Face Paints

Rothco camo face paint takes the shine off exposed skin so your face and hands blend in with the rest of your camouflage. It's used by hunters in tree stands, airsoft and paintball players, Scouts and field training units, and by people putting together a costume or reenactment impression.

Choose the format that suits how you'll apply it:

  • Compacts – the 3 Color, 4 Color, 7 Color, G.I. All Purpose and G.I. Type 5 Color round compact, plus the Woodland / Grey Bark and Digital Camo 3 Color sets. Several colors in one case let you blend and adjust to the terrain.
  • NATO Camo Paint Stick – two complementary colors in a pocket-sized stick, in Woodland Camo, Foliage Green & Urban, and Jungle. Apply it straight from the stick or spread it with your fingers. Rothco says it resists sweat and rubbing and washes off with soap and water.
  • Camouflage Face Paint Creme – a creme for smooth, even coverage over larger areas.

Most compacts and sticks cost under ten dollars, so it's easy to keep one in your pack, one in your truck and one in your range bag.

You'll also find Camouflage Spray Paint in this section. It's a Mud Brown paint for metal and wood, such as vehicles and airsoft field props, and it's not meant for skin.

A note for service members: face paint isn't a uniform wear item under AR 670-1, so your unit's field SOP decides when and how you use it. Our guide below explains the Army's traditional application method.

How to Choose Camo Face Paint

The two choices that matter are color and format.

Picking Colors for Your Terrain

The Army's long-standing pairings are a good starting point: green and loam (a dark earth brown) for green vegetation, sand and light green where there's little green cover, and loam and white for snow. Our woodland compacts and sticks cover green country. The Woodland / Grey Bark compact helps in late fall and winter timber, and the digital camo set matches digital-pattern clothing. The 4, 5 and 7 color compacts give you the most room to mix. If your group wears matching clothing, buy the same paint for everyone so the team looks consistent at a distance.

Compact, Stick or Creme

  • Compacts hold several colors in one case. They're the best camo face paint for changing terrain or painting several people.
  • Sticks are fast and clean. Hunters and players often carry one for touch-ups after sweating.
  • Creme spreads easily over larger areas like the neck, arms and hands.

How to Apply Camo Face Paint

The method the Army has used for decades is about light and shadow, not drawing a pattern for its own sake.

Step by Step

  • Start with clean, dry skin. Paint goes on more evenly and comes off more easily.
  • Darken the shiny areas that catch light: forehead, cheekbones, nose, ears and chin.
  • Lighten the shadow areas: around the eyes, under the nose and under the chin. This flattens the face so it doesn't read as a face at a distance.
  • Use two colors in an irregular pattern and avoid straight lines or neat stripes.
  • Cover the back of the neck, the arms and the hands. If you'll use arm-and-hand signals, the palms are normally left bare.
  • Work with a partner and check each other for missed spots.

Common Mistakes

The most common mistake is painting the whole face one dark color. That turns a face into a dark oval, which is still a face. Another is skipping the ears and neck, which catch light when you turn your head. Finally, reapply after heavy sweating or wiping your brow, since the forehead loses paint first.

Removal and Skin Care

The NATO stick washes off with soap and water. For heavier compact paint, use soap, warm water and a washcloth, and follow with a moisturizer. Test a small spot on your wrist first if you have sensitive skin.

Camo Face Paint and Military Guidance

Camouflage paint has been treated by the Army as a skin-contact item, developed to be durable, sweat-resistant, easy to apply and remove, and non-irritating. That said, ours are commercial products. Except where the name says G.I. type, they aren't sold as issue items, and none are labeled as meeting a military specification. In training, follow your unit's field SOP for when to paint up and which colors to use. Because AR 670-1 covers uniforms rather than field camouflage, your chain of command's guidance is the standard to meet.

For off-duty use, the same techniques work for hunting, airsoft, paintball and photography blinds.

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