Article Archive >> Environment  EarthTalk(r): Kids' temporary
tattoo  PHOTO: Digital Vision, courtesy Thinkstock  E - The
Environmental Magazine Kids' temporary tattoo  Dear EarthTalk:
My daughter loves those press-on tattoos, and they're frequently
given out at birthday parties and other events. But I've noticed
the labels say they're only for ages three and up. Are they
safe? If not, are there alternatives? -- Debra Jones, Lansing,
MI For the most part, so-called temporary tattoos are safe for
kids and grown-ups alike, even if they do contain a long list of
scary sounding ingredients including resins, polymers, varnishes
and dyes. But if they are sold legitimately in the U.S., their
ingredients have been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FSA) as cosmetics, meaning the agency has found
them to be safe for "direct dermal contact." The FDA has
received reports of minor skin irritation including redness and
swelling, but such cases have been deemed "child specific" and
were not widespread enoug