Ben Nye Dark Blood Aged & Oxidized, 29 ml

Ben Nye Dark Blood Aged & Oxidized, 29 ml

Ben Nye Dark Blood Aged & Oxidized is a liquid theatre blood by Ben Nye Makeup, formulated as dark, oxidised blood for older wounds, dead characters and post-trauma effects. The colour is a deep, brownish red: the look of blood that has been outside the body for a while. Like Stage Blood, it is safe in and around the mouth, with a fresh peppermint flavour. The 29 ml bottle is the starter size, ideal for kits, character work and individual scenes.

• Dark brownish red, oxidised: colour of older, already-present blood
• Fresh peppermint flavour, safe for use in and around the mouth
• Stays liquid for extended working time (does not dry out)
• Based on hydrolysed corn starch, paraben-free
• Washes off skin with warm water and soap; test on fabric first

What is Ben Nye Dark Blood?

Dark Blood is a classic from the theatre circuit, developed by Ben Nye Makeup in Los Angeles. The formula is based on hydrolysed corn starch with water, propylene glycol and peppermint flavouring. This means the blood drips and flows naturally and stays liquid throughout the entire scene.

The flavour and composition are designed for use in and around the mouth. For corpse effects, running wounds or scenes where blood sits at the corner of the mouth, this is the blood that actors and make-up artists can use without an unpleasant taste.

Why do pros choose Dark Blood?

The colour is deliberately matched to older, oxidised blood. The dark brownish-red tint reads on camera and under stage lighting as blood that has been there a while, without any colour correction needed in post.

Because the blood stays liquid, its behaviour is predictable: drops run, pools stay wet, smears spread the way real old blood does. Choose Dark Blood when you need that distinct, oxidised tint that Stage Blood does not provide.

How to use Ben Nye Dark Blood

Apply Dark Blood directly from the bottle or pour into a small palette dish. Three commonly used techniques:

• Dabbing technique: dab with a brush or tilt the bottle so gravity does the work for realistic drip behaviour on wounds or skin.
• Spatters: use a Ben Nye Full Splatter Brush or the smaller Mini Splatter Brush for targeted blood spatters on skin, clothing or set.
• In the mouth: take a small amount or dose via a capsule. Do not swallow, but the mint flavour is comfortable to hold briefly for mouth-bleeding or corpse effects.

Build effects up in thin layers: a first layer of blood, then go back in to targeted spots with a second layer for more depth. Combine with Ben Nye Thick Blood for thicker, congealing passages or with Ben Nye Fresh Scab for blood crusts and older wound edges.

Pro tip: build Dark Blood up in thin layers for oxidised wound edges: a first base coat, then go back in where the wound needs to look older or deeper. Combine with Fresh Scab at the wound edge for crust formation and extra realism.

Setting and removal

Dark Blood stays liquid. Setting is neither needed nor appropriate. For removal, work in stages:

• Skin: warm water with mild soap, patting it out. For stubborn residue use a Wonder Towel; finish with a good skin soap. On fair skin a faint red shadow may remain and will fade within a few hours.
• Clothing and fabric: rinse immediately with cold water. Then wash at 30 degrees Celsius with a stain remover. Test on a hidden area first. Ben Nye states that the blood washes out of most fabrics, but gives no 100 per cent guarantee.
• Set and props: warm water and soap is sufficient in most cases; for porous materials, test first.

What can you use it for?

• Theatre and stage productions with live blood effects
• Halloween looks and horror themes (old wounds, oxidised blood, corpse effects)
• Haunted houses, scare mazes and horror events
• Cosplay and character work with oxidised or running blood
• Post-mortem looks, dead characters and older slash wounds
• SFX training and make-up schools, where Dark Blood is a standard teaching material

Contents

1 bottle of Ben Nye Dark Blood Aged & Oxidized, 29 ml, with pouring spout. Dark brownish red, oxidised, peppermint flavour.

Ingredients: Hydrolyzed Corn Starch, Aqua (Water), Propylene Glycol, Aroma (Flavour), Phenoxyethanol, +/-: CI 16035, CI 42090. Not tested on animals.

Other sizes and variants

Dark Blood is also available in this size (29 ml), 236 ml for longer productions and 946 ml as a bulk bottle for SFX schools and theatre productions.

For bright, arterial fresh blood choose Ben Nye Stage Blood Original Zesty Mint 29 ml. For thicker, congealing blood effects see Ben Nye Thick Blood. The full range of dark red fake blood is in the dark red fake blood category.

Compliant with EU Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009. Product photos are taken under professional lighting. Colours may differ slightly depending on your screen settings.