Alginate is the ideal material when it comes to making body molds to serve as the base for life casts. It is entirely safe for the skin and for still enhanced safety, silica free versions are also available.
People love life casts, and why wouldn’t they? Getting an exact three-dimensional representation of oneself will surely give an unparalleled satisfaction. The final life cast – when made by an expert artist – definitely makes for a memorable keepsake.
However, the process of actually capturing the impression of the face or other body part can seem quite cumbersome at first. It begins with the dilemma over what will be used to make the body mold? Many more questions arise – will it suit the skin, can there be any reactions, how will it feel when applied on the skin, will there be any problems and so on?
Well, alginates are entirely skin-safe and are regularly used for making body molds as they capture excellent details right down to the pores and fingerprints. In fact, even though skin-safe versions of silicone have been developed now, alginate is still considered the Holy Grail of life casting!
This is a substance derived from naturally-occurring brown seaweed, specifically dried kelp. It was first used for making dental impressions in dentistry. It also finds usage in the medical field for dressings and wound care apart from working as a food supplement in the food industry.
The same organic material when applied on the skin captures an excellent impression, making for a perfect mold. While it does not harm the skin in any manner in general, life casting artists still prefer to do a small patch test to rule out the minute possibility of an allergic reaction.
What’s more, alginate is both environment-friendly and user-friendly. It is easy to use and gives excellent results. Being a natural product it does not harm the environment either.
How is the experience?
Alginate used for body molds is distinguished by slower setting times compared to dental formulae. It is available as a white powder which is mixed with water to form a gel like substance.
The gooey mix is gently applied on the skin in a thick layer. Prior to this, a release agent – like petroleum jelly – will be applied to ensure that the mold comes off easily without snagging even in the fine body hair.
Alginate molds set pretty quickly. In fact, this impression material is specially formulated with varying set times – extended time limits are handy for using on larger body parts while faster set variations are used for the hands and feet of babies. Fiber-infused options are also available that lend a firmer set to the body mold.
However, regular alginate does contain silica which is a known carcinogen. This is why some leading brands have specially formulated silica free versions like MoldGel SILFREE that mixes easily into a smooth, creamy consistency and provides first-rate forensic details. In fact, this MoldGel Alginate SILFREE is available in regular, slow and fast set options to suit different types of applications.