Halloween is all about costumes, candy, and spooky fun, but for those with allergies, it can also bring some frightening surprises. From hidden ingredients in treats to dust-filled decorations, there are more triggers lurking in the season than most people realize. That’s why it’s so important to know the top Halloween allergy safety tips to protect yourself and your family.

Common Halloween habits, like sharing candy, wearing store-bought costumes, or using scented décor, can easily spark allergic reactions or asthma symptoms. Many popular candies contain nuts, dairy, soy, or gluten, while synthetic fabrics and latex masks can irritate sensitive skin. Even those eerie cobweb decorations or stored costumes can accumulate dust and mold after a year in storage. Fortunately, with the right precautions and a few trusted allergy prevention products, you can enjoy all the fun without the sneezes.

Before the big night, check candy labels carefully, wash or air out costumes, and use hypoallergenic makeup instead of standard face paint. Keep an allergy-safe environment at home by choosing unscented candles, cleaning decorations before use, and using an air purifier to reduce airborne triggers. Whether you’re trick-or-treating or hosting a Halloween party, small steps make a big difference in keeping everyone healthy.

These Halloween allergy safety tips help you enjoy a worry-free, festive holiday while staying protected from hidden irritants. With a little preparation, and the right allergy relief solutions, you can focus on the fun instead of the flare-ups this spooky season.

Halloween can be full of spooky fun for both kids and adults. However, there is a darker side to this ancient holiday that you should be aware of. Many of our favorite Halloween pastimes could be sources of toxins, air pollutants, and allergy and asthma triggers. Below, we discuss and help you navigate this autumn season so it can be your healthiest, happiest, and most festive one yet!

Pumpkins –

October is gaining on us, and the fall season will soon be here. This often means that stores and online retailers will be stocked with pumpkin spice everything and an abundance of things that go bump in the night. But the one item that always takes center stage each year is the pumpkin. Synonymous with Halloween, pumpkins are a crucial element to any proper Hallow’s Eve bash. But did you know that your pumpkins may be causing you more harm than you think?

Despite their obvious beauty and appeal, pumpkins live a relatively short life. By the time pumpkins are picked and carved, they usually only last a couple of weeks. This time can be significantly reduced if they aren’t cared for properly after being picked. Those of us who have left pumpkins on the porch for one too many days in less-than-ideal weather can attest. These festive gourds often turn into a veritable breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and insects.

When given the right environment and ingredients, mold thrives, multiplies, and becomes quite a problem, especially for those suffering from allergies and asthma. This is no different in the case of a warm and damp pumpkin sitting sentry on your porch. The spores released from mold can cause unwanted and aggravating respiratory symptoms such as runny noses, headaches, sinus pressure, itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, and even rashes.

But don’t fret. If you absolutely despise the thought of celebrating Halloween without your favorite Jack-o-lantern decorations, we’ve got you covered. We’ve come up with some useful tips and tricks that will make carving pumpkins a safer and healthier experience for you and your whole family.

• When carving pumpkins, make sure to clear the pulp and seeds from the inside completely. This will help slow down rotting and fermentation.
• Keep carved pumpkins outside as much as possible. If, for some reason, you need to bring them inside, seal them in plastic wrap and store them somewhere cold to preserve them.
• Use a cleaning solution like bleach on the outside, inside, and cut edges of your pumpkin to help preserve it for longer and inhibit mold growth. Only do this outdoors in a well-ventilated area.
• Try to keep any bales of hay and real fallen leaves for outside decoration only, as they are another source of mold and allergies during fall.

Plastic Decorations & Décor Items –

All Hallows Eve is a time for spooks and scares. Plastic bats, witches hats, and skeletal decorations are usually a big part of that. After all, who doesn’t love a festive headstone lawn ornament this time of year? Unfortunately, these playful and fun party decorations could be producing harmful off-gassing and chemical fumes that make them scarier than they need to be.

During the manufacturing process of plastic decorations, chemicals are often used to help them perform better or cost less. This is especially true for the cheapest products and can be found at most retailers online and in-store. The harmful gasses they produce can contain dangerous chemicals like volatile organic compounds. To clarify, off-gassing is a term used to describe when chemicals used to make a product leach their gasses and fumes into the air we breathe.

A 2018 study from Plymouth University found that black plastic products, in particular, a color often found in Halloween decorations and costumes, pose a greater risk to health than other plastic colors. Some plastic products are even made with or from recycled materials containing chemicals like bromine, antimony, lead, and arsenic, depending on the age of the item in question.

With that being said, there are thankfully many non-plastic and non-toxic alternatives on the market to help you decorate and celebrate this Halloween season. A great and affordable alternative to plastic products is live flowers, gourds, squashes, pumpkins, and other seasonal harvest items. Paper and fabric banners and colorful lights are another great option for a more natural and healthier aesthetic free from chemical fumes. Vintage shops will also have unique holiday items you can’t find elsewhere!

Scented Candles –

We all go a little crazy with the fall scents this time of year. Woodfire smoke, pumpkin spice, and maple something or other are common scents that get lit all season long. And who could forget to light up the eyes of your favorite carved pumpkin for a spooky and delightful effect on Hallow’s Eve? Candles, especially the scented ones, are some of the most popular items used to celebrate the season thanks to their affordable nature and natural ability to evoke memories long forgotten. But did you know they could be filling your festive abode with more than just the scents of holidays gone by?

Many scented candles, specifically the cheaper ones, contain a type of wax called paraffin. Unfortunately, paraffin wax has been known to release harmful chemical pollutants into the air when burned. These pollutants include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that can cause some serious negative health effects. When inhaled, it can cause a slew of symptoms, including eye, nose, and throat irritation, headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and even nausea. This is a serious problem for anyone suffering with asthma or allergies.

But we do have some good news: You don’t have to forgo your favorite fall scents or your moody atmosphere. A study found that natural vegetable-based candles, such as soy and beeswax, didn’t produce the same harmful chemicals when burned. And when it comes to lighting your jack-o-lanterns for that festive and spooky glow, we recommend battery-operated tea lights for an affordable and fume-free alternative.

Halloween Costumes –

Picking out the perfect costume is one of the best parts of Halloween. Be it a hairy-footed hobbit, a beautiful but deadly vampire, or the mother of dragons, you can probably find exactly what you’re looking for right in your local Halloween pop-up store. However, many of these costumes are made from mass-produced materials and stored in plastic or vinyl packaging. And until you take the costumes home and open them, they haven’t even begun their off-gassing process. This means that when you go to wear them on Halloween night, you’re breathing in all those nasty chemicals.

One study, in particular, found that many pre-made and manufactured Halloween costumes and their accessories contained harmful pollutants like flame retardants and phthalates.

• Flame Retardants – Unfortunately, because of the flammable fabrics act, many pre-made costumes now contain flame retardants. Flame retardants have been known to be endocrine and thyroid disruptors and can have a negative effect on the immune system. In addition, according to the National Institute of Health Sciences, children are particularly at risk of serious negative health effects due to the fact that their bodies are still developing.
• Phthalates – Phthalates are harmful chemicals used to soften plastics and vinyl to make them more flexible. They are also known to cause endocrine and organ function disruption, which can lead to long-term reproductive health and development issues. The National Institute of Health recommends avoiding phthalates whenever possible and keeping children away from plastic or vinyl products that may contain them.

One last thing to note about Halloween costumes is that if you plan to unearth older ones from your attic or basement to avoid a new costume off-gassing fiasco, you should remember to air those out and or wash them beforehand as well. Attic and basement environments are often breeding grounds for mold, dust mites, and other nasties that could be lurking all over your older garments. To avoid an allergy or asthma trigger, try airing them out the day before, as well as washing them thoroughly or laundering them.

Costume Makeup & Face Paints –

It’s nearly impossible to avoid using the elaborate and always colorful Halloween makeup concoctions that come with costumes these days. Let’s face it: How are you supposed to be a vicious vampire without a little blood makeup or a dead zombie without that gray pallid skin tone? The most exciting and elaborate costumes usually require some kind of makeup or face paint and usually not the normal everyday colors you’d find lying around your home. While it’s tempting to just purchase the cheap one that goes with your costume, you may want to think twice as the affordable nature isn’t worth the associated health risks that come with the cheaper product.

A 2016 study found trace amounts of heavy metals, including lead, mercury, and arsenic were found in 21 of the 48 face paints tested for adults. Moreover, 20% of the 39 tested face paints for children were shown to contain at least one volatile organic compound (VOC). No matter what, it’s best to stick with the more reputable beauty brands when it comes to makeup, and face paints for Halloween. There are plenty of special effects brands with safe dermatologist-tested products that won’t harm your health while they help you scare the daylights out of your neighbors.

Breathe Easier This Halloween –

We all want a little scary this time of year, but toxins, pollutants, and allergens shouldn’t be part of it. To protect yourself and your family from the harmful effects of contaminants, allergens, and off-gassing, we recommend the following helpful tips:

• Let new costumes, accessories, and other plastic or vinyl décor items air out in a safe space before using or wearing them.
• Always make sure you’re in a well-ventilated area when using makeup, hair sprays, and bleach to protect your pumpkins.
• Try using more natural décor, makeup, and costume elements to limit your exposure to harmful pollutants and save on costs.
• Plan for the colder weather that’s often associated with this season and pack an inhaler or a jacket/sweater for you and your kids before trick or treating begins.
• It may be prudent to invest in a HEPA and carbon air purifier to help remove any unwanted off-gassing chemicals, fumes, or fall allergens like ragweed from the air.
• Before you take the goblins and ghouls out to play, check the outdoor air quality in your area on airnow.gov and shorten the outdoor time if the air quality is poor.

Now, some of the information we talked about above may have really thrown you for a loop and brought to light a darker side of Halloween you didn’t even know existed. However, with the tips and tricks we provided and a little creativity, we feel confident you can still find ways to celebrate this fall and Halloween without making any sacrifices for fun! Above all, stay safe and have a Happy Halloween!