Maintenance How to remove a face-up: materials and techniques (part 2)

I've used acetone on non-BJDs (vinyl) before. As long as you rinse the head right after, there shouldn't be any ill-effects. (I've heard that resin and vinyl react differently to acetone, but I forget which is more likely to dissolve over time if you don't get it off right away.)

 

I found a toothbrush soaked in acetone free nail polish remover surprisingly successful

 

I've done the toothpick thing as well, but I have also taken the end of the toothpick, wet it in my remover, and then snagged the tiniest bit of cotton off a cotton ball and turned it into the Tiniest Q-Tip Ever. Then I add more remover, and scrub. The toothbrush works good too, and for really tiny stubborn spots, I've used a pin to scrape out any bits of gloss, then the toothpick again to remove the sealant, pastel, and paint underneath.

 

I've been told by a few people in the past that magic erasers are acceptable to use. Are they safe for use on the resin or will they damage it?

 

Yes, magic erasers are perfectly fine to use on resin.

 

I've been reading through and see using warm water and soap after the acetone or paint remover is key, but I have read elsewhere to be careful of the type of soap. What types of soaps do you all use?

Also, do these tips also work on removing the faces of Monster High dolls? I have a couple that got damaged in shipping that I'd like to play with.

 

Hey! I ordered a Big Dipper recently and unfortunately I was only able to get him with a fully painted body and complete faceup and I wanted to customise him myself. I looked around and I've been using acetone free nail polish remover (albeit cheap unbranded stuff) to take off his paint so I can repaint him myself. I've had no issues removing the darker colours such as the browns used in his company body blushing but I'm finding it almost impossible to remove the green even after trying repeatedly.. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on what to do about it? My specific sculpt is only around three and a half months to four months old and has probably had his faceup since he was made, so I was wondering if bleeding into the resin was a possible explanation but I also wanted to ask if anyone had any suggestions for what to do about the green that is still left on him. Let me know, thanks!

 

Two useful threads from the Basic Doll Maintenance Primer (at the top of this section of DoA):
/threads/pink-pastel-stains-on-head-after-removing-faceup.171655/
/threads/res...ns-tested-methods-for-face-up-removal.248590/

 

I've searched the forums(for a similar topic) even looked at this thread /threads/bas...inging-cleaning-sueding.652113/#post-11200546 but it says nothing about removing stubborn gloss so far I've tried boiling and using acetone free nail polish remover and magic eraser and i even used a soap and water bath but nothing worked except for scratching it off but i cant reach inside the parted lip area and use adequate force with a toothpick i think i might've dented the lips that way ;-; and i'm too afraid to use an exact-o-blade to scrape it off so what do u recommend? i'm thinking of using a plastic triangle protractor if i find one laying around the house.

 

Try a combination of a wet magic eraser and some winsor and newton. Wet your magic eraser using some winsor and newton if you can get it.

This may also work with acetone, but I've never used it, so I can't tell you for sure.

Also try a toothbrush. I'm sure that it's covered somewhere in this form! Maybe try a good search~

 

I've had good luck with putting a cotton ball soaked in Winsor & Newton brush cleaner on the mouth and letting it sit for a while. W&N is really gentle on resin so it won't hurt if you let it soak for half an hour or so. After it's had time to sit, you should be able to scrape the gloss out with a wooden toothpick (which is soft enough it won't scratch or gouge) or scrub it out with a soft toothbrush.

 

;-; after further reading i think i might opt out for 99% isopropyl alcohol it is said to dissolve "mystery glosses" and leave no residue behind but if that doesnt do it then ill have to buy some W&N

 

Definitely give the alcohol a shot if you hadn't been using that. I actually just had to wipe 2 faceups by the same artist who must use some kind of hardcore gloss because it was ridiculously hard to get off! I was using W&N and even after letting it soak, that gloss didn't budge. I didn't think to use alcohol so maybe it would have worked. I ended up removing it all with an exacto knife, which is definitely a last resort.

The thing about using a blade is that you aren't really scraping the gloss off. What I do is scrape the gloss in its center areas (not the edges) extremely gently, almost using no pressure at all. What I aim to do is create tiny weaknesses in the gloss' surface. I then go at it with a magic eraser and W&N cleaner again, to wear the gloss down a little. By repeating this process, it slowly broke up and I was able to get the vast majority of the super-gloss off. However it didn't really work in the corners of the eyes, where gloss had pooled and it was very thick. I pretty much had to pick that out with the knife, which was terrifying for me and I am very experienced with removing faceups and using knives. I thought about writing the faceup artist to let her know that her gloss was so hard to remove, but I wasn't sure if that would be rude. @__@

The lesson here is to make sure you are using materials that stay on when you want them to, but also come off when you want them to! I have used Liquitex Gloss Varnish, Liquitex Gloss Medium and Varnish, and Tamiya's X-22 gloss, and all three of them come off easily with W&N brush cleaner, magic sponge, and a little elbow grease. Those three are very common faceup materials, so I wonder what this mystery hardcore gloss is.

 

@overlordu i think you should message them about their gloss so less people will face this problem. can i poke the gloss instead of scraping tho? also this is a bit off topic but since u use liquitex what kind of temperature is ideal for it? bc ive been searching and i didnt find any answers thank you very muchh!!

 

@equii To help with your last question as I do my manicures with Liquitex in an airbrush, I've sprayed in rain and shine and had no issues! However I may not do manicures frequently enough to notice any differences. But I know it's an easier material to work with, and I thought I'd pop in with my experience! I used to do tons of faceups over and over on an event head and didn't have any problems with weather, only with the airbrush getting a little clogged. Hope this helps!

 

@equii Hehe I probably should. Mostly it just felt kinda mean to be like, "Hey, I got this head with your faceup and I immediately removed it." XD

Poking with an exacto blade seems more likely to damage the resin underneath, if you accidentally press too hard and it goes right through the gloss. But if you do it with the least amount of pressure you can, either poking or scraping should create some imperfections on the surface of the gloss that will allow your cleaning materials to work on it. I just find the gentle scraping to be less scary!

Unless you're working under the beating sun or inside a freezer, temperature shouldn't matter much when applying Liquitex gloss! I live in a house with central air now, but I used to do faceups in my very hot attic in the summers at my old house and it was always fine. I think that generally, varnish dries a little slower if it's very warm. But we're all trained not to touch our dolls' faces, so no problems there, right? In fact I do touch my dolls' faces, but I'm very careful not to touch their lips if their faceup is new. After 2 days the gloss should be 200% dry even in the summer heat. Cold makes no difference whatsoever as far as I know.

 

So I tried doing a faceup on doll. Sprayed a few times with mod podge sealent, and then started using pastels and a tiiny bit of watercolor pencils on her. The blushing became pretty excessive... and a good portion of her face ending up pink and brown...
haven't sealed it since than or anything, as I want to remove everything I've done thus far. Advice for what I should use? I've been looking through some forums on similar topics, but I'm very confused as to what would be safe to use.
Can anyone recommend something that won't damage my doll and will do the job?
Thank you!

 

Windsor and Neuton brush cleaner is a favorite, as is rubbing alcohol. Check out the sticky at the top of the customizing thread for many others!

/threads/bas...inging-cleaning-sueding.652113/#post-11200546

 

Start with just plain old rubbing alcohol, and some cotton swabs and cotton balls. If that doesn't seem to do the trick, try some nail polish remover in small doses. You don't want to ruin the resin.

 

Be careful with nail polish remover, you need the one that's free of acetone, color and oils.
At least where I live it's hard enough to get the clear type, but all of them contain oils to soften the skin after removing the nailpolish.
The one with acetone is too aggressive and the colored type (blue, green, pink and the like) can badly stain your doll.
There are some threads about that on DoA

Your best bets are:
- rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol), the highest percentage type you can get (like 99%)
or
- Mr. Thinner (for the nasty residues, usually needs to be ordered online though)

Isopropyl can be bought in lots of stores, where I live it can be bought in drug stores.

Next to that get a magic eraser.
If you just use cotton balls or a tissue removing the face-up might take ages.
A magic eraser piece and some iso is safe, easy to get and definitely takes care of the job.
Just put some of the alcohol in a little bowl, put in the head, dab in a piece of magic eraser and start scrubbing.
Rinse with water inbetween and dry the head, any residues still left usually turn white (at least with spray sealants, no clue about mod podge) and can easier be seen then.

In short: get iso and magic eraser.

 

Magic Eraser is a safe and very effective way to move any face up, even if it has been lightly sealed.

 

I swear by Windsor & Newton and Magic Erasers. You can get W&N at Michael's or art supply shops, and a big bottle will last ages; I've had complete success with it, and have even removed pen and black stains when I've used W&N followed by damp Magic Erasers. You can get the erasers in the cleaning section at places like Target/Wal Mart or bigger groceries. Good luck!

 

This. ^^

 

Thanks, I used a magic eraser and it worked perfectly! I assume it rubbed sealent too and should respray it?

 

So glad it worked well! Those sponges are just amazing, aren't they? Sometimes they remove the sealant when I use them but sometimes they don't - maybe it depends on whether I use them damp or dry? Or how hard I have to rub to get the stains off? I think respraying is your safest way to go...you can use a light or heavy coat depending on whether you can actually see changes in the sealant.

 

It can be hard to tell if it's removed the sealant or not. I'd recommend redoing the sealant, or prepping the head again from scratch for the faceup.

 

Another trick is to use a tooth brush (soft or medium) dip into the remover and gently go back and forth across the lips - this removes the lip paint if it's stubborn!

 

Hi! I want to remove or soften my doll's body blushing.

It was done by Dollzone themselves and is a very intense shade of pink. I'd like to remove or at least soften the blushing. Does anyone know how to go about doing this?

Thanks for reading!​

 

To soften the pink-Ness maybe add some tan/brown/white pastel over to tone down color and then reseal....Not sure if you can partially remove the blushing without causing potential icky catastrophe. ..

 

You could negate the pink tone by adding very pale green over it. With a soft touch it would be very natural looking (even though it sounds zombie-like!) This would dull the saturation of color. You could change the color by doing as deirdrecat recommends.

It's not likely that you will be able to partially remove the blushing, but if you would like to remove the blushing completely and start over you'll want to use the same materials as you would to remove a face-up. A wet magic eraser, rubbing alcohol or Windsor and Newton brush cleaner would all remove the body blushing completely.

 

On vinyl dolls, I have used acetone to remove any factory paint or face ups. With resin dolls, however, I am skeptical about applying chemicals to their face. What is the best way to remove a face up?

 

There are a lot of threads on this so you can look them up for more info on DOA, but I heard isopropyl alcohol is the safest. It's not as strong as acetone so it may not get everything off as easily. But acetone is okay if you do not leave the acetone on the resin very long (contact for about a minute shouldn't do much, just make sure to wash it off or else the resin will soften).

 

Start with 90% isopropyl alcohol and cotton swab.

If that doesn't work, try 90% isopropyl alcohol and magic eraser.

If that doesn't work try it again with a bit more elbow grease.

Most of what I've found cannot be removed at this point is either staining or should not have been put on a resin doll's face in the first place.

If it's still not working, consider acetone or W&N cleaner, but understand how to use it first and understand you basically risk damage.

 

I would rather not take a million years to remove faceups so I just use acetone and cotton face pads/qtips.

I do remove them beside a sink though. So after wiping for a little I'll put the head under running water to wash off any pooling acetone. Then I go back in with the acetone and wipe some more, and then rinse again.
I'll repeat that process until it's clean.

 

Acetone is risky, since different resins react to it differently.

You can find all kinds of information on removing faceups in the stickies in this forum.

 

Both isopropanol and acetone can cause swelling in polyurethane resin, but it happens faster with acetone.

The swelling only affects the surface of the resin, but it compromises the hardness of the polyurethane, making it more susceptible to nicks and scratches (with acetone soaks, some people have remarked that they could scratch off the resin with their fingernails, which will not happen with unsoaked resin).

Once the resin is dry, its hardness is no longer compromised, and it should behave as it did before the soak (both acetone and isopropanol evaporate quickly in air).

I'm guessing the acetone and isopropanol can soak between urethane polymers to differing degrees, which makes reasonable sense, as both (although predominantly acetone) are used to remove polyurethane before it hardens.

If you look up polyurethane chemical compatibility charts online you will find this general consensus, but you cannot guarantee that these describe the exact same polyurethane resins that BJD companies use.

This is why acetone is riskier, although how risky depends on how concentrated it is.

 

I believe, generally people tend to use one of the following 4 types : acetone, acetone-free nail polish remover, isopropanol alcohol, w&n brush cleaner. Personally I've just been using acetone and washing the head with water afterwards, but, if you are concerned about damage, lomi from lomi's playground on youtube has made this amazing video about the effects of acetone, rubbing alcohol & W&N Brush cleaner on resin as well as another video about how well they are able to clean faceups. From what I gather, W&N brush cleaner seems like the safest cleaner while not requiring much elbow grease (so I'll probably get a bottle in the near future). I'll link the two videos here and you can decide for yourself

 

Hello!
I received my Cocoa Momoni today and unfortunately she came with her face-up severely damaged from the journey from the previous owner. I need to repaint her, but never before did I have to remove the face-up, let alone from a tan resin, so my question is - what do you think would work best on her? I currently have acetone at home, but I read differing opinions about people's experiences with it so it kinda stresses me out to just give it a go. I'd be grateful for any advice!

 

I use isopropyl alcohol, like 90%. It is readily available in all drug stores here, and it is cheap!!!

 

I'll preface by saying that I don't have any personal experience with tan resin, but the basic processes should be about the same. Maybe wait for someone with more tan experience before following my advice.

I will say that you should probably stay away from acetone, especially it it's nail polish remover, and especially if it's dyed. (Colored nail polish remover will stain resin.) Some people swear by it, but it has been known to soften and damage resin. I use 90%+ isopropyl alcohol and a magic eraser for cleaning faceups (and Winsor & Newton brush cleaner on hard to reach or stubborn places). Alcohol is gentle enough that you can soak parts in it for a while without worrying about any kind of damage.

I'm not sure how a magic eraser would work with tan skin, because it's a very mild abrasive, but I honestly think it'd be fine. It's not abrasive enough to actually "sand" a doll; it's more like polishing than anything. I'd get some more advice on this.

While you're removing the faceup, no matter what you use, rinse your doll frequently to avoid prolonged exposure with any chemical agents that could leave residue on the resin. After each rinse, let your doll dry for a couple minutes, and you'll probably see little white flakes that are especially obvious on tan skin; this is leftover sealant that wasn't completely removed, so just scrub that area a little more and it'll come off no problem.

I'd stock up on Q-tips and toothpicks. They're both good for hard to reach places like in nostrils and ears. With toothpicks, you can either cover the end with something like a paper towel and dip the towel in your cleaner of choice, or soak the end of the toothpick until it becomes soft and turns into a tiny brush of sorts. They're great for scrubbing those annoying little nooks and crannies.

I find removing faceups kind of relaxing and rewarding. I'd wait for a bit more specifics on tan skin, but the stuff I mentioned is pretty basic knowledge that can be applied almost anywhere. Keep in mind that every company's resin can react differently, so testing products on non-essential parts of the doll (headcaps, extra hand, etc.) is a good idea if you're a little leery. (The alcohol is safe though, so don't worry about that too much.) Happy cleaning~

 

I also use Isopropyl. The thing that scared me when I used it on a tan doll is that sometimes it leaves a white residue. (it does on NS and WS dolls too but you can't see it as well). All that the white residue is is left over sealer. So just keep cleaning until it's gone. You can also use a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, but go gently because it is like a very light sanding.

 

You remove a faceup from tan resin the same way you remove it from any other color! Some people use acetone but I've never used it because there are some real horror stories out there. Isopropyl alcohol works, the highest percentage you can get. Or Winsor & Newton brush cleaner if you can get it. The main trick with tan resin is that after you've done some cleaning, leftover sealant dries white. It looks really scary, like you've ruined your doll, but it's just sealant so all you need to do is clean more!

 

Thanks for responding, everyone! I've started looking at ebay to find the isopropyl alcohol, would that one be sufficient for removing a faceup?

 

It is, but you should be able to get it locally, usually in pharmacies or drug stores.
Look around a little before you order it from the US (according to your location you are in Poland?).

Else it's correct, there is no difference between removing a face-up from a light skintone vs a dark skintone.
It's just that residues are a LOT more visible. Make sure to rinse the head regularly with water, let it dry and then watch where the white spots appear. Scrub those spots again and make sure to rinse while the alcohol is still wet, that way you don't just smear around the residues but actually wash them off
Rinse and repeat.

 

I buy mine (albeit in the US) at a pharmacy labeled Isopropanol = Isopropyl alcohol = 2-propanol = rubbing alcohol = propan-2-ol. It's used to sterilize surfaces and as a wound cleaner.

Someone mentioned on a previous thread that it may be available at computer/tech/office stores for cleaning keyboards.

Idealy, you want a high percentage: 90-99%

 

I'm about to receive a Doll Chateau body that already has some body blushing and I may or may not want to remove it. I've read a couple of threads on here about how to remove faceups/body blushing but the idea of putting body parts in jars of isopropyl alcohol or even using that and a magic eraser kind of scares me. Use of chemicals seems like such a risky thing when you're working with something so pricey. I just wanted some peace of mind. The use of alcohol doesn't degrade the resin or stain it? That's my worry so I just wanted some input about what I could potentially be expecting here. I don't want to hurt my baby.

 

Super newbie here, but all the videos I have watched on face-ups say to use the alcohol. You can also just test it out on a small place that is kinda hidden, like the back of a knee or something. But again, I am super new and have never done it before.

 

I've used Windsor and Newton Brush Cleaner to remove some bits of faceup that were still on a head I got and that worked pretty well! I am also a newbie so that's the only time (so far) I've removed any kind of faceup/blushing! But lots of people use W&N, I was recommended it!

 

From experience, using alcohol and acetone (non oily or colored!) definetely works. But don't let it soak, rub it with a cotton, same as when you take nail polish off. After that, clean the part with water and soap, you don't want those chemicals to stay there for more than necessary.

 

Believe me, when a million threads here (incl. stickied ones) say to use X, you can assume X is fine to use

The isopropanyl itself is clear so there's no way for it to stain your doll, unlike colored nailpolish remover. It's also, compared to lots of other solvents, pretty mild. Don't let the parts soak, just pour some alcohol on the bit you want to clean above a bowl, take a piece of magic eraser, dip it into some of the iso too and start scrubbing. Regularly rinse with water/clean the bowl.
It's no rocket science and has been done for years with great results. It might take a while though till the parts are clean and free of any sealant residues.

Don't use:
>acetone (only use that stuff if you know what you are doing, if you are already panicky about isopropanyl just don't bother)
>colored, scented or whatever-ed nail polish remover (honestly, stay away from remover anyway, at least the ones where I live all have additives to soften your skin after removing nailpolish)
>turpentine or similar
>sandpaper (there's really no need to sand off the paintjob)

Isopropanyl/rubbing alcohol is cheap, easy to get, easy to handle. Make sure to wear gloves though, alcohol dries out your skin. Magic erasers are way too fragile to seriously damage your doll too, especially when wet.

 

Rubbing alcohol is great but you need a lot of it and a lot of rubbing to get things to come out, if it’s been properly sealed. But, it does work and definitely believe it’s safe.

I use Windsor and Newton Brush Cleaner on the super stubborn and hard to come off sealants or colors, but I wash the resin after with dish soap and water. The key is to not soak or let things be on the resin for longer than needed for cleaning and washing it off after.

 

Thank you so much, guys! I feel a little better now and I'm glad someone finally told me not to soak them. I was really hesitant to do so. Thank you again!

 

Rubbing alcohol (90%+) and magic erasers are honestly the mildest things to use for faceup/blush removals. You can even soak in the alcohol for short periods to soften up the sealant (I wouldn't go more than an hour or so). I've done some pretty heavy cleanings with just alcohol and magic erasers, and only get into the (much more expensive) Winsor & Newton when the alcohol doesn't quite do the job. (Which so far has been on a spraypainted body and a doll who was partially blushed to a very dark brown; everything else has gone fine with alcohol.)

 

Thank you very much, vicemage! I feel a lot more confident now. I appreciate your input.

 

I've tried to find some information or help on removing sealant from crevices, but was unable to find anything.

I have a Limhwa To You Sara and I started to remove her body blushing from her previous owner with isopropyl alcohol. However, the crevices in her hands and feet are too small to really get to. I tried with a tooth pick but even that was too big.

Anyone have any tips for removing the sealant from these places?

 

Maybe a toothbrush? Or simply a paintbrush.

 

A toothpick with some cotton rolled on it, then soaking it on your faceup-removing-substance of choice works well.

 

I saw something recommending soft-bristled baby toothbrushes a long time ago, went and bought some, and it was one of the best doll maintenance purchases I've made. They're too soft to scratch the resin, but thin and rigid enough to pull out stubborn paint from tiny cracks. I can't recommend it enough!

 

Patience is the biggest thing honestly, I have a Limhwa ToYou too and toothpicks got me through most of her body blushing removal honestly. I also use acetone though...which most people in the doll hobby are super against. I have never had it damage or melt any part of any resin doll I've used it on so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

Toothpicks and patience are what I usually go for; if something's really stubborn, I'll use Winsor and Newton brush cleaner, but since it's considerably more expensive than 90+% alcohol and patience, I leave it as my method of last resort.