I ran into this issue about ten years ago on German vinyls, it was a Ariella at the time, and do still notice oily kits at times, more so then in the past as we aim for softer vinyls. I love realborns and bountifully vinyls…but they tend to be oily, or just not take paint evenly at times. BUT I have not had a problem since, but here is what I do with every single kit before I paint it.
I wash each kit with a strong degreaser, it won’t matter if you wash inside or not, that’s up to you. I don’t. I try to keep it dry. ANY DEGREASING dish soap will work, I like blue dawn or Ajax.
Dry fully. ( I Don’t ever wipe with alcohol )
Then I mix a fairly thick paste (not a runny mix) of matte medium, I apply it thinly, esp at top of head…(where u will root, you don’t want much matte their as it will interfere with a smooth rooting hole and leave a needle mark.) with a small /medium brush working in EVER single crease (this is most important as these areas will lift off if not sealed, esp around nose and finger tips, toe tips. ) then I pounce., as I go in about 2 inch sections. Careful not to leave lines or in even marks, I work under a light for this so I can see it’s very even texture. Don’t worry about a ruff feeling, if you pounce well it won’t actually won’t be and in your final sealer/glaze or finish you can add glaze and it will be soft.
I should mention that when I seal a kit to get it smooth, and in every single crease and corner…for a better word, like eyes, lids, mouth, lip corners, eat…it takes me several good hours…after I seal and set the first thin layer I do a second BUT only in target areas, like finger tips, toes, eye details, nose mouth,…anything with lines, details, or rounded edges…
I bake it for a minimum of 12 mins too at 265 and do a scratch test…if it comes off white anywhere my nail goes I bake a bit longer. IF you find your paint is resistant to setting a matte, check your oven temp, and run a fresh layer of Mona Lisa thinner over the piece once it’s cooled and rebake. For some reason a lot of my students had excellent results doing this when paint wouldn’t seem to cure. Genesis pigments on their own really won’t permanently bond to vinyls, so they need help with a sealer.
I do a lot of ethnic babies now so if I miss a single spot when sealing, it will shine through at me like a light on inside me kit. Around the nose, eyes and toes/fingers is my worst area. When my students work with me we spend our first day just sealing. I also seal again at the finish, to bring to life. By the time I seal at the end with the layers of paint you cannot even tell you ever matted the doll, as its smooth, unless you chose a more matte finish.
I agree! I am really sad about it though. She was so darn cute!
Ann, I’m not having trouble getting the matte varnish to set. The paint is not curing at 265 in spots: mostly knuckles, fingertips, tip of nose, and lips. The paint comes off when I seal the kit with the GHS matte varnish. The paint just wipes right off like is was never heat set, right down to the bare vinyl. I’m puzzled. It never happened with any of the Kaelins or Kadences I’ve done. It’s been with Gemma, just her lips, and Tristan and Clyde Awake.
I am going to do some tests on Gemma and see what I can come up with.
I am working on a Gemma now (knock on wood) no problems thus far! I wish I could figure something out with my AA Logan baby!
I have seen a few babies (reborns) with Vitiligo for sale… I wonder if this is why?
Since it seems to be a problem many are having all of a sudden Id guess a change at the factory in the oil used in the vinyl amount or type
I would for sure contact BB to let them know so they can check it out.
That’s a good description of what it looks like when it happens. Vitiligo is what it resembles. It’s only in certain patches or areas. 
Possible aloe in the sponges???
Myself, I am at the bottom of a big bag of cosmetic sponges I had been using. I also am not having any trouble with the kit I’m finishing now… so it’s not my paint, thinner, or sponges. Keep suggestions coming PLEASE! I’d LOVE to see my beautiful baby fixed!
Same here. I used the same sponges I used on previous dolls when worked ng on Tristan and Case. No problems with those.
I use air dry paint and haven’t noticed any paint coming off however after rooting my last baby and applying the glue on the inside an oil slick appeared on the parts that had not been glued or rooted.(inside the head) I used E6000 .
Unless BB is told about ALL these problems, even minor ones that we manage to get around, they cannot do anything about it. I do not mean everybody should be demanding refunds or replacement, but BB needs to know what is happening.
We definitely are glad when people let us know if there is something that needs a fixin’. 
agree!
Thanks for staying on top of things. You guys are the best!