's being done about toxic chemicals in clothing?

If you see a warning label on clothing, it likely has a dangerous component, or the manufacturer may not have even tested it, Echols said. Online purchases from small, unknown, or overseas companies may not be subject to Prop 65 regulations.

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Sweating in a cheaply made costume can also increase the risk of leaching any chemicals, especially those left on the surface from the manufacturing process, and those substances can transfer to other clothing or items if stored in the same place or washed together, as the Guardian noted.

Experts said it is important to wash your hands before eating Halloween candy if you're wearing or in contact with a synthetic costume or accessory. Buying secondhand or from trusted brands that are transparent about their chemical regulations can help, too. You could also make your own costume or use regular cosmetics instead of cheap face paint.

"When you go and purchase a fast-fashion Halloween costume, you're putting your kids probably in harm's way of toxic exposures," University of Toronto professor Miriam Diamond told the Guardian.