Face paint is so pretty, and it can get expensive, depending on the design. Face painting can be a fun memory that you might want to try to keep for a while. It’s no wonder you might want it to last as long as possible.
Face paint can last a long time. If properly maintained, you could technically leave a face paint design on for days. However, before you commit to leaving your face paint on overnight, there are several things you should consider.
In this article, you’ll learn how to make your paint last for as long as possible. In addition, you can read on to find out why it might not be the best idea to leave your face paint on for extended periods of time.
When you get your face painted, your artist may not tell you how long it will last.
Your face paint will last at least the rest of the day, so long as you don’t mess with it. If you continue not messing with it, you could hypothetically get away with wearing your face paint design for a few days without it rubbing off.
Any face painting artist worth their salt will use a water-based paint on all of their clients. Water-based paint will wash off easily when you’re ready to be done with it, but it will also stay in place better than something like a latex-based paint will. For water-based paints, you can expect a wear time of between 6-24 hours.
If you know you’ll want to leave your face paint on for longer than the standard wear time, there are certainly a few things you can do to extend the wear time. These include:


Perhaps you’ve followed all of the steps to keep your face paint on for as long as possible, but you notice that it’s chipping or flaking anyway. Unfortunately, that’s just how it goes sometimes.
If you notice that it’s flaking off or the design is cracking, that probably means that your face was a bit too dry when it was applied. However, if you notice that it just seems to be disintegrating, that means that the natural sweat and oils in your skin are mingling with the paint and causing it to disintegrate.
If you notice redness in areas where your face paint has worn off, that could indicate that you’re having an allergic reaction. In this case, it’s best to remove all of the paint immediately.
Taking off your face paint is easy. To do this, you should:

Face paint is so fun! You might never want to take it off. At the end of the night, if your design still looks good, you might even consider sleeping in it. Even though this sounds like a fine idea, it could end up doing more harm than good.
Though a good face painter will use a water-based paint, you might run into an oil-based painter every once in a while. Oil-based paint is especially terrible for leaving on overnight; it can clog your pores and cause breakouts. In addition, oil-based face paint is more transfer prone, meaning there’s a solid chance you’ll wake up with oil paint all over the place. Unlike a water-based paint, though, oil paint is harder to get out of clothes and sheets.
Both water and oil-based face paints can leave a stain behind, unfortunately. They might not stain your face as severely as an acrylic paint would, but they will be a nightmare to get out of clothes or sheets or furniture.
To avoid staining of the face or the rest of the surfaces in your life, you should try not to leave your face paint on for too long. Take it off before you change clothes or go to bed. Asking if your face painter can use a primer is also a good way to prevent your face paint from staining your skin.
Your face paint should last anywhere from 6-24 hours, if you really need it to. However, it would be best if you washed it off sooner rather than later. To make sure it lasts as long as possible, you can ask to use a primer and avoid sweating or rubbing away your design.