Today's life casting alginates evolved from dental formulations known as dental impression material. In fact, the alginate definition is referred to as impression material in dentistry. However, alginates are also widely used in the medical field for dressings and wound care and also in the food industry as a food supplement.
Alginate used in life casting and mold making is distinguished by slower setting times as compared to dental formulas. Most formulations consist of raw materials, known as sodium alginate or potassium alginate, which are refined from seaweed, specifically giant kelp. These materials are then combined with other ingredients to make a gel-like substance when mixed with water.
Because alginate-based impression material was originally designed to take molds inside the mold, its ingredients are hypoallergenic and completely skin-safe . . . the perfect material for taking molds of
