Removing Sharpie Marker from Skin

By erikan from Don't know

Archives: Request: Removing Sharpie Marker from Skin Archived on 05/05/2009 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. We got the marker off his finger and toenails by using fingernail polish remover but it's still all over his skin. Normally I would just wait for it to wear off but his eczema is reacting to it and now he has a nasty rash. Any idea how to remove the stuff off his skin safely? By ETomihiro from Winston Salem, NC Feedback: RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I'd use rubbing alcohol on a washcloth. Second option, fingernail polish remover. Then give the little fellow a bath to remove the remover. On skin, you can also use baby oil or cooking oil, then use a bit of sugar on the oil to exfoliate or a washcloth. Be careful not to rub very hard. Kids, they make us laugh, they make us crazy! OOPS! I just read the rest of your post (eczema). So don't use anything above except the baby oil or mineral oil. Then leave the oil on a while then rub the skin with a soft cloth. Sometimes Orange oil can really do the trick, but it might be too strong for his skin. You could try mixing it with baby oil. Also, you can make a paste of baking soda & water or baking soda & vinegar as a scrub for places he doesn't have eczema. (04/24/2009) By Cyinda RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin The nail polish remover you used was probably non-acetone. You can buy a fairly large bottle of acetone nail polish remover just about anywhere. You won't need to rub very hard and be sure to use cotton balls. I sometimes get eczema outbreaks myself and so I truly don't think the polish remover will irritate it and, as Cyinda said, be sure to give the little guy a bath afterward and maybe even apply some lotion afterward too. I guarantee the acetone remover will quickly and easily remove the Sharpie Art :-) (05/01/2009) By Deeli RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin You might want to take him to a dermatologist. (05/01/2009) By Maryeileen RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Baby wipes! (05/02/2009) By Coll3 Report Spam or Abuse Request: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Archived on 04/24/2009 I have a two year old little boy that decided to express his artistic abilities with a blue Sharpie Marker. He expressed himself all over my walls, my doors, and himself. I have read the suggestions for walls and furniture, but have not seen any for getting it off of your kids. Please help before someone nicknames him Smurf. Michelle from Tennessee Feedback: RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Hand sanitizer/sunblock/toothpaste all worked on me.(11/07/2007) By Pflails RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My five year old daughter just made a mask using a black marker all over her face. OK, after a major panic, I got on here to find help in removing it. I used baby oil and some of it came off. While on here, my daughter grabbed baby wipes and took all of it off. She just came into the room and said, "Mommy, don't panic it's gone." I looked and there is no trace of magic marker. She is so smart. Hope this works for you. (11/10/2007) By Dana RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin This works great and will not harm the skin. Get some hair color stain remover. They sell it at Sally's Beauty Supply. There is one called "Roux Clean Touch" works great. (11/18/2007) By Sue RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin If you use perfume, a lot of it comes off with no scrubbing at all. (01/28/2008) By Tara RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Our 9 year old came home with both hands full of Sharpie. Tried all of the above and then wife used hair spray. Hair spray finally got it off. (02/04/2008) By Papa RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin First use round of warm water and soap. Next use cotton balls and alcohol. And last follow up with (no joke) a squirt or two to the worst parts with WD-40 (02/14/2008) By ahhhhh RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin If you put rubbing alcohol on it, then it comes off. His skin may be a little red because of the harshness of the stuff but it comes off in like 15 minutes, if he gets it on hair it comes out w/ soap and water. (03/07/2008) RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I don't think this will work for anyone else, but my very neat, clean 13 year old used his saliva to get blue permanent marker off of his 2 year old sister's forehead. Weird! (03/10/2008) By Heahter RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin We used a generic dishwashing liquid. The ink came off easily with gentle rubbing. Just make sure to rinse all the soap off the kid afterward. (04/12/2008) By Tim - Loganville, GA RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Head and Shoulders shampoo worked last night on my 2 year old when all else failed. Just be careful around the eyes. (04/23/2008) By Barbara Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My boyfriend wrote all over my legs in a black Sharpie! I went home that day and tried toothpaste, it didn't work, Nail Polish Remover helped a little, perfume was another no, and soap and water helped a little! So I got out a bottle of Mean Green! I had to scrub a little then get in the shower but it worked perfectly! (05/09/2008) By TODAM RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Germ-ex works, but if you put it on a child then wash immediately with soap. Germ-ex can kill the child. Editor's Note: Any risk with hand sanitizers has to do with the alcohol content, which will quickly evaporate in air. Keep the bottle out of range of children, as with any cleaning product. (05/13/2008) By Brittany RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used tea tree oil last night. I put water on a cotton swap, added a few drops of tea tree oil, and Sharpie wiped off easily with no irritation! I'm not sure if tea tree oil will irritate kids' skin. (05/19/2008) By Pain BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING Please! Especially, if you have a child who has drawn on themselves: It only takes 2 seconds for them to cover themselves in marker! Be aware and prepared because anything can cause a reaction, including toothpaste! When I did my search, I saw don't use those, magic eraser things, they have oh, so many chemicals in them, please read warning labels. I've seen a chemical burn on a kid first hand from that. But I figured toothpaste wouldn't have an effect as such. I now have a very traumatized two year old! Please, please remember to test a small area before cleaning an entire leg with toothpaste, or anything for that matter. (05/29/2008) By Samantha RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Gentle and harmless: My 4 year old son used a black Sharpie all over his face and legs. I used a wet wash cloth and poured some "Burt's Bees Almond Oil" on the cloth, then gently washed his face and legs. It came off magically! Beware of the tea tree oil, it must be diluted with another oil like olive or grape seed. Tea tree oil is very harsh and can irritate adult and children's skin. (06/20/2008) By Cath RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My niece decided to write all over my 15 year old's arm with a red Magic Marker. I used 2 Oxy Acne pads and it came right off without scrubbing. I was amazed. (07/04/2008) By Mom of Twins RE: Removing Permanent Marker Off Skin My 2 1/2 year old took permanent markers to his face (red, green, and yellow). Avon Skin So Soft Bath Oil works very well. Just dab a little on a wet cotton ball or pad, and rub. It works great, and is less harsh on the skin than rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover. (07/09/2008) By Holly RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I was looking around the house for any of the products mentioned, and having no luck at all. After my 2 year old daughter got a hold of Daddy's Sharpie, I grabbed the bottle of Neutrogena Black Head astringent, and it worked. I had the best results using Q tips and cotton swabs, paper towels didn't get it all off. I think the only "permanent ink" on human skin is Tattoo Ink! (07/12/2008) By William RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My 3 year old, decided he wanted to look like Mr. Incredible, black raccoon eyes and various other parts of his body covered with black Sharpie. All I used was baby oil. It worked like magic! (07/14/2008) By Anne from Cape Cod RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Baby oil works very well because the ink bonds to it. That should be your first bet, because it doesn't require scrubbing. For the lady who said "Please don't use the Magic Erasers, they contain chemicals that are bad, and hurt you..." No they don't contain chemicals that hurt you, unless you use them on yourself. All the chemicals are stable. But it is an Ultra Fine scrubber. It can get in between latex paint, and all sorts of things. It is not meant for skin, as it is SUPER abrasive. 1 minute of scrubbing hard with the Magic Eraser can take off all your skin. (08/02/2008) By David RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin We saw a tip to use a banana. Amazing results in very little time! (08/27/2008) RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Use the spray kind of sunscreen. I used Bullfrog for Kids. Worked like it was made to remove Sharpie from fingernails. (09/04/2008) RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Just tried rubbing a little shaving cream on black Sharpie on my skin, wiped it off with a slightly damp cloth, then a small dab of toothpaste with whitener in it and wiped it off, worked like magic! There is nothing there. (09/18/2008) By Sharpie mom RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Olive Oil works perfectly, too. Just had to remove red Sharpie off of my 2 year old's face, arms and hands. (10/03/2008) By Tiffany Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin After reading all these posts I went and bought some Crisco cooking oil for my son as he wrote all over his legs with a dark green Sharpie marker. It came off instantly! Just use regular old cooking oil and it will come off! (10/06/2008) By Bermuda RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Soap and water work! (10/17/2008) By Willyjoeshow RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I have been writing on myself a lot, I use 70% alcohol. (10/23/2008) By Kori RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Dawn Power Dissolver took the ink off like magic. I also tried hand sanitizer, Goo Be Gone and Vaseline. The Power Dissolver really did the trick instantly. Thank goodness! (11/21/2008) By Dawn Report Spam or Abuse Article: Feedback: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Archived on 11/01/2007 RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Hot bath, scrub hard. Repeat, repeat, repeat. If you use salt to exfoliate, it'll come off faster. Good luck. (04/30/2005) By Ashleigh RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Fingernail polish remover will take sharpie marker off most things. Haven't ever tried it on skin. (04/30/2005) By Peg RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I use rubbing alcohol on my kids hands and arms when they get marker on them at school. It works, but you still have to scrub it several times until its completely gone. I hope this helps. (05/01/2005) By Tammymarie RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try using toothpaste. (05/02/2005) By Jo RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try rubbing alchaol (05/02/2005) By MrsMoted2 RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin try wd-40 (05/02/2005) By alobarbear RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin When my daughter was five years old, she used blue markers to polish her finger and toe nails and also her eye lids. Most of the ink came off, using baby oil. Her nails and eyelids had a slight tint to them, resembling bruises. It took a few weeks for this tint to wear off. I got some really odd looks when we would go out in public. I was anticipating to be questioned by any authorities since she looked as though she was bruised. I was never questioned but would really understand if I was since it did look questionable. (05/06/2005) By mkymlp RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin If you just scrub a little in the bath and wait about three days, it wil come off by itself. I don't see the big deal. (05/08/2005) By Deanna RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I get them on me all the time. Try using Rubbing alcohol or nail polish remover (05/08/2005) By Suzanne S. RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I want to thank everyone for their help and suggestions. I did find that baby wipes and effort do wonders and it is 100% safe for such sensitive skin. (05/11/2005) By Michelle from Tennessee RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i just got off my school bus (high school) a few minutes ago. On my bus, we had a huge "sharpie" fight and my face was blue, purple, and black. i tried some things on this post and TOOTHPASTE defintely worked the best. Let it sink in for a minute then scrub it off and its gone! (05/24/2005) By paige RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my wife and i decided to be tattoo artists during a pizza and movie night with a sharpie marker. by the end of it, we both had full sleeves of sharpie tattoo. we went right to sleep and when i woke up, i had half of the tattoos on my face and smeard sharpie on my arm. i scrubbed in the shower, got it off my face but couldnt get it completely off my arm, there are still stains. i tried everything and scrubbed my arm 3 or 4 times till it was bright red but no results. guess that what i get for being an idiot. (05/28/2005) By woofPING RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my friend got permanent marker on her eyebrows (it's a long story) how should she get it of without using anything harmful. (06/17/2005) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Rubbing alcohal....it works...trust me im 15 and i draw on myself all that time (06/25/2005) By Deadly RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Mary Kay-OIL FREE EYE MAKE-UP REMOVER The only thing that works!!! We tried toothpaste(COLGATE)....NOTHING, we tried rubbing alcohol...NOTHING, we tried lanoline hand cleaner...NOTHING, we tried GOOF-OFF...NOTHING, and we tried warm bath and scrubbing as well as a combination of all the above...guess what...... NOTHING!!! Mary Kay works wonders, I love the lady! (06/25/2005) By DREW'S DAD RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Oh my gosh; toothpaste is my best friend now! (06/30/2005) By crazy teenager that WAS marked up RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off clothing help! my sister and i got in a fight and light blue sharpie stains are over our shirts and my mom is maken me look for a website to get it of our clothes and i don't no how!!! can some1 help us? (07/08/2005) By Jamie RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin (i)Thank goodness for this site! I was just at a good Charlotte concert last night (it was awesome!) and i had brought 4 sharpie markers for me and my friends, to get autographs after the show. (i)My friend stephanie decided to draw a huge **** on my arm during the concert and I had to Work THE NEXT DAY....and I work at MCDONALDS!!!!!!!!! I was so upset with her but i didnt bother saying anything...didnt wanna ruin my night.(/i) So today I came here to see some of the solutions you all had, and I tryed 2 of them out. Let me say, rub nail polish remover on your skin until it is all mostly gone, and then finish the minor details with Eye make-up Remover. Works charms. I dont know if brand names have to do with anything but here is what I sued justi n case: Pro-Vitamin B5 Sally Hansen Nail Polish Remover (i)For Soft, Thin Nails(/i) With vitamin E and Hydrolyzed Wheat Protien AND FOLLOW WITH Andrea Eyes Ultra-Quick, Waterproof Eye Make-up remover pads (07/22/2005) By Alyssa P RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Nothing is working and its driving me crazy. Now all I've got is a greasy foot! (08/25/2005) By Chelsea removing sharpie marker off walls (08/30/2005) By ughly RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My brothers face was written on while he was sleeping at a friends house with RED sharpie. We used sugar mixed in baby oil to exfoiate it out of his skin. It worked like a charm. (09/10/2005) By Poor little brother RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin me and my friends have sharpie fights all the time and the best thing for ever gettin it off is an egg yolk. i dont really know y it works but it does!! (09/20/2005) By sarah RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try the rubbing alcohol.My son colored himself and with a soft cloth and some gentle rubbing he's all clean.Just remember it's flamable. (09/24/2005) By Gary RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I drew on my nails with black sharpie and I can't get it off! My mom is so mad at me! I tried nail polish remover but it's taking way to long! HELP!!! (10/07/2005) By Em RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Believe it or not but I have two kids who have done this a couple of times and baby wipes do a very good job at getting it off. You have to use a few but it does work. (10/11/2005) By Crystal RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i wrote all over my hands and i get it off with soap and water i have to scub very had!! (10/21/2005) By taylor RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try sandpaper (11/18/2005) By Moose RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i drew this swirly star pattern on the inner side of each of my ankles/feet/legs. I think it looks sweet but my dad is REALLY mad. HELP! (11/26/2005) By Lynn RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My brother drew on my back and i couldn't reach it, so i poured nail polish remover on it and waited 2 minutes then scrubbed it with a towel, i did that for like 3 times and it was virtually gone.... (11/26/2005) By Kelly RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Use a nailbrush and scrub hard... i did this after i worked at a friend's concert and it took off themajority of the sharpie (12/24/2005) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Nail polish remover worked on my sons arm. He gave himself "chicken pops" (as he calls it) all over both arms with a red sharpie. (01/17/2006) By Candace RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin it just depends on the type of skin you have (01/17/2006) By Norma Jean Sharpie Queen RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin me and my friends had a sharpie war and i used cofee.IT WORKS (02/10/2006) By ty. RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin try useing a little bit of gassoline, i know it sounds odd, but it really works for the less sensitive areas, and it also works on getting tree sap off your hands (02/14/2006) By someone who knows RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin If you can find it, Uni-Solve works. They use it in hospitals, but it's a lot like nail polish remover. Came off in seconds. Basically it's an adhesive remover. Many home-health care places will be able to get it, if you're little one has a tendency to mark on his/her skin.... (02/15/2006) By Lori D RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Thank you so much... I woke up this morning to the word OBSESSED written across my forehead by my husband and friend... Thank god for baby wipes, Mary Kay and toothpaste... now I just have to figure out how to repay the lil you-know-whats. (02/24/2006) By Angelle RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin AHA So I was just in a crisis About to go downtown, when I realised I had sharpie on me from last night! Went to google to find help and then I found this page. Stupidly right before this I tried nail polish remover. It semi worked yet left huge red blotches on my skin. Remember how toxic this stuff is! So I decided to try toothpaste just now and BAM! I left it on for about 2 mintues then took a damp cloth and scrubbed. All Gone Woot for this page@ (02/25/2006) By Carolyn RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin please dont use all these toxic chemicals! The easiest and safest way to remove permanent marker from skin or most other surfaces is a citrus essential oil such as lemon. The only brands safe to use striaght on skin is young living or rocky mountain essential oils. I f you cant find these contact me. (03/01/2006) By Dr Beth RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my little sister (she's 1) drew on herself with marker but we used wipes and it worked like a charm. (03/21/2006) By help me RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin tooth paste works i got it on my boyfriend and i rubbed tooth paste on his hand to get the sharpie off it worked (03/22/2006) By meow mix RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin For ink/marker on the hands - I use a pumice stone to rub out the ink. It's the best way to take stains off hands without using a solvent. (03/22/2006) By pamphyila RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin the tooth paste thing works great!!! spread it on and leave it for 2 minutes then scrub it off-works like magic!!! (03/29/2006) By my stupid friend likes to draw on me RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used shout wipes. worked fine. didn't have toothpaste accessible. (04/02/2006) By JV RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My 17 month old is a big fan of body art (already!). Usually he finds a crayola or ballpoint pen, not this time, don't know where he got a silver sharpie from. Enter scarface...silver lines all over his little face. Thank you to everyone here for the tip of toothpaste. Gently smoothed it on after he fell asleep and wiped it off a few minutes later. Worked like a charm! (04/04/2006) By Donna in Lake Forest RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off a Computer Flatscreen My son decided to try coloring his picture on the computerscreen with a sharpie. Rather than using the mouse and "electronic paints" available. I just tried the eyemakeup remover and baby wipe combo, I had to do some scrubbing - but it worked!!! Thanks for the advice! (05/25/2006) By Kim RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I tried using toothpaste to get the sharpie off my EXTREMELY polkadotted foot, but it didn't work. (06/09/2006) By Jade RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Well toothpaste worked the best for me. I left it on for a few minutes and if definatley cleaned it up. wat happened was i was cleaning my room and a found a sharpie that was broke open and i stepped on it and when i picked it up the ink thing exploded on me. :( but toothpaste works pretty well for a LOT of sharpie (06/11/2006) By lil' Nelli RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i have a 2 year old and she wrote all over her knees and feet i washed her off four times and it didn't work so i went to google and the toothpaste worked but you have to do it a few TIMES (06/20/2006) By kerry RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Someone hit my son below the eye with a black permanent marker. It was hard enough to break the skin. We've tried all of your suggestions and have not gotten it off. It is now very raw from all the scrubbing. Please help! Should we go to the doctor? (06/22/2006) By Beckey RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Someone hit my son below the eye with a black permanent marker. It was hard enough to break the skin. We've tried all of your suggestions and have not gotten it off. It is now very raw from all the scrubbing. Please help! Should we go to the doctor? (06/22/2006) By Beckey RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try goof off it works good. If you get it in your eyes just wash it out quickly. (06/22/2006) By Dogbla Gooblaaaaaa RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used toothpaste to take off black marker from my bedroom wall and it worked great. All it took was a little elbow grease. But I still have a problem my 18 month old is still covered in it. I tryed the toothpaste on her but she just broke out in a ugly rash. Does anyone else have any suggestions? Editor's Note: You could try diaper wipes. The alcohol in them sometimes helps remove it. (06/24/2006) By L.C. RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin A girl wrote on my stomach in silver sharpie. woke up and it didn't come out in shower, but toothpaste idea worked well, def good idea. thanks (06/24/2006) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off CLOTHES I need help!! I'm a camp counselor and I had a black sharpie in my cargo pants at work. In a rush, I threw the pants in the wash with my whites. After I washed AND dried them, I noticed everything I was taking out had little black dots on them!!!! How do I get the sharpie out of my favorite whites?!?! Thanks!! (06/28/2006) By Melissa RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin how to remove permanent marker from wooden furniture Editor's Note: You can try baking soda, or white toothpaste. A Mr. Clean Magic Eraser also works. (07/17/2006) By Erodita RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I feel your pain! My son did this to himself when he was in daycare, and I tried to get it off--but it still looked like an old bruise--THEN, I got a call from the daycare director...it was awful! I came up there and frantically tried to rub off more of it to show them that it was really permanent marker after all. They believed, luckily! (07/17/2006) By dumpsterdive RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i and my friends always drew on ourselves with sharpie at camp... it came off easily with bug spray. I havent tried toothpaste.. that might work. make sure the bug spray isnt highly poisionous or dangerous... such as it has DEET in it. don't get it in your eyes or you mouth. but sharpie really comes off your skin easily with it. although you might not want to use bug spray on young children. (08/06/2006) By kate RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Fast orange hand cleaner seems to work. (08/09/2006) By Blake RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Has anyone ever tried using men's shaving cream. i remember when i was in elemtary school teachers putting a squirt of shaving cream on our desk and letting us have at it, after using markers. it worked then so i use this on my polka dotted daughter all the time. Oh and she's real good about getting baby wipes and getting the marker off herself. (08/10/2006) By Wendy RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my friend drew all over her hand with an orange sharpie marker. she tried toothpaste nothing..salt and cold water, with alittle soap worked. (08/15/2006) By J RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try rubbing alcohol. Just put some on a cotton ball and have at it! (08/15/2006) By Ashley RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin DONT use sandpaper, it will literally rub off your skin...both live and dead skin! Acetone works wonders for sharpie on skin. Just about any nailpolish remover that doesnt say "does not contain acetone!" will work (08/17/2006) By steph RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My daughter got crayola markers (non washable) all over her...... I mean she was covered ... I washed her with soap and water then I let her play in the sink with shaving cream and it was gone!!!!! But now she loves the shaving cream. (08/19/2006) By joelle RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin A few weeks ago my son came back from a school trip with permanent marker all over his arm. I have tried most ideas posted here, but they are not working. i believe this is becasue the marker had 3 weeks to soak into the skin. I need a solution that can get the marks off that have well and truely soaked in. Please help me. (09/12/2006) By Mark RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Just an FYI: My EIGHT year old daughter decided to "look like Rudolph" and colored her FACE with markers! Obviously she will NOT be as much as seen until something works! (Wish us luck... She can't afford to get behind with her school work! Good thing tomorrow is Thursday -- basically, a long, extended weekend!) (10/18/2006) By Jen RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I just used a culmination of almost everything on here, except eye makeup remover, because I'm out, but it worked. In the areas furthest away from the eye I used products, then at her eyes themselves I made and used a salt/water scrub. ONE EXTRA... Instead of salt and soap, I used Noxzema Continuous Clean Microbead Cleanser with Vitamin C, mixed with salt. It's so good to see my LIVING daughter again, as opposed to a zombie! THANK YOU SO MUCH, EVERYBODY! And thank goodness for this site! (10/18/2006) By Jen RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Just tried acetone,lacquer thinner and kerosene to no effect but the cleaner Greased Lightning worked very well. It removed 95 % of it very quickly. (10/25/2006) By Chris Coffey RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin While visiting my mom my two year old daughter found a purple permanent BIC MARK IT, and colored her nose, and all down her leg. I tried the shaving cream idea because it was the only suggested item my mother had. It WORKED! It completely took the purple marker off of her nose but only lightened the marker on her leg. I think this is because she had colored several times in the same place over her leg. Oh, I used Skintimate Skintherapy shaving cream. I don't know if brand makes a difference. Thanks All for the suggestions! (10/27/2006) By amber RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I've tried just about everything that has been mentioned here: shaving cream/baby oil: the fatty acids (soap/lubricant) dont really do more than regular soap, which wasn't very much toothpaste: fairly abbrasive on skin - more resulting in irritation and rash form removing skin than removing stain alcohol: not bad, but still left at least 25% of stain intact acetone: in nail polish remover, about 25% remaining. pure, almost completely removed most of the rest resulted in no real improvement other than dulling but not removing the stain on the skin. pure acetone is probably one of the best bets. be careful with alcohol: it leaves skin very very dry and irritated, don't use it near eyes and mouth especially. (11/01/2006) By joe RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin SO there is this little thing I like to call TIME!!! It will come off in about 3 days assuming you shower regularly. If you're not that patient then try shaving cream and/or rubbing alcohol. I put a couple of drops on a cotton ball and hardly even scrubbed and it came right off! (11/20/2006) By Kayla RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I've tried rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, shaving cream, and toothpaste, the alcohol removed most of the black sharpie from my fingernails but couldn't get the stuff that was in my cuticles. The shaving cream and toothpaste both helped some...finally I tried this stuff called Natural Orange. My dad has it for getting grease off his hands. It worked wonders! I washed twice with it after scrubbing, and there is only a trace of the black left which I'm sure I could remove with another scrub. Hope this helps! (11/22/2006) By Elk RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Baby wipes work great. You'll have to go over it a few times (maybe 7-10) but it will come off and not damage your skin. (11/25/2006) By John RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin ok well i am a kid and i swim so i draw all over my WHOLE back..i used dove soap (the bar soap) and omg it came RIGHT off but we werent drawing on our backs we were actually drawing on our face (drawing mustaches and beards) bc we were acting all crazy and we were dancing to this mexican song so we thought we wuld dress up a bit well hope my advice works!! (12/03/2006) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin so i pretty much get bored all the time and whip out a sharpie and start drawing on myself all over my arms and stuff. and the way i get it off is just jump in the shower with some dawn dish soap and scrub at it with my thumb nail for a few seconds and its gone. (12/28/2006) By cole RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Nail polish remover works really well, it takes off all the annoying small sharpie details you can't seem to get rid of. On my friend's skin, it left it a little dry, but that can easily be fixed with lotion or something. Also, toothpaste works well. I used a white kind and that seems to have good results. Good luck... (01/02/2007) By Jenna RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin The best way that I've used is to use 91% Alcohol. It may take a few times but usually does the job. (01/08/2007) By Mike RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I was using a facial exfoliator to get a sharpie stain off myself. It got most of it off but left a very slight amount (and was a bit abrasive with all the scrubbing I was doing). later I discovered that my clearasil acne wipes worked amazingly to remove the stains without that much scrubbing. (01/08/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin at school when i get bored i draw all over my hands and arms, i found out that sprayin perfume on it makes all the ink run off ya skin. it like takes seconds all ya need to do is wipe it off after with tissue, its great!! i promise!! Editor's Note: The problem with this is that everyone has to smell the perfume you used to get off the marker. (01/16/2007) By nat RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin DO NOT USE SANDPAPER!! IT HURTS VERY BAD-- and it doesnt even work!! (01/19/2007) By Meghan RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my sister decided to let people draw all over her back and stomach in permanent marker. we've tried nail polish remover, purell, perfume, vaseline, and makeup remover. it toook some things off, but theres still alot left everywhere. she complained that the nail polish remover and perfumer began to burn her skin so we cant use that anymore.. so im out of ideas.. (01/23/2007) By michelle RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin i had a fake moustache drawn on me for a retro disco....nothing really worked at taking it off except surgical spirit....except now i hav light chemical burns to the face. (01/25/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin WD-40!! Our 4 year old daughter came up from the gameroom today with Sharpie green permanent marker all over her torso, that she used to decorate herself. I sprayed her with it while she was standing in the tub and let it sit for about a minute and then washed her with soap and a washrag. It just "melted" off because of the WD-40. (01/25/2007) By Alisa RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My 6 year old son uses markers daily and always has marker on his hands. I tried just about everything and finally gave Castrol Super Clean a try. Success! Its a cleaner that Ive used on my vehicles for years. It is similar to Fantastic except far more effective. It warns that it may cause burns but my son hasnt had a problem. I use it quickly and then rinse thoroughly with water. (01/31/2007) By kevn RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My 18 year old daughter, who should of known better, let her friend write ALL over her and worse she started to get a reaction. Tried everything on this site until my sister suggested the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser! Worked instantly 100%. Didn't hurt either. (02/19/2007) By kevikkie RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin axe body wash worked for me (02/19/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin DO NOT use Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to remove Sharpie from your skin, especially the face. The combination of the abrasive and the chemicals in the product will burn, and can scar. Flushing with H2O, applying cold compresses, hydrocortisone cream, and Benedryl are the best methods for addressing the injury if you have already tried the Mr. Clean Method and had the same experience as we did. (02/27/2007) By Suzy's Dad RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin we have tried toothpaste, eye makeup remover, and shaving cream.. nothing is working.. my 2 yr old son decided he wanted to look like a zebra.. Black Sharpie marker on his face, chest, (in his belly button) toes, legs.. ok so every part of his body.. lol Any suggestions would be awesome.. Mom of a zebra now.. Editor's Note: Because he has such young and sensitive skin, I'd try using baby oil. (02/28/2007) By momof2lilones RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used damp cotton pads then put canola oil on each pad. I rub and most of the sharpie came off. The light stuff came right up while the actual scribbles lightened quite a bit. Then I gave her a tubby and soaped off the oil. She looks pretty close to normal again. Plus, (I imagine) it's non-toxic. PS: Never say, "Only use that on paper sweetie, nothing else." And then expect a three year old to comply after you've left the room. (03/01/2007) By supernova RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My 5 month old daughter was used as a drawing board by her 2 year old sister...She had marker from the top of her head to the tip of her nose. Soap and water didn't budge it. Coppertone sunscreen and toilette paper took it off with ease. I applied it with my fingers waited about 10 seconds then gently scrubbed and wiped away all the marks with the toilette paper. (03/01/2007) By Tony RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Ok. So you have sharpie on your arms face or anything. How are you going to get it off? Peppermint Bodywash. Yes. Pepper mint bodywash. you let it sink and just wash it off. (03/02/2007) By Sarah YepYep :] RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I let one of my friends draw on my arms, and it was fine because I would just wear long sleeves till it wore off in a few days...but, its 69 degrees out right now, and I have to go walk to class. So I tried all these ideas, even mixed them all together. What I found to work was spraying perfume on my arms, letting it sit for about 30 seconds, then scrubbing with a washcloth with dishsoap on it. I was shocked at how it got the stuff off pretty fast. (03/13/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin rubbing alcohol. followed by Ivory soap. Thats the safest way to get sharpie of skin, I doodle on my self a lot and that's my trick. (03/13/2007) By Lauren RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Mr clean magic eraser is toxic and you should not be using it on skin. It has formaldhyde in it. (03/14/2007) By melanie RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin There is no formaldehyde in the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The only danger is that if you swallow the eraser, it can cause an intestinal blockage. Also, the friction of rubbing it forcibly against your skin would eventually cause an abrasion. You can get info. about how the formaldehyde rumor orginated at http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/eraser.asp (03/14/2007) By SusannL RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin After my 2 yo found a Sharpie marker and wrote on her face, arms, neck legs and a few toenails I immediately went to the internet and found this website. After reading many of the testimonies I actually found a combo of rubbing alcohol and Dawn dish detergent to work really well. I used cotton balls soaked with alcohol to get almost all of it off and then bathed her using Dawn! Many Blessings! (03/17/2007) By Michelle S. in Delaware RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Rubbing alchohol works awesome I had Egyptian stencils drawn on my arms and legs and with the alchohol worked perfect i only have like a couple marks that will come off in the wash (03/25/2007) By hawkclaw RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I have tried fingernail polish remover and after a bit of scrubbing, it comes off. (04/10/2007) By kelsie.. RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Fast Orange hand soap... it gets everything off... (04/21/2007) By Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I tried ALL of the above. All I got was irritated skin, and still tons of marker. I just had them soak in the tub, twice and used Johnsons Head to Toe, and it worked enough to let them out in public. (04/23/2007) By Jen RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin perfume does not work! (04/25/2007) By Danielle RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Oh my gosh! My 3 year old just wrote ALL over her face with a silver sharpie. Luckily I caught it somewhat quickly (about 10 minutes) and came to this site. I tried two things: 1) warm water and a hard scrub = NOTHING 2) Canola oil and a paper towel, medium pressure = PERFECTION. She has hardly a trace left on her face - and I mean that only I can see it. I could take her to get pictures right now and it wouldn't show up. I'm amazed! I was so afraid that she was going to have to go to daycare like that tomorrow - but NOPE - she looks GREAT! CANOLA OIL, CANOLA OIL, CANOLA OIL!!!! (05/01/2007) By Casey RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin 100% Safe, non-toxic solution. TKO Orange Oil cleaner. www.tkoorange.com (Or probably any non-toxic orange oil cleaners). You can find it in most grocery stores in Canada. My two year old found the black sharpie in our office hotel room and decided to be inspired....my husband goes crazy over this stuff. I checked online for solutions...came here and didn't have any of the noted solutions. I did have this TKO concentrated orange and it works like a dream. It just melted off her skin without any irritation (and she has very sensitive skin) and also just wiped off all the "painted" surfaces. Good luck and enjoy these innocent times!!! (05/03/2007) By Nicholl RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Obviously, BE VERY CAREFUL using any products on your children's skin AND ALWAYS TRY A TEST PATCH. The TKO worked for us....and we had a really soapy bath afterwards with lots of lotions applied out of the bath. It's not meant for use on skin...so just be cautious. (05/03/2007) By Nicholl RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Thank you, thank you, thank you! Shaving cream really did the trick! My little brother colored all over himself with some kind of bright pink marker. When I say bright I mean it GLOWED if that's possible. We gave him shaving cream to play with in the tub and ta-daaaa! Gone! (05/09/2007) By Kay RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Try this: Take a fresh Bounce sheet (the thing you stick in the clothes dryer) and dip it in rubbing alcohol. Rub it gently on the skin. It works like a charm. (05/19/2007) By John Doe RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Okay people - I have tried everything you have all given me ( toothpaste, rubbing alcohol, shaving cream, baby wipes, coppertone baby lotion, nail polish remover and the mr clean magic eraser ) NOTHING IS WORKING. I am sitting for a friend and her daughters legs are COVERED with a BLUE SHARPIE. Hope my friend is in a good mood when I bring her home. (05/31/2007) RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin First...As posted in other feedback, DON'T use the Magic Eraser. I don't know about the chemicals, but I know it is abrasive. I was wiping the wall and turned to wipe my 2 1/2 year old. He now has abrasions on his face and neck, that look like carpet burns. Fortunately, they aren't bothering him. Second...I've tryed several of the suggestions. What I've found works best is laughter. The marks are faded quite a bit, but they are still there. I've now rubbed him down with baby lotion. When I give him his bath, I'll gently scrub again. If it works the same way it does on my hands when I reink a stamp pad, 99% of it will wash off. Beyond that, we'll just laugh about it. I know I've gotten enough off to prevent any type of poisoning or other reaction, so now I'm just thankful it was just him and the wall. (The Magic Eraser worked on the wall.) (05/31/2007) By Joy in TN RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I have a 2 year old daughter that loves to find things to draw with. No matter how well I hide something she will find it. I woke up this morning to find her with black marker all over her arms and legs. Thankfully nowhere on her face though. I used noxzema triple clean pads that worked like a charm. The marker is totally gone on most areas of her legs and arms, what is left are dull lines. Hope that helps. (06/07/2007) By Krista RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used Bioré face wipes. The black permanent Sharpie came right off my son's face/head/hair. (06/11/2007) By Deb RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin SUNSCREEN!!! Pour some onto a cottonball and be amazed. It immediately takes off all the marker and just leaves your child well protected from the sun!!! (06/12/2007) By Sarlynn McMurtry RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My daughter has this thing for permanent black markers & just marked all over herself with one. Tried the sunscreen, toothpaste, rubbing alcohol & also canola oil which seemed to have worked the best...Then I tried my Clearasil cleaning pads & they worked like a charm.. (06/15/2007) By Michelle RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin writing on ourselves in sharpie is a camp tradition. the easiest things to use are BUG SPRAY(preferably towlettes) and HAIR SPRAY works like a charm every time! (06/19/2007) By monika RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My son's vacation bible school this week has a sports-theme. They used Sharpie marker to paint the thick, black, grease marks under the kids eyes to make them look like football players. I tried Canola Oil, Baby Lotion, Baby Oil, Bug Spray Wipes and Shaving Cream. It took off most of the marker, but a shadow of the marks was still here. I finally gave up and took him swimming to take his mind off of it. The chlorine from the pool took care of the rest! :-) (06/20/2007) By Janet RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My son's vacation bible school this week has a sports-theme. They used Sharpie marker to paint the thick, black, grease marks under the kids eyes to make them look like football players. I tried Canola Oil, Baby Lotion, Baby Oil, Bug Spray Wipes and Shaving Cream. It took off most of the marker, but a shadow of the marks was still here. I finally gave up and took him swimming to take his mind off of it. The chlorine from the pool took care of the rest! :-) (06/20/2007) By Janet RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used an Aveeno Daily Facials pad and it took all of the black Sharpie off my two year old son. Now, on to my computer keyboard, coffee table, his toy piano..... It takes a village but two would be nice. (06/25/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I used doctor burts herbal blemish stick made by burts bees. I think its main ingredents are alcohol and tea tree oil. Just rub on and wipe with a paper towel. (06/26/2007) By schoolteacher RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin my 4 year old just covered him self in sharpie maker, I filled the bath and took johnson and johnson head to toe washed him and it came right off. (06/26/2007) By kathy RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin we got bored when our friend fell asleep and decided to draw ALL OVER her face with all different color sharpies. after the damage was done we panicked because we knew she would flip. we tested all these things on our hands to prepare for when she wakes up. rubbing alcohol worked the best. try it :) (06/30/2007) By elizabeth+kris+marisa RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Don't Panic!! My 21 month old daughter, Maddie, came into the kitchen looking like a gory movie scene...Red Sharpie slashes all down her right leg and her mouth and chin...what a picture!!! I spent about fifteen minutes reading some of the remedies posted here and decided to try the most gentle thing i could think of first. I used a Huggies Shea Butter diaper wipe. Amazingly, it came off just as easily as she put it on! Praise God! It also got the scribbles off of my coffee table too. (07/09/2007) By Rebecca RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Caress Tahitian Renewal Silkening body wash takes it off in just seconds..... (07/18/2007) By Catherine RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin I know this was posted a long time ago, but I still thought I'd add a little something for all those people who find this down the road. I JUST this very minute finished washing a derogatory word from my forearms. I originally found this page because I too needed to know what the best method would be. So as all of these other people are writing from a past experience, mine is brand new. My arms are still wet from the product I used! Others here have said it as well, some form of facial cleansing wipe will work really well. My brand are called No.7 by Boots. They're a four in one wipe with a makeup remover. Came off within a few rubs. Viola! Good luck to you and REMEMBER! No matter how funny it seems at the time, NEVER let people write on your with Sharpie! ;) (07/21/2007) By Amanda RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin NAIL POLISH REMOVER! it works every time. (07/22/2007) By Betty RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin sunscreen worked for me 8] (07/26/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My daughter came home from work after co-worker who was "flirting" wrote on her face and hands with a sharpie, bright purple, her school colors luckily! We used eye make up remover. It came off without us hardly having to scrub! (07/30/2007) By Kathy RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My friend drew all over my back and around to my chest with a sharpie and, in a panic, I came to this site to figure out how to get it off. I thought I'd pass my experience along and I found that shaving cream and warm water take the marker off with gentle scrubbing. It worked so well, I was very pleased. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions! (08/01/2007) By Saaaarah RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin After trying cold cream, shaving cream, alcohol and facial cleanser.... Cutter Mosquito Wipes worked the best, black sharpie came right off with little scrubbing (08/01/2007) By Anon RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Point of PERSPECTIVE: Relax, moms! Are you afraid someone might think you're a less-than-perfect mother if your child goes to preschool or the market with scribbles on his/her angel face? Of course we want to clean their skin; that's why we're reading these posts. Panic a bit if tomorrow is "picture day." Otherwise, find the camera, snap a memory and ENJOY your kids. They'll be grown too soon. (08/07/2007) By Mom of Two Under Five RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin Well, ladies and gents, I didn't try anything you suggested.iHowever, I took the advice of the oil citris suggestion and used 409 all purpose cleaner w/ orange citris oil and it worked like a charm on my friend who horribly lost a marker fight earlier today. I can attest from the times spent cleaning my bats w/ lemon oil that citris oil really does work! (08/22/2007) By LauraLosttoTony RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin This was the easiest thing ever it took me like 2 min. max. My fiance decided to put a mustache on me a day before our wedding and read on here about shaving cream and warm water. It works like a charm. Don't even need to scrub! (08/29/2007) By Cortney from Indiana RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin If it's a fresh sharpie-ing, germ-x or purell works beautiliciously. same for pen, if it's fresh, hand sanitizer gets most of it off. i also found that scraping at it with your finger nail while it's really soapy works too. and ladies, if it's on your legs, just shave it off. that works for henna tattoos too. (09/25/2007) By RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin The one that said use facial pads! U are a miracle worker! Moms like me need to keep that stuff on hand! My daughter had purple permanent marker all over her face and her arms. I had noxema pads and it worked wonderfully! Thank you so very much! Again thank u soooo very much! (10/02/2007) By Christy Hunley RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin On my birthday my friends decided to draw ALL over my legs. not aware that they were using a sharpie marker (i was foucusing all my attention on myspace gossip), i allowed them to write whatever they wanted. soon after my legs were totally red with the most bizzare and interesting things. i love my friends. but the next day i had to cheer for a competition and my coach was going to kill me. lets just say that alcohol and shaving saved my life. it works very well. :) (10/03/2007) By Bianca RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin My sister and I draw "temporary tattoos" all the time with sharpie. It will eventually wear off but if you want it off faster it will take scrubbing with rubbing alcohol and water. It may hurt because you have to scrub really hard. (10/15/2007) By Abigail RE: Removing Sharpie Marker Off Skin One can only laugh at my 4 year old who now looks like a tiger with maroon sharpie vertical stripes from face to toes. Way to go kiddo :-) (10/17/2007) By Tammie Report Spam or Abuse