These are recommendations and tips for the care of your new silicone babydoll.
A silicone baby doll is not a toy and not suitable for children. I recommend to never give a child under 14 years a silicone doll.
Silicone dolls are collectibles and should be handled with care. I always tell people to handle it like you would with a real newborn baby. Very carefully.
Excessive playing with the doll will cause wear and tear. Dress up often, moved, feeding, or grooming too frequently or roughly will also damaging the doll.
Pacifier use can also cause damage to the paint or changing the form of the silicone.
Never put the pacifier to long and always wet the nipple before inserting.
I'm not responsible for damage caused by excessive “play”. Please follow the suggestions for dressing so that paint and hair have as little friction on the paint as possible.
BE GENTLE
Silicone needs to be cared for with GENTLE hands; please do not pull, tug, poke or handle your new doll roughly. Do not pull on the legs. Do not rub the doll aggressively. Support the full doll when carrying. Hold your doll like a real baby and support its head.
(if open)
The mouth of a silicone has fragile corners because it has been carefully opened. Please use special care when inserting a pacifier into her mouth. I usually pull the bottom lip down gently before inserting the pacifier. Do NOT put liquids other than plain water in the mouth.
HAIR IS NOT SEALED ON A SILICONE
The hair cannot be sealed into a silicone head, therefore the hair WILL come out if you pull on it too hard. Keeping the hair brushed nicely will prevent it from knotting (I recommend a spray bottle with water and a soft toothbrush). You. Can also use plastic wrap to cover the hair while dressing, or under hats, to lessen the stress on the hair.
PAINT & MATTE FINISH
The paint is sealed and matted, but can be damaged if you dress and redress your doll often. Frequent friction from fabric rubbing on the surface of the doll can wear away the paint over time. Regular powdering and using sandwich baggies to cover the hands and feet while dressing can help reduce this wear and tear on the paint.
CLEANING/POWDERING
If you feel you must clean lint off of the doll, you may gently wash with dish soap and warm water in the sink, using only your hand to wash the doll gently. DO NOT SCRUB or use a washcloth – you WILL destroy the layer of protective matting. DO NOT submerge your doll completely. Powder doll as often as you wish. Powdering will reduce the stickiness of silicone and the amount of lint that will cling to it. It also helps to keep your doll’s fresh, matte appearance.
I use Silicone Velvet for powdering/matting. There will be some instances where some hair or lint may be sealed into the silicone. It is impossible to paint the doll and 100% avoid this.
OTHER TIPS
It’s a good idea to store the doll wrapped in a blanket if not being displayed or used.
If using hats or hoods, add and remove them gently so you don’t pull the hair out and cover the hair with some foil. Minor hair shedding is expected and normal, but we do not want patches to come out. Proper care will avoid this. Only use a toothbrush to brush the hair (and a water spray bottle)
Do not store in a damp environment or in a plastic bag that may allow mold to form.
Keep away from pets/rodents.
Do not lean the doll against vinyl dolls for an extended period of time. The materials are known to react and deteriorate each other.
Be gentle in handling. Tears can happen if you pull on the silicone roughly, or hyper-extend an area like the bend in a leg or arm. If you see a crease, that is a vulnerable point in the doll. Avoid bending that point in the opposite direction.
Above all, enjoy your new lifelike baby doll (gently!) and have fun!