Vinyl Smell on Chitose

So I finally got my Chitose Shirasawa Smart Doll about a week and a half ago, and I should probably mention that this is my first vinyl doll.

 

So I'm pretty educated on plastics, and I know the harmful effects of PVC.

Well, before Smart Doll, I was pretty terrified of PVC, and I stayed away from it the best I could because I didn't want exposure. I was willing to take my chances with Smart Doll however, because I loved the look so much.

 

Well I use polymer clay to sculpt a lot, and I know it's made from PVC, but it's less dangerous than most plastics because the phthalates don't contain the dangerous carcinogens. Didn't know how true that was, but I noticed an extreme difference in smell. In fact the smell is somewhat pleasant.

 

The smell I smell in other PVC, like toys I would get from China had a very strong, different smell from the polymer clay. (Very unpleasant, makes your eyes water.)

 

Well Chitose smells very strongly, and she has the same smell as polymer clay, but much much stronger. The smell doesn't give me a headache or anything, but I can smell her from my bed, which is about 10 ft away from where she is standing.

 

I sent culture japan an email about it, and they replied with this email

 

"Thanks for contacting us.

Soft vinyls (which smart dolls are made of) are generally considered to be safe after its been slash casted and made into a product. If its giving you a reaction, then you might have some kind of special allergy.

If you need refund please check this page:-

https://shop.smartdoll.jp/pages/warranty

 

Regards,

Culture Japan Support

Yohei"

I'm not sure they know the dangers of soft vinyl, they may, but I don't know if they knew exactly what I was talking about. Maybe I'm just being a hypochondriac. But her smell is pretty strong. It would be nice if I knew just how toxic the fumes I'm breathing in are.

 

If anyone can help with this, I'd be very grateful, thanks.

Not sure about the toxicity of the fumes, but I do know the only doll I had that smelled to me was the Harmony SmD I bought second hand. And hers was a perfume smell that dissipated over time. When I got her, some people told me that she just smelled of plastic to them and not of perfume, so I stuck my nose in my other smart dolls, but didn't smell anything like it from them. Either way, I used some formula 911 to clean Harmony, and that helped.

It is quite common for newly made plastics to "off gas" for a period of time. This is the source of the famous "new car smell". The amounts of these gases are small and generally nothing to worry about. You're in more danger of inhaling toxic gases from walking by those two people smoking cigarettes.

 

As you stated this is your first vinyl doll so you are probably unaccustomed to the smell, so your nose is honing in on it. I assume you've handled the doll. You haven't mentioned a skin reaction or gone into anaphylactic shock from physical contact. You also said you use polymer clay (a much higher chance for absorption through the skin) and you haven't had any problems with that material. The smell may be concentrating in your room, possibly because of small size or lack of ventilation.

 

Unless you are hypersensitive to a material in the vinyl (which you don't seem to be), I don't think Chitose is going to kill you (Kizuna's the one to watch out for). You seem to be sensitive to the smell of the vinyl, which could be because of being unfamiliar with it. You may just need to move Chitose to a room with a larger air mass and/or better circulation for a while till the new doll smell wears off.

 

I'm sure The Smart Doll people are aware any possible dangers posed by the materials in their products. The biggest danger of vinyl is addiction and multiplication. Before you know it you can become addicted and suddenly find you have a dozen of these girls.

Either way, I used some formula 911 to clean Harmony, and that helped.

Formula 911 from Twin Pines of Maine, not to be confused with Formula 409 currently owned by Clorox.

http://www.twinpines.com/

On the other hand, I find the smell of new vinyl to be intoxicating and wonderful. Takes me right back to childhood Christmases and opening the present to find a beautiful new doll.

Ahhhhh.....

 

Anyway- pretty sure the Smart Dolls would be considered non-toxic. Like K2! said, you can expect a certain amount of off-gassing with new vinyl. It should dissipate in a couple of weeks.

My SmD Ivory had quite a smell when I got her. Now she is like 3 months old and it is only noticeable when you stick your nose right onto her.

Comparable to the (godly) smell of a freshly unboxed figurine

The amounts of these gases are small and generally nothing to worry about. You're in more danger of inhaling toxic gases from walking by those two people smoking cigarettes.

 

This.

You can also apply this trail of thought to the vehicles driving around your neighbourhood, that whiff of gasoline you get when walking by a gas station or filling your car's gas tank, etc.

 

I also recommend what's been said so far. Let the vinyl air out, watch the room circulation, and possibly clean the doll if deemed necessary. Of course, be mindful about allergic reactions on the off-chance that you do experience them in the next few weeks.