ProAiir / ShowOffs Body Art Frequently Asked Questions

ProAiir is made with 100% cosmetic blend alcohol (not to be confused with rubbing alcohol which is NOT in the same family). Cosmetic grade alcohol found in many cosmetics (even mouth washes) gives products quick dry,m longer shelf life, minimizes mist (no more makeup in your nose hairs), repells water making it durable while retaining your design, does not smeer or smudge in rain and dries immediately.  ProAiir uses rich pigments, provides great coverage and does NOT require continuous shaking of bottles or stirring.  It also has a very pleasant aroma.  Neon colors are vibrant and bright even without a white base.  ProAiir comes in 2, 4, and 8 oz bottles.  Don't confuse cosmetic alcohol with rubbing alcohol.  It's NOT the same formula.  Alcohol is used in many products. Cosmetic alcohol is used in products like hair spray, waterproof makeup, mouth wash, food and shampoos.

We mostly use airbrush for the sake of speed but you can also use our mister pump sprayer, kabuki brushes or use dry sponging with many StencilEyes and QuickEZ stencil designs.

For use with StencilEyes, we recommend PROAIIR of course. It's FDA ingredients, certified "Skin safe" by third party laboratory!  If you're applying with airbrush, we prefer hybrid formulas. We never use acrylic paint which has been known to cause allergic reactions. Nor do we recommend airbrush tattoo ink as it can be very difficult to remove. For QuickEZ, all of the above applies if you're using on human skin. We defer to your expertise on all other mediums.

This is a question that we hear all of the time. When it comes to purchasing an airbrush there are a ton of choices. The major options are going with a standard airbrush configuration or purchasing a multi-color changer or buying some brand new device. In our many years of experience, we have always recommended and relied on the conventional airbrush setup. Granted there’s not a lot of sex appeal and excitement to this type of setup but it really has a lot of advantages. Before we go any further, let’s explain some of the different options. The conventional airbrush setup consists of a handful of airbrushes all connected to a central manifold that delivers air from the compressor to each individual airbrush. Each airbrush is setup with a single color of ink or paint. When you need a particular color, you simply pick up the airbrush with the color you want attached and go to work. You can save on airbrushes and space by loading your most popular colors in individual airbrushes and saving one or two to switch out to colors that you only need occasionally. The multi-color changers are interesting because you can load up a handful of colors and they all feed to a single airbrush. When you need another color you simply change the dial at the airbrush and the next color comes out. These units are sold as Spectrum 2000, Power Palette, and a few other names. Cleanup of these units can be somewhat intense. New devices come to the market from time to time but they are generally just a rehashing of an old idea. The latest gadgets to hit the market are the quick change airbrushes. Some are pretty simple looking and some are sexy and very expensive. These units are actually just a redo of the standard single action airbrush. They are called Quick Change Airbrush Kits by a number of different companies. There is also a newer device called a Zero-G. This unit is simply a single action airbrush with a top feed and it's very expensive. The biggest issue with all of these units is they can’t do detail work and have a tendency to waste ink. The number one reason that you should avoid multi-change units or rehashed single action systems is the simple fact that you are totally dependent on a single system. You essentially have a single point of failure with your setup and this is never a good idea. If you run out of a particular color of ink you can substitute but if your single airbrush system fails and that’s all you have, you are done for the day. If you have four or five conventional airbrushes and one of them decides to stop working, you can simply set it aside and keep working. This is also a good point to remember for compressors. Always keep a spare and avoid another single point of failure. We recommend using Paasche, Iwata, or Badger airbrushes. Shop around and you can always find a better price. Using a multiple airbrush setup is also a great idea because if gives you the opportunity to improve your setup efficiency as your business grows and you’ll save money at the same time.

At ShowOffs we find that between 10-15 PSI works best.  Hybrid makeup normally comes formulated for use at that optimal level. For hotter days it's best to increase 5-8 PSI higher.