Before starting, make sure you have everything at hand that you will need for the removal; more than likely your performer has been wearing the prosthetic for a long time and is more than ready for the appliance or appliances to come off. The trick is to work efficiently and carefully, particularly around the eyes. The last thing you want is to accidentally get remover where it should not be.
1. Dip a fairly firm-bristled brush into the remover (Telesis® Super Solv® or Ben Nye® Bond Off!® work well with most adhesives) and gently begin to insert the brush bristles between the edge of the appliance and the skin, moving the brush softly to increase the size of the opening.
2. As the remover dissolves the adhesive, gently start to lift the appliance as you go, continuing to apply more of the remover, either with the brush, or with a Q-tip® or other type of applicator.
3. Try to avoid letting the appliance flop over onto itself, adhesive to adhesive, because it will be difficult to separate and could rip or tear. If the appliance is large, another pair of hands might be useful to hold it out of your way as you work.
4. When the appliance has been removed, place it on its form until you are able to clean it properly for storage.
5. With Q-tips,® cloth, or cotton pads, use isopropyl myristate or more of the adhesive remover to gently wipe off remaining adhesive residue form the skin. The skin can be quite sensitive to irritation, especially if the performer has been in prosthetics regularly. Simply repeat step 5 until the skin is no longer sticky.
I’ve said before that it’s never about the makeup; it’s always about the performance. That includes post performance. If my actor is worried that his skin is getting more and more irritated and becomes consciously aware of discomfort, in and out of the makeup, I am not doing my job well enough. Making sure I’ve done everything I can to leave my subject’s skin clean and feeling good will
ensure that skin care is one less thing the actor has to think about and can concentrate on the performance. Skin care is part of the job description.
The first step in skin care is preventive: skin preparation. Do you recall my anecdote from the beginning of this chapter about the actor who played the Cowardly Lion in a production of The Wiz? Premiere Products’ Top Guard® is a methacrylate-based, non-oily skin prep and surface primer that reduces skin irritation. It also increases the adhesion of prosthetic appliances as well as making it easier to remove them. This one product alone can make a makeup artist’s post-makeup routine a relative breeze.
1. Once the adhesive residue and remover is fully removed from the skin, gently wipe the skin with isopropyl myristate using a soft cloth. This is an extra measure as a safeguard to clean the skin.
2. Apply a dedicated skin cleanser, such as Ben Nye® Hydra Cleanse® or Premiere Products’ Telesis® Brisk,® which can be sprayed and wiped off with a soft cloth or cotton pad. Hydra Cleanse® is a gentle oil-free skin cleanser, and Brisk® is a skin cleanser with a peppermint oil fragrance and tea tree oil that acts also as an antiseptic, analgesic, and astringent.
3. There is no one single product choice; this is a personal preference, and you might have skin care products (cleansers, lotions, and conditioners) already in mind that you prefer. The important thing to keep in mind is comfort. Buzzwords to look for in products are:
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Emollient
Moisturize
Condition
Soothing
Refresh
Many actors have their own routine for skin care and so their own products, but it is a good idea to be involved because their skin is the foundation for our work. If the actor’s skin becomes irritated, it is in your best interests and the actor’s to make certain that the skin is clean before and after makeup. Since it our responsibility to restore skin to its original state when we are finished, keep a variety of cleansers, toners, emollients, and moisturizers on hand.
CLEANING AND STORING THE APPLIANCE
Whatever you do to clean the appliance and remove adhesive residue and buildup, it is important that it not be sticky or greasy (oily). If it is sticky, it will be hard to manage, could tear if it sticks to the mold form, and it won’t feel clean. It also means that there is still adhesive, and adding more adhesive will add to a buildup, causing the appliance to be ill fitting.
If the appliance is oily, adhesive will not stick to it, and the appliance will not hold well after application. In addition, if the appliance is going to be reused (which is why you’re cleaning it in the first place) there is likely to be a buildup
on its surface where edges were concealed. Carefully work off the Pros-Aide,® bondo, Cabo patch, or whatever was used to conceal the edges. Any number of tools could be useful for this task, including toothpicks, dental spatulas, or eyelash brushes. This could take some time to do as well.
Once the appliance is clean and free of adhesive and remover, powder it and store it in an airtight baggie on a mold form so that it will hold its shape until it is ready to be reapplied.