Whether you’re an avid painter, a tradie, or a DIY home improvement guru, you’re inevitably going to end up with dried paint on your skin. Unfortunately, not all types of paint are easily removed by soap and water and a lot of effort can be required if you do not follow the best paint removal method. In today’s article, we’ll discuss various types of paint and a few effective methods on how to get paint off your hands and skin.
Before removing paint from your skin, you must determine the type of paint – whether it is water-based or oil-based paint.
Water-based Paint VS Oil-based Paint
Water-based paints, also known as latex paints, are made up of a pigment and a binder, with water acting as a carrier. They are widely and commonly used for interior painting. Fortunately, you can remove water-based paints from your skin with hand or dish soap and water, especially if they haven’t dried on your skin.
Here are water-based paints examples:
- Latex interior and exterior house paint in liquid or spray form
- Acrylic craft paint
- Watercolours
- Tempera brush and finger paint
- Fabric paint
On the other hand, oil-based paints are made up of a pigment and a resin in a solvent paint thinner. They contain either natural oils or synthetic alkyd. Oil-based substances like oil paints are known for their durability and adhesion to surfaces and are most commonly found on a construction site or in the hands of tradies. The hard coating formed when the paint dries is the reason that it’s trickier to remove oil based paint from your skin.
Here are oil-based paints examples:
- Artists oils
- Exterior paints and stains from home improvement
- Varnish
How to remove oil-based paints from your hands?
1. Remove the paint from your skin with oil
If you have experience in using oil-based paint, you know that it’s hard to wash away with water. This is because water doesn’t mix with oil, so the paint stays firmly on your hands. However, oil can be mixed well with oil. Mineral oils, like baby oil, or vegetable oil like olive oil and coconut oil work effectively on oil-based paints and can be considered as one of the best cleaners for paint covered skin. Pour some baby oil on a clean cotton ball and rub it over the stained skin. Gently rub in circles to clean the paint. Then gently scratch off as much of the paint as you can. Finally, use plain soap and warm water to wash the area.
2. Try rubbing hand scrub if you’re still struggling.
If the paint is especially stubborn, you may need to use a hand scrub to help naturally break up all the paint on your skin, especially if you’re a tradie working with paint all day. As we all know hand scrub contains a grainy texture, which can easily scrub away dead skin. It’s the same principle when a scrub applies to paint. Rub the scrub into the painted part of your skin, it works to strip away the paint and loosen up the bonds that it had on your skin. Once the remaining paint starts to loosen up, then immediately wash away with warm water.
We highly recommended using DU’IT’s award-winning Tough Scrub to remove stubborn paint on your hands. It’s a multifunctional formula that effectively removes stains, grease, dirt and odour on your skin. With added moisturising actives such as natural walnut shell, glycerin and vitamin E, Tough Scrub leaves your hands refreshed and clean without stripping away your skin’s natural skin oils. Plus it’s free from solvents, soap, rubbing alcohol and harsh detergents and sodium lauryl sulphate, making it suitable for all skin types including sensitive skin.
3. Use Turpentine to dissolve the remaining paints
Rub turpentine on your skin to dissolve the paint and remove it. Turpentine is an effective paint solvent and can get rid of most paints and varnishes on your skin. However, as turpentine is combustible and irritating to the skin and eyes, you need to make sure to thoroughly wash the affected area immediately after getting rid of the paint. When using turpentine to remove paint from your skin, do so in a well-ventilated area and keep away from children.
Pro tips when removing paints from hands
Time matters: The sooner you wash your hands, the faster it is that you’ll have your clean hands back. Once the paint has begun to dry, it will harden and solidify in place, making it much harder to remove. Even water-based paint requires a hand scrub to help.
Aftercare: Aftercare: When the paint has been completely removed, proper aftercare is important to protect your skin. We suggest trying DU’IT Tough Hands – a SOS hand cream that really works. Packed with 10% urea, dimethicone and vitamin E, this concentrated cream forms a protective barrier and provides sustained hydration, to soothe irritated skin. It’s clinically proven to relieve skin dryness within 1 day, leaving hands soft and supple.
DU’IT Tough Scrub 150g
DU’IT Tough Scrub is a 3-in-1 moisturising hand scrub that works as hard as your hands. This hand scrub cleans, exfoliates and moisturises the skin and contains no harsh chemicals or irritants that dry out the skin.
It cleans stubborn dirt, removes odour, grease and grime, whilst leaving your hands silky smooth.
DU‘IT Tough Hands 150g
DU’IT Tough Hands is a clinically proven, intensive strength hand cream for dry hands that works to seal cracks, replace lost oils, condition the skin and form a protective barrier to keep hands in top condition.
It’s Australia’s No.1 hand cream* (IRI data, Grocery & Pharmacy, 2021).
Repairs dry, rough, cracked, irritated and calloused hands, with visible effects in 1 day. It’s non-greasy, made in Australia and contains no nasties.