Maintenance How to remove a face-up: materials and techniques

I used the Volks Makeup Remover cause I couldn't find any acetone. it worked great. You can get it from Frank at Doll & Hobby.

My MSD was 'used' and i didn't like her face at all, it was sloppy and shiny - so i was very happy to get rid of it.
I'm still not happy with her new face, but i'm presently taking a doll class to learn how to better paint them.

Good Luck!
-Am

 

n/a

 

In the UK chemists/drugstores, sell little bottles of acetone very cheap.... so try there, thats what I used to remove the original faceup on my Myu.... or Serenati as she is now.....

 

I use Cutex dye-free non-acetone. It comes is a streamlined clear bottle with a black top, and it took off my MSD Sakura's faceup like whoa. XD
I got it at the drug store. Or, you could try the beauty supply shop. :3

 

I'm curious, I just bought a SD head recently and I wanted to know if "Goof Off" would work on removing old paint or is it just too strong for the resin to handle?

 

NO NO NONONO!!

sorry./. just i know Goof Off is a VERY powerful remover. it's also used in makeing B&W t-shirt transfers. from print outs and copies. and it is extermaly powerful.

 

Whew! ops: I'm glad I asked first. Thanks. Kai! I wasn't sure so what to do. So what I ended up doing was, I went to my nearest drugstore and bought non-acetone nail polish remover. The brand I got is called Calico's 'Polish Off.' Its anti-bacterial, with vitamins A & E, and cuticle softening! Pretty cheap too. Its less than $3.00. :wink:

It worked wonderfully. It got rid of all the paint from a previous face up. After wards, I just soaked it with water and dish soap in a plastic tub (or wash basin). To get rid of excess chemicals and what not.

Now my next questions are, how long do I leave the head in for? Is it safe to towel dry it or is it recommended that I should hang dry it?

 

Ahhh, I wiped off the old faceup from my U-noss and she has some white areas around her ears... I used 100% acetone to get rid of the face up which did a nice job but left the white stuff on her head. I tried to put it in warm water and soap a few times but it doesn't get rid of it...and I also tried removing it with acetone but it still doesn't go away.

What to do?

Also, what paints do you use to get pearlescent lips? Kind of like Lusis > <~

 

Umn, special mettalic paints are what have it i think, maybe you can getting it from another.

There's light white i think you can mix with others or just coat too, if that's what you want.

Because she no longer have a makeup to worry of, have you tried sanding it off? Sanding isn't a bad thing, it's the easy things to do! I was very afraid at first, but it's not bad to do.

Try to lightly sand it? Good luck, i hope i understand everything right... XD

 

That happened to me when I took Kyan's face-up off the first time...You just have to keep using the nail polish remover until all the sealer is gone...sometimes it takes several tries to get rid of it...I wiped her face with a damp paper towel in between each time...good luck!!!

Az

 

Ah, thanks you guys!! The wiping helped~ XD

 

Gotta question...and I've tried looking up the answer to this, but all I get is conflicting information.

What is best for removing faceups?
Pure acetone, nail polish remover with acetone, or nail polish remover without acetone?

I'll read in one place that pure acetone will ruin the resin, another that says it's the only thing to use. Or somewhere that says acetone nail polish remover is the easiest way to go, another that says it leaves a yellow stain.

So what's the best product to use, and are there any brands that should be avoided?

 

If you're going to use acetone at all use only 100% pure acetone. You can get that from any beauty supplier but they rarely sell it at regular stores anymore. :S frustrating. As soon as you remove the face-up(which sometimes takes a little time. Use LOTS of acetone) wash the doll's face with warm water and soap(I almost wrote "warm soap!" XD;;. That should get rid of any residue that the acetone would leave. I've had Super Sculpey turn colors with acetone, but not the resin.

Alternately, you can get volks make-up remover which works wonders so I've heard. :3

 

I removed two faceups this afternoon with Cutex Regular nail polish remover with acetone, and it went very smoothly - just a shake of the stuff onto a cotton ball, a little rubbing, and good as new. As for the conflicting information - yeah, I've found a lot of that too. Guess you just basically have to try what looks promising and see what works best for you.

 

I think that was me....I used yellow tinted nail polish remover on my Billie when I wiped off her default faceup, but it was only the one time. I was using really cheap, and very old nail polish remover, and yeah, it did stain her yellow!

But.....I bought some 100% acetone from a hardware store, and with a bit of work it *completely* got rid of the staining. I've been using the acetone since then with NO problems, and holy crap is it ever powerful stuff You just have to be really careful to rinse off the resin frequently to make sure the acetone doesn't sit for too long. I'm not sure exactly what it does if it sits too long, but....well I don't really want to find out the hard way, so I just rinse like crazy XDDD;;

 

Go to a hardware store and ask for acetone. It's with the paint strippers.

And yes, it's the same stuff. I use it to 'glue' acetate models properly. (I work with Breyer model horses.)

 

Whoops. The above comment about Acetone at hardware stores was me.

Do be careful not to let the acetone sit on the resin. I don't know what sort of resin it is, but acetone melts plastics (and my acetate, naturally,) pretty good (which is why *I* use it as glue.)

Melted doll face=new horror doll

 

I found pure acetone for nail polish removal at Walgreens - this may be a weaker version of the stuff you can find at hardware stores.

 

Baking Soda is basic--it will neutralize acids.

Acetone in neutral pH and organic to boot, so baking soda won't do a thing.
No harm either.
Nothing.

Acetone is miscible in water, so washing it away with water is fine and will remove it.

Ann in CT
yes, lots of chemistry

 

Does any one have a good way of getting the original paint off a vinyl doll? I wanted to try painting an inexpensive dolls face before working a BJD, but Ive heard acetone will melt the plastic, so I dont know what to use!

 

I've used 100% acetone on a DD face with no ill results. Just don't leave it on for more than a few seconds at a time.
Wipe it on, rinse it off, repeat as needed.

 

I do barbie and tyler repaints. Acetone is fine as long as you wash it off, I give my dolls a wipe over with baking soda in a bit of water because I heard that neutralises acetone. Could just be a folk tale but I do it anyway :\

I also use non acetone nail polish remover if it is what I have on hand, but it's slower going. If ou are that concerned about acetone possibly melting it try the non acetone. I recommend going to a local toy shop and buying the cheapest dolls there. I picked up a few of the most basic barbies and a larger baby doll that was on sale dirt cheap as guinea pigs for my repaints before I decided to touch something more expensive.

A warning to not get acetone on hair if you have rooted heads. And don't spray. Vinyl doesn't seem to like the solvents that are used as carriers in spray cans. I use windsor & newton acrylic matt varnish paint on. I guess this could be used in an airbrush as a sealer coat if you have used chalks on your doll and don't wannt to muss up the face by using a brush on sealer. I only use acrylic paints for my repaints so brush on is fine for sealing for me

 

I want to post a striped picture but I cant figure out how to host my picture But the paint came off well, and next shall be painting! I plan to use acrylic and not pastels, I think it will be an easier start for me! :grin:

 

i use nail polish remover with barbie. it works pretty good!

 

Acetone is pH neutral; there's no need at all for baking soda, which is mildly basic & will neutralize acids. (ok, acid sounds a little like acetone, but there's no chemical resemblance.)
Baking soda will cause no harm, however, so it makes no never mind.

Acetone is also 100% miscible in water, so washing with water will remove the acetone entirely.

So long as you don't soak the doll for a long time in your acetone, there should be no problem, though other people have their opinions also.

What there have been problems with is nail polish remover that is Colored; the dyes that color the nail polish remover may stain your doll.
The doll on this forum who was stained is now not stained; the color came off with pure acetone. happy ending.

Ann in CT

 

Good to know since I used a tooth brush plus soap and water to scrub her face once I had striped it! :grin:

 

Baking soda is a good general all purpose cleaner... so in a way its good to use it to prepare any surface you wish to paint - takes any greasy (even if they cant been seen etc) fingerprints and all that sort of stuff. I use it as a gentle cleaner on a lot of stuff that is "handled".. and becasue we live in the tropics - sweaty hands can be a problem.

But once again.. I rinse well in water afterwards - items that CAN be rinsed.

I use pure acetone without any ill effect on all my reborns (all vinyl or silicone injected vinyl etc).. as stated above.. dont soak in it.. just use enough to do the job.

 

I've been doing face-ups on a spare head I have and I have a bit of a problem.

I can get it all off and such, it's just that I can't get in the small area (mouth, eyewell). While this is fine and all I just don't to have paint buildup to happen in those tight areas.

So does anyone have any tips or advice on how to get in those tight spots?

-Jyuni.

 

A bit of cotton on the end of a toothpick? (Glued-on, of course) I've used them to get the paint out of creases on fashion doll faces, and it works quite nicely.

 

Hi

ive used a toothbrush before bought from a cheapy store... used diluted mix of normal faceup remover etc and quickly brushed it.. worked a treat :grin: on my MSD...

then washed the head to make sure all clean..

 

Actually, there are Q-tips out there that you can get that are shaped to a point instead of being rounded. The ones I saw were kind of cheapish and no-name branded, but they work out really well for other projects I've done.

Something to look out for at least :grin:

 

Just to add to that, you can probably find them in the makeup applicator section in most drugstores, but the ones I saw were $4.99 for only 50... they must have been good quality.

 

I'm working on stripping and recoating my MSD - it's just taking FOREVER to get the Mr. Super Clear off. Is there any good, quick, easy way to get it off? So far I'm trying a combination of Mr. Thinner and steel wool. ^_^*

Any suggestions would be appreciated! This is taking me forever!

 

Steel wool? O__o Good lord, I'd be terrified to let that stuff anywhere near Chy... ^^;

I think the most commonly-used remover is acetone - which is the active ingredient in most nail-polish removers. 100% acetone, which you may have to go to beauty-supply shops or drug/hardware stores to find, is the best option there. If you must use nail-polish remover, do not use a brand that's tinted (many are yellow; my last two bottles have been purple and blue). It'll stain the resin, and your doll will end up the same colour as the liquid. :/

I believe people have also had some success with brush cleaner, which is pretty much what it sounds like - it's meant for removing paint and other substances from your paintbrushes. The most popular brand around DoA seems to be Winsor and Newton.

I'd suggest giving it a go with a soft, clean cloth before resorting to something as abrasive as steel wool. You may have to rub firmly, but it should come off. Whatever you use, be sure to rinse your doll gently afterwards. We don't have many reports of acetone damage, but you can't be too careful; and Doogi over at eLuts has recommended that it not be used on CP dolls at all.

 

I'm a jeweler, so "Let's use steel wool!" is my answer to everything. :grin: It's not as abrasive as you'd think - the steel wool I'm using is approximately the same as 800-1000 grit sandpaper.

I'm having trouble finding pure acetone here - and cotton balls, actually. ^_^*

 

I soaked a (plastic) face plate of a blythe doll in %90 isopropyl rubbing alchohol overnight, it didn't damage the plastic and any MSC that didn't already come off in the alchohol chipped off in big white chunks. The downside is that, although it is still useable, your rubbing alchohol will have dissolved MSC in it, but I don't think it matters all that much when you're just cleaning doll heads with it.

 

Thank the stars above for this thread!! PherretLord has had a humidity-related disaster with his faceup on Alora, and so is having to start over. We were looking for EXACTLY this sort of thread. ops:

 

I know CP stresses to *not* use acetone because it could possibly melt the resin. I don't know if that's only for their resin, but I'd shoot for an acetone free polish remover (they do make them^^) to be safe.

 

Once again, Windsor and Newton Brush Cleaner is a good alternative for CP dolls, it will remove paint etc, but not make the resin shiny.

Armeleie have you tried looking for acetone at the chemist?? (twigling knows nothing about Japan...)

 

I have two CP dolls and I use acetone and it works fine. n.n; No massive meltdowns here! Just don't SOAK them in acetone. We've had two people so far who made this mistake and their doll's faces crumbled.

Yes, there is some smoothing of the resin with acetone use, but a very fine grit sand paper makes the surface a bit rough again. :3

 

removed a luts default face up last night (they gave him angry eyebrows! After a month I was kinda tired of them ops: )and my GOD acetone free nail polish remover hardly helped at all. I had to use a toothbrush and the remover and scrub and scrub, and then scrape off the coating with my nails once it softened. I don't know WHAT they use or how many coats but ohmygod it was difficult going.

I was terrified of scrubbing his face until I realised how THICK the coating on him was.
I will put up pictures of the faceup I did at some point... he looks much more masculine - and much calmer with normal shaped eyebrows!

does anyone know how well it works on testors? Just in case I want to remove his current faceup... even though I really like it, I screwed up the coating somehow and he looks a bit grubby.

 

I've never attempted to take off a factory faceup before, but I've heard stories from a lot of people about how difficult they are to get off! I don't know if it was the remover that was the problem or just whatever CP uses XD! I would never risk acetone no matter what though, a bit extra of work is fine if a possible alternative is a weakening in the resin @_@

 

I just suggested Mr Color Thinner, and then reread the thread to see that you ARE using Mr. Color Thinner. ops:

Mr Thinner does not easily remove Mr Super Clear...interesting...

 

Armeleia, get Mr. Color Leveling thinner. That is stronger than the regular Mr. Color Thinner. Doesn't Volks carry anything thing else, acetone-wise?

 

I can now testify that the Windsor and Newton brush cleaner worked like a dream, especially after I gave her another bath to remove any lingering residue.

Now, if only this rotten humidity would go away. *shakes fist at outside*

 

is it safe to soak a head in it? or just rub the MSC away with it?

 

We just scrubbed it off...granted, we are using Testors, but it did come off very easily with the brush cleaner. Hopefully it works as well on MSC.

 

I've checked everywhere for Winsor and Newton brush cleaner...and I've found every other thing on earth made by winsor and newton but no brush cleaner...anyone know of a store that carries it? micheals and A.C. moore have failed me...as has hobby lobby.

 

We got ours at Michaels, actually. It was in the artists' paint aisle, but on the side with all the brushes and stuff. It was in with all the other cleaners, and it took a bit of serious looking, since it doesn't really catch the eye easily...the bottle is rather small and plain.

Hope this does help some.

 

Have you tried Mr. Paint Remover? I think Mr. Thinner is meant to thin wet paint and clean it off brushes while you're working, not to remove dry stuff.

I'll test the Mr. Paint Remover myself and report back in a few days. I've been using it to strip the paint on my test faceups and I've been assuming the Mr. Super Clear underneath came off as well, but I didn't do a final layer of MSC so it's a little hard to tell. Anyway, to find out for sure, I just sprayed MSC all over the current test faceup and the next time I remove it, probably later this week or this weekend, I guess I'll find out how well Mr. Paint Remover really works at removing MSC as well.

I haven't found cotton balls either, but square cotton pads are all over the place and work pretty well too. Nail polish remover of any kind is difficult... Aside from remover pads in packets, all I ever found was one tiny bottle at Tokyu Hands with a floral scent, dangerous-looking pink tint, and no information about how much acetone it contains. I don't think it's worthwhile for Japan residents to search the entire country for acetone polish remover when it's so difficult to find in comparison to Mr. Hobby products. I also wasn't able to find Windsor and Newton brush cleaner... I'm using the Liquitex kind. ops:

 

Hi! I'll be wanting to remove Narae's eyebrows when she arrives. Has anyone worked with the Narindolls resin, and if so, what works best for removing her paint. If acetone is ok, I'm all set. If not, suggestions as to what is best and safest for her resin would be much appreciated. Thanks, all!

 

I'm curious about this, as well, Steph. On the eLuts site it states rather emphatically to NOT use acetone! That it will melt the resin! So???

And I, also, would like to attempt an eyebrow only removal - seems a bit tricky, doesn't it?

Please post pics when you do it - are you going to do all this yourself?

 

I use Windsor & Newton Brush Cleaner, which works beautifully.

If you tear off a little piece of a Mr. Clean sponge and dip it into the brush-cleaner, the face-up comes off even more quickly and evenly.

You will then need to WASH the area that you've cleaned -- don't MSC right over the paint-remover, or it will wind up sticky!! (as I discovered to my chagrin, heh)

Just run some cool water on the area, shielding the eyes with your hand (since you don't want them to get paint-removed, too. Blot dry with a lint-free cloth, let it sit for a while until it's totally dry, then MSC and paint away!

I have removed and redone parts of a face-up before without a problem this way

Good luck!!

-- Andi

 

I use acetone on BJD resin all the time. It works like a charm.

Be sure, after you use it to mix a paste of baking soda and water and rub that into the area, then rinse that throughly, and dry before you paint. The baking soda will neutralize any remaining acetone.

Hey, if acetone won't do a melt down on Vinyl, it sure as heck won't meltdown resin.

 

if you have a hobby shop around... Mr color thinner and Mr tool cleaner works amazing... I use mr tool cleaner and it wipes off without the need to rub.

 

Great information, ashbet and Gayle!

Several questions - where can one purchase these sponges and is it the same thing as the "eraser" I see mentioned?

When you do a partial removal/face-up, do the eyelashes have to be removed before re-coating with MSC?

And quoted from the "notice" board at eluts:

"4. Donot erase doll's make-up or dust by Acetone.
Acetone might melt the skin meterial."

Eep!

 

"Several questions - where can one purchase these sponges and is it the same thing as the "eraser" I see mentioned? "

These are the Mr. Clean magic erasers. You can get them in any supermarket in the housecleaning supplies aisle.

I don't use MSC so can't help you with that. I do face alterations in a combo of watercolor pencil and acrylic paint, so I just seal with matte acrylic sealer. I personally don't like the MSC stuff at all, but that is just me.

 

Thank you! Will look for the erasers.

As far as sealing - I mentioned MSC by name, but I, personally, think they're all the same thing - so, before you seal, do you remove the eyelashes? Which brand sealant do you prefer?