How to Remove Permanent Marker from Your Child's Skin

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By gottalovelattes
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What a mess

For some reason, kids like to write on themselves with permanent markers. Sharpies are the common tool of the trade. As if it weren't bad enough, children always seem to find the most conspicuous place to write on...and these days, school dress codes might require that a child go home until they no longer have marker on themselves. Before you scrub the skin off your child, try a few less painful alternatives.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Nail Polish Remover (Acetone Free)
Alcohol
Make-Up Remover
Olive Oil
Baby Oil
Cooking Oil (out of bottle NOT HOT)

Step 1

If you have children living in your home or visiting, you are bound to have an episode where someone decides to create a piece of art on a hand, arm leg or...a face! You probably have everything you need at home to take care of this issue with little or no scrubbing.
Step 2

Clear the skin from clothing (you won't want to get ink anything on your clothes that might ruin them). Take a cotton swab, cotton ball or paper towel and add some non-acetone nail polish remover to the marked skin. Run gently and in a rotational motion. Immediately you should see the marker's ink coming off the skin and being transferred to the cotton or paper towel. You won't need to rub hard. Rinse it off with some water and see if there is any marking remaining. If there is, apply a little more mail polish remover on a clean cotton swab or paper towel. If you use the same one, you will smear the ink around instead of removing it. Rinse stain free skin with soap and water and pat dry.
Step 3

If your skin is sensitive or you are hesitant about using nail enamel remover, you can try olive oil. Crisco cooking oil works similarly. You apply in the same way as above.
Step 4

Nice and Clean

Many homes with children have baby oil. Guess what? This works as well. Skin astringent works too. So you no longer have to scrub and scrub with soap and water with little or no results.