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Gently rub coconut oil on skin with cloth and Sharpie comes off instantly!
Use a cotton ball and nail polish remover, works every time!
I have a toddler and preschooler who always seem to find their ways into things they shouldn't. After experimenting with everything I could think of to get permanent Sharpie (of all things) off of their skin (even faces), I came up with this:
Let them soak in a warm bath for about 10 minutes and get a regular wash cloth and some Dawn or a generic equivalent (if you're cheap like me). Just make sure it's the regular 2x concentrated formula. Wash the areas with it once or twice.
You don't even need to use a whole lot of the soap or that much pressure. The whole process, depending on the damage, takes about 15 minutes from start to finish. It works on walls too and doesn't take the paint off like some heavy duty products might.
I have used various brands of hand/body lotion. Rubbing alcohol works as well. If you have hand sanitizer it works too, but takes longer.
By TeeeeeeeeeeJ from Canada
I just read through all these painstaking suggestions, some of which seem pretty abrasive to your skin! Luckily before I tried any of these solutions, I used my skincare/face wipes.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
How can I remove permanent black ink from my finger pad?
By Gail from Houston, TX
Use Clearasil Stayclear Oil-Free Daily Face Wash. My daughter and her friend used this after they painted their face with Mr.
An answer to the question advised using Mr. Clean Eraser. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS as the warning on the box specifically states. I used it (without checking the warning on the box) and my 5 year has a very bad abrasion as a result.
Editor's Note: As with any advice you find on the internet, please use caution with any substance that is not intended to be used on skin. Always read and follow the manufacturer's guidelines.
My 3 yr old cousin used a purple Magic Marker as lip stick. How can I get it off?
You could use coconut butter for two reasons. First, it is all natural and second, it will help. Put some warm water on it and do it all over again.
My 2 year old wrote all over her face with a black sharpie. I used a baby wipe and it came off easily, no problem.
I was sitting on the sofa and I was decorating my note book. I took the marker apart and started to squeeze it. A lot of stuff came out; so my question is, how do you get Sharpie off your hands?
By Rhyan R. from New Orleans, LA
I use wet wipes, baby wipes, or alcohol prep pads.
Teresa in Michigan
Alcohol pads will do the trick. You may need to use more than one if there is lot of ink.
When my friend was all marked up for radiation treatments, she told me that baby oil would remove the permanent marker. Hope this helps.
Baby oil or hand sanitizer
Yep I just used baby oil and it does work.yahoo
THIS IS FALSEEEEEE. I TRIED IT AND IT DIDNT WORKKK!!!!!!!
How can we remove Sharpie marker from my 3 year old granddaughter's legs? She has covered her thighs completely. Help.
By MaryC from Smith Mountain Lake, VA
Scroll down to the ThriftyFun archives below on this page and you will find oodles and oodles of suggestions. :-)
Washing powder mixed in a bowl with warm water literally just done it ...easy
It has been months and there is still a mark from a permanent marker on my skin. I don't know what to do. The line is light and not so visible, but still there. Any suggestions?
Use a pumice stone and rub gently.
Try some hair spray. If that doesn't work, you may want to ask your doctor next time you are there to make sure something else isn't going on. Permanent marker should have worn off after a few showers on it's own. Post back what you learn.
You could try rubbing alcohol.
Rub the area of permanent marker.
This odd that it would still be visible for this long but here are some suggestions that may work.
I would try first acetone (IE nail polish) or rubbing alcohol
it may also be an oil based marker so maybe you want to try turpentine or mineral spirits
there's also a great soap called Pink Soap, it is liquid, for artists, to get rid of weird stains
to be honest I've never heard of a marker that left a mark after many many weeks, except for the mark that the surgeon leaves on the body in the area that is to have surgery
What do I do after I take the Sharpie off of my face? Right now it burns a little. I'm not sure what to do, but it's not unbearable.
Hand sanitizer
Hand sanitizer, I worked in kindergarten and got sharpie marks off children's hands and face!
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
My 2 year old has ink all over her. Her sister left out the black ink gel pen and our dog chewed it up and she attempted to bring it to me and in return got ink all over her. My question is this, does anyone have any suggestions of how to remove this from her skin. I immediately bathed her and all that did was lighten it very little.
Chasity Barber
Try using toothpaste. (11/03/2004)
By Jo
Two things have worked with my girls: 1) use nail polish remover to get the ink off, and 2) use rubbing alcohol. Hope this helps. (11/03/2004)
By Sheryl
Try using hair spray. Spray it on, Rinse and rub with water. Just be sure to avoid getting it in her eyes. (11/03/2004)
By Tabby from MO
If all else fails it will just disappear in time. We continuously grow and shed skin cells so the ink should be shed aong with the cells.
(11/03/2004)
By Jo Bodey
When I get ink pen stains on my hands at work (from a leaky pen!) I've found that using a drop of those new waterless hand sanitizers on the pen mark works fantasticly! It makes it disappear instantly and wipes right off! (11/05/2004)
By Becky
I use a Diaper wipe. It is gentle too. Any brand will do. It does a great job. Also, you can use the Pumice Orange Hand Cleaner. (12/01/2004)
By Darrell
There are tatoo kits for kids now. My daughter had a birthday party and the girls were covered in ink. They had to be clean before they went home. Well we tried tooth paste, peanut butter, and finally hair spray. The hair spray did it. Thank goodness for hairspray. (02/12/2005)
By Joanne
When going places where they put X's on your hands I will put chapstick on my hands before. It also helps it come off if you rub the chapstick on a few hours later. (04/01/2005)
By Laura
My daughter got ink underneath her fingernail and I could not get it clean. I am so glad I found this site. I took an alcohol wipe and wrapped it around an orangwood stick and cleaned her nail with that. It took a couple of times but it cleaned the ink up. All is well that ends well. (04/26/2005)
By Lynn K.
Just wanted to say thanks to this site! I went to school today and came home with my hand covered in permanent ink--from a friend having a little fun. I have prom in 2 days--and was totally freaking out, but thanks to all of you who said "alcohol" I got it off for the most part, and still have tomorrow to get it off, thanx all! (04/28/2005)
By Tori
I got off printers ink from my fingers after filling ink cartricages using an old tooth brush and Crest Toothpaste. along with a little patience did wonders. Thanks for that tip! (10/05/2005)
By Johnny
Use spray on sunscreen. It works. (11/02/2005)
By Ashton
We used "Natural Choice" moist wipes from Sam's. It left a very slight faded image of the marker, looks more like an old, old, old bruise than a marker remains, but it worked - amazingly. My two boys wrote all over their faces, near their eyes, on eyelids this was the safest way to clean their faces. (12/06/2005)
By Jay
A little bleach worked for me with little to no scrubbing (01/12/2006)
By Jason
My hands were just covered with black printer ink. Thanks for the advice to use bleach. It worked like a charm! (04/27/2006)
By Tash
I tried the waterless hand sanitizer, and it worked really well! (04/29/2006)
By Lana
How do you remove permanent ink on skin?
By Barbett Wood from San Diego
Try an alcohol based antiseptic hand wash. That might remove most of it. You will still probably be left with a faint mark though. But panic not, it will wear away. Permanent markers only stain the top few layers of skin, which are dead. So it will go as the skin goes. It's not like a tattoo where the ink is injected into the living skin cells below the surface. (04/01/2009)
By Rob
My friend had surgery and the area was marked with a permanent marker. She was told to use baby oil to remove it.
Goodness, I never knew there were so many ways to remove it. Good to know. (04/04/2009)
By Kay
My 2 year old has ink all over her. Her sister left out the black ink gel pen and our dog chewed it up and she attempted to bring it to me and in return got ink all over her.
I have a two year old little boy that decided to express his artistic abilities with a blue Sharpie Marker. I have read the suggestions for walls and furniture, but have not seen any for getting it off of your kids.
How do you remove permanent marker off of a 3 year old's skin?
Toothpaste takes out sharpie ink off skin. The gel won't work. It has to be the paste type. Coat the area and allow it to sit a minute, then wipe off.
Does anyone know how to get black marker pen off skin? My 3 year old decided she would use it as make up. It's on her cheeks, eyelids, and lips.
How do you remove permanent marker from a child's skin?
I would like to know how to remove permanent marker from my daughter's skin?
How can you possibly get permanent marker off of a child who has gotten hold of a marker and drawn on herself from head to toe?
How do you remove permanent marker from skin? My 5 year old is not satisfied with the myriad of markers he owns, so he went into my kitchen and stole a Sharpie marker and colored all over himself.
Hot bath, scrub hard. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you use salt to exfoliate, it'll come off faster.
