Ladies I would be very leery about using the powders. They do not last. I just picked up a doll from a nursing home I used powders on, It was very loved and as soon as the layer of satin matt wore down the powders did not stay…They have only had the doll for a month…I have to completely strip the doll and start over.I will never use them again…
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I have no idea about the powers but you say the baby was "very loved "this baby’s are not for every day “play”
I hope somebody can help you !!
Thanks for the heads up! The lady that teaches the “powders” on FaceBook does most of her babies for nursing home donations without problems? Did you post on the FB page? Maybe someone there can give some advice on what might have gone wrong?
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I always follow up on the nursing home babys and I can tell you this one was a mess. I did nothing different used the powders and sealed them. When I picked up the doll today I am convinced the powders are not lasting. This was the only one I did with the powders and I will never use them again. All of the other nursing home babys painted with the heat set are doing fine and only need help with hair once in a while. The doll I picked up today was a mess!
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Thank you for sharing this… I was thinking of ordering them this week. 
I would not unless you want to look overly done awesome!! probably okay for humans going to a photoshoot but not really for art dolls that are often family heirlooms.
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I want to respond to this before everyone throws away a marvelous technique. I would not use powders on a doll that was meant to be" loved on" everyday in a nursing home. However, as an art technique on a collector doll,it is perfectly reliable. All art materials are essentially ephemeral. Too much handling will destroy any piece of art. We all know these are not play dollies and they are not sold as play dollies. The varnishes and sealers are put on to protect the powders from rubbing off and the powders need to be worked in well so they actually stain the vinyl. Even the Genesis paint will rub off with heavy wear. The powders are a bit more fragile perhaps, but not markedly so. The babies created using this technique are so beautiful and the shading so subtle… I would hate to see people stop using powders.
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I agree, I obviously did something wrong…I don’t know why it would happen and if her dolls hold up in the nursing homes where they are held all day and all night long it must be fine…
Nursing home residents share the dolls and they are held all day long.
@ckn What sealer are you using on your dolls? I use Genesis satin varnish and haven’t had any issues yet but I haven’t been using the powders for even a year.
Did you use Coastal Scents or one of the alternative brands? Those are pure pigments and when blended into the vinyl properly are supposed to stain the vinyl. As Pia mentioned, if you haven’t please check out the powders group on FB run by Sue Ellen T.
True Nanasherry. Sue Ellen has mentioned over and over in her FB group that the powers must be worked in properly in order for them to stain the vinyl and last. It takes time to figure this out and make ti work correctly. I wouldn’t use powders on a baby meant to be loved on. And like Helen said, all artwork would potentially wear out, especially if handled the way the doll is meant to be handled by nursing home residents loving on the doll. Sue has done powders for quite some time and dolls she did a long while ago with powders still have the powder intact.
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I used the genesis satin varnish.
I did use the coastal Scents, I did something wrong because it sure did not hold up.
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I’m really sorry it didn’t work but I am not sure you did anything wrong. The varnishes are not all that thick and with heavy handling they could wear through. Do you cure your varnish twice at 265 for 9 minutes?
Yes I did everything the same way I would have had I not used powders. Everybody has their own opinion of the powders. I would personally not use them again. I would always be concerned about how they are holding up for my customers. I never know how much a doll will be handled once it leaves my home.
That’s true. I will continute to use them however, as I think mine are okay, and they are essential to my developing style. If I thought they were a problem though, I wouldn’t use them, so I certainly respect your decision not to and your desire to save others from disappointment by issuing this warning.
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Keep working at it and it WILL get better. 
Helen i absolutely agree with you! The powders technic are made for collecter dolls… Not the ones that will constantly be handled. These powders blend so nicely. I love the way they look compared to the details using genesis paints.
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Have you actually read the label? Coastal Scents seem to contain number of things that i would be very concerned using under/with my paints. Like Mineral oil, Kaolin and Lanolin, which somebody mentioned in another thread.
The question is: Do the Coastal Scents Powders stain the vinyl, or do they just sit on top, and have the potential to affect the adhesion of following paint layers?
OK ladies, you can do a simple test; take an unpainted part, apply the powder the way you were taught, leave it for a while, and then take a cosmetic wedge with drop of odorless thinners and see if it wipes the colour off, or if it has soaked into the vinyl.
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