Low Budget Filmmaking Center

Would liquid latex be better to use, and, is it safe to apply liquid latex to the skin? (headcheese)

(Jeff F) says:

• Liquid latex sold in make up shops has most of the ammonia removed and is intended to be used on the skin.
• Arts & crafts stores carry mold making latex which is cheaper because it may be a lower grade of rubber with more fillers present…
• Molding latex has a problem – too much ammonia in it.
• It is intended for fast drying, not skin use, so it must be de-ammoniated.
• Pour some latex into a container and stir in about 1/3 the volume of water.
• Let it sit uncovered, the odor is caused by the ammonia evaporating. Every so often add a bit more water until the ammonia smell is nearly gone, then seal it up tightly. It will take longer to dry but not smell so much and be irritating.
• I sometimes do this with the latex sold for make up use as well.
• Latex shrinks as it dries, and the more fibrous material in it, the more it shrinks.
• Tissue paper or paper towel are often used to make wrinkled or peeling skin or to build up structures or wound edges, much like you would work with paper mache.
• Soaking a cotton ball in latex will result in a lump that takes forever and a day to dry, shrinks tremendously, and is harder than a super ball.
• The thicker the latex is, the stronger the end result will be, but the less flexible as well.
• You will have to experiment to find the balance between durability and flexibility that you want.
• Be careful about putting latex on your skin – it grabs onto fibers like cloth and hair and won’t let go!
• You have a lot of fine, hard to see hairs on the face, backs of the hands, and arms.
• Latex does not hurt when peeled off skin, but if hairs become imbedded in it, then it will be worse than tearing off a bandage.
• Think along the lines of a woman waxing her armpits or bikini lines and tearing out the hair – Yee-Ouch!
• Coat the skin lightly with petroleum jelly.
• It will make the latex bead up a bit, but will protect the hair.
• I like to spirit gum a bit of tissue over each eyebrow or coat them with derma wax before applying latex on top.
• If it drips on your clothes and you don’t flood the area immediately with water, you will have an imbedded spot of rubber that will not wash out.
• Liquid latex is fun, inexpensive, handy stuff.
• Even when you move up to more advanced, flexible false skin materials, you’ll probably still find that you buy liquid latex by the gallon.

• References from this site:
• http://www.likeastory.com/boards/cgi/noncgi/Forum19/HTML/000381.html