Reborn dolls are detailed pieces of art — hand-painted skin, hand-rooted hair, weighted bodies that feel like a real newborn. With a little care, your doll will keep that just-finished-by-the-artist look for many, many years. Here are the ten things we tell every Eva Reborn customer when their doll arrives.

1. Wash your hands before holding her

This is the simplest habit and the most important. Skin oils, lotions, and food residue all transfer onto vinyl and dull the surface over time. A quick rinse before each cuddle keeps her skin clean and the painted blushing crisp.

2. Keep her out of direct sunlight

UV light fades the fine paintwork that gives a reborn her realistic warmth and veins. Cape Town summer sun is especially harsh. Display her in a spot that gets natural light but never direct sun — a shaded shelf, a bedside table, or a soft display case all work beautifully.

3. Be gentle with the hair

Hand-rooted hair is one of the most delicate parts of a reborn doll. To keep it looking soft and natural:

• Use a wig brush or wide-tooth comb — not a regular hairbrush
• Work from the ends up to the roots, never tug from the top
• Skip the heat. No hairdryers, no straighteners, no curling tongs
• If hair becomes frizzy, lightly mist with cool water and gently pat with a soft cloth

4. Cleaning the skin

For everyday dust, wipe gently with a soft microfibre cloth slightly damp with cool water. For sticky marks (jam fingers, dust build-up after a holiday in storage), a tiny drop of unscented baby soap on a soft cloth is fine. Always rinse with clean water afterwards and pat dry.

Never use: alcohol wipes, baby wipes with fragrance, makeup remover, nail polish remover, or anything abrasive. These can strip the painted skin layers permanently.

5. Bath time — full vinyl only

If your doll is a full vinyl body, she’s bath-safe. Use lukewarm water and a tiny bit of mild soap. Avoid getting water on the rooted hair scalp area — the hair is glued in and prolonged soaking can loosen it.

Cloth-body dolls should never be submerged. Spot clean only.

6. Dressing her

Stick with cotton, soft jersey, and natural fibres. Be careful with:

• Dark fabrics — they can transfer dye onto vinyl, especially in warm rooms. Pre-wash any new outfit before dressing her in it for the first time.
• Newsprint and printed paper — the ink can mark the skin. Don’t lay her on newspaper.
• Velcro — it catches in rooted hair. Snap closures or buttons are gentler.

7. Storage and travel

If you’re not displaying her every day, store her on her back (not on her tummy), inside a breathable cotton bag or her original box. Avoid plastic-only storage — vinyl needs to breathe. A cool cupboard works perfectly.

Travelling? Wrap her in a soft blanket inside a padded case. Don’t leave her in a hot car, even briefly. Vinyl can warp in extreme heat.

8. The eyes

Open-eye reborns have hand-set acrylic or glass eyes. They’re delicate. Don’t poke or wipe directly across the eye surface — if there’s dust on the lashes, blow it off gently or use a soft makeup brush.

Magnetic eyelash kits (sold for some open-eye dolls) should always be removed before storage so they don’t shift.

9. Yearly check-up

Once a year, give her a proper once-over:

• Wipe down all vinyl parts with a soft damp cloth
• Comb hair gently and re-style if needed
• Check that limb joints are still snug (we can help if anything feels loose — just message us)
• Air out any cloth body parts in a shaded, breezy spot for an hour

10. When something goes wrong

Stains happen. Hair gets matted. A toddler in the family decides the reborn needs a haircut. Don’t panic and don’t try to repair anything aggressive yourself — you can usually save the doll, but harsh fixes (acetone, scissors, paint touch-ups with the wrong paint) can do permanent damage.

Email us at sarah@evareborn.com with photos. We’ve helped customers with everything from spilled coffee to chewed fingers, and most things are fixable if caught early.