Urethane eyes discolored/ can you prevent it?

So I have these pair of urethane eyes I absolutely adore. They are the main eyes my doll has been wearing since July and recently I noticed they became a little more yellow?

 

Compared to a new set of eyes I got it really feels more obvious.

 

So my questions, do urethane eyes normally stain? And is there a way to get rid of the discoloration?

Edited October 15, 2020 by Chiakisenpai

I'm fairly certain you can't remove the discolouration, as the resin itself has yellowed, and unfortunately this is something that will happen with all resins over time; some just happen faster than others.

I also own a handful of JadePixel eyes, and I've noticed that the extras I keep stored away in a drawer have started to yellow just slightly.  I can't tell if the pair that are currently in my DD Miku have yellowed more or less than the others, but it looks like they're probably the same amount.  Nothing in my office gets direct or intense sunlight, so I imagine this is just aging resin.  Very little of the sclera (the whites of the eyes) show in photographs when worn by Miku, so it doesn't bother me (and I usually edit my photos and brighten the eyes anyway).  Plus, all of the eyes I own were listed as B-Grade anyway, so I don't expect them to be perfect.  Even if they may yellow heavily over time, they're still beautiful eyes and very worth it to me.

Unfortunately, this is just part of owning urethane resin eyes.  They'll yellow no matter what you do.  But if there was a miracle cure, I'd certainly love to hear it.

@jadepixel may have some words of wisdom to add, though!

I have been summoned!

But yes, like @OccultBeast said the consumer grade clear epoxy and urethane resins all yellow over time. The ones I use have UV-resist ingredients but it will only go so far. Bright light and sunlight are the main factors to speed yellowing, but even safely stored eyes will gradually yellow. Personally I continue to use slightly yellowed eyes until it's really too obvious to ignore, and for me that's been 3-5 years after they were made.

If you want to extend the life of your eyes a bit, try giving them a good polish as it will let more light enter directly and hopefully reduce the yellow cast- 'Flitz metal, plastic and fiberglass polish' is what I use.

 

I think some people have actually tried some oxy treatments with eyes and had results??? I have a bottle I've been meaning to experiment with, but just haven't had time/motivation yet.

See this thread for more:

 

12 hours ago, Cauldroness said:

I think some people have actually tried some oxy treatments with eyes and had results???

I thought I remembered seeing someone try this on eyes (especially because I even commented on that thread!!), but my memory is trash anymore, so thanks for linking it!

Edited October 15, 2020 by OccultBeast