A tube of 5% benzoyl peroxide gel.
Benzoyl Peroxide, also known by the trade names Oxy, PanOxyl and Clearasil, is an organic peroxide commonly used for treating acne. Among collectors and the American Girl fan community, it is used for removing ink and dye stains on dolls.
Description[]
Benzoyl peroxide (as with most peroxides) acts as a bleaching agent, causing color degradation on certain fabrics and items. It also assists with acne breakouts or pimples. The interaction of human skin and UV with benzoyl peroxide is a risk of skin damage so is ill advised, but this is not the case with vinyl. Thus it is possible to use benzoyl to fade set-in stains on vinyl. This property has been put into good use by collectors, as most other substances are of little to no effect with stains unless they are of stronger concentrations.
How Dolls Stain[]
The vinyl used in dolls is a soft, porous material; while it allows for easier repair and servicing, it also makes the dolls' limbs and heads susceptible to contact staining as non-fast dyes and inks can easily seep into and thus stain the plastic.
American Girl attempts to uses colorfast dyes in their doll clothing and often recalls or removes items that have been found to stain dolls, such as the anklets originally sold with Kanani's Lu'au Set that were fully removed. It is recommended that dolls be changed out of brighter or more staining clothing if stored for long periods of time or in sunlight, or that outfits with brighter colors and potential staining be made more colorfast with vinegar rinsing. Non-brand clothing and accessories, especially made by third-party brands, may cause deep stains, as can stray pens and markers; younger children may also damage the dolls by scribbling on the dolls.
Any doll stained by an American Girl product will be repaired for free through the American Girl Care Center; any doll stained by an outside product will be charged standard repair fees depending on the location of the damage and what needs to be done to repair.
Purchasing and Use on Dolls[]
Benzoyl can be bought over-the-counter at pharmacies, and usually comes in 2.5, 5 and 10-percent concentrations in gel or cream form.
The gel is applied to the affected area, sometimes with plastic wrap on top to keep the gel moist for longer. The doll should then be placed in some method of UV or heat exposure, which helps speeds up the process and helps the gel penetrate into the vinyl to lift and fade the stain. The best method is sun exposure, but if sunlight is not available (such as in locations with long dark winters), a standard lamp will suffice; a UV lamp or light will fade stains faster, as the UV light is more effective than regular light bulb heat.
Depending on the depth, color, and size of the stain it can take several hours, weeks, or even months for a stain to eventually fade away.
Caution should be taken when applying the cream near painted areas like face paint or clothing. Furthermore, dolls with darker vinyl may have the initial color faded, leaving noticeable patches on the vinyl. Other parts of the doll be covered in towels or cloth to protect them as the stain is faded and actively monitored during the bleaching process so that only the stain is removed.