Molecular Gastronomy Courtesy of Sodium Alginate

Alginate is a natural and skin-safe mold making material that can be easily used to capture detailed molds from the live human body. However, the use of alginate is not restricted to life casting alone.


EnvironMolds offers a food grade sodium alginate that is actually a popular food additive. It does not have a discernible flavor and is entirely safe as well. The powder is regularly used to thicken and emulsify sauces, syrups, jams, salads and pie fillings. It also serves to stabilize yoghurt, ice cream, cheese and other products. It can even bind meat, improve the texture of noodles and give the desired crumb texture in baked goods.
alginate used in foods
 Apart from this, sodium alginate displays some unique properties that enable chefs to display some extraordinary modernist feats in the kitchen.
For instance, sodium alginate and calcium salts can be used to shape a liquid into spheres. The gelling can make both small and large spheres. All of them will contain liquid that literally bursts in the mouth. The taste will not be altered either.
This spherification procedure can even be reversed to produce thicker spheres that can last longer. In fact, sodium alginate can be used to make gastronomic spheres from literally any edible liquid.

You can find varied kinds of alginate, including the food grade ones on www.artmolds.com. If you are interesting in replicating living figures, the website even offers instructional books, videos and live workshops on how to make molds for body casting.

Buy Water Glass Online



Water Glass is the common name for a compound called Sodium Metasilicate. Available in Aqueous solutions, it is widely regarded as a material used in cement making, automobile and textile industry and in many more industries. EnvironMolds offers superb quality water glass fit for its relevant usage. For more information, visit our website.  

Polyester Resin – Cheap But Hazardous


I have been experimenting with resin molds and casts for some time. While I have tried a few epoxy resins, most of my work has been limited to polyurethane resin casts (materials sourced from https://www.artmolds.com/).

Polyurethane resin is easy to use and the casts turn out durable. But the cost factor made me consider switching to polyester resin for my casts. 

And truth is that polyester resin does have a lot going for it as a casting material. It is cheap, flexible and comes in a variety of colors. The casts turn out non-porous, tough and are resistant to heat, fire and chemicals as well. And to top it, it is very easy to work with and cures quickly. 

I was ready to put up with certain issues like rapid shrinking, reinforcing with fiberglass and inherent brittleness. And I was sure that I can safely combat the strong fumes by using a respirator and exhaust fan.

But I was quite surprised that my main supplier, EnvironMolds did not carry any form of polyester resins at all. I perused the entire website and my curiosity finally drove me to inquire directly from the company.

And boy, I drew one long, shaky breath when I realized that polyester resin may be cheap, but is also quite dangerous to work with. The fumes are toxic and gloves and goggles will not provide adequate protection at all. And respirators manage limited functionality as the odorless gases linger in the air for long periods. 

I immediately decided to stick to the safer polyurethane resins itself. It may be expensive, but EnvironMolds ensures that I get the best prices always. Apart from the materials and supplies, I also order name plates engraved for my casts on the same website.

The Challenges of Life Casting


Life casting is a beautiful art of creating a spitting replica of the living human body in three dimensional form. Molding and casting techniques are used to capture the shape of the body and reproduce its likeness.

However, the challenges in making a body mold are definitely much higher than when making molds of inanimate objects. The fact that the model is alive and breathing will complicate matters a lot. Some of the inherent risks are:

  • The model’s health and safety is a prime concern. The mold making material should be safe for the skin and completely non-toxic. You have to check for allergic reactions as well. This is why organic alginate derived from natural seaweed is mostly preferred for life casting. Yet, patch tests are always advisable.

  • Generally, you can apply a hot mold making material on an inanimate object. You don’t even have to worry about the material heating as it cures. This obviously is a big no-no in life casting. Plaster is generally not applied directly on the human body as the heat produced can be uncomfortable for the model and can even cause burns on sensitive skin. Plaster bandages are only used to reinforce the alginate mold or to make form molds such as from the abdomen.

  • The pose in which the model will be cast has to be carefully planned, discussed and practiced to avoid distress or injuries later. The mold making has to be completed in a short span of time as the model may not be able to hold the pose or even lie still for long. Some models become anxious when enclosed in a mold or may even end up fainting. Therefore, all materials and other preparations have to be done beforehand to avoid wasting time during the mold making. Having an assistant at hand is quite helpful.

  • The artist also has to be particularly careful when applying the mold making material. It should be applied gently like a soft massage, but without taking too much time over it. And you obviously don’t want to end up covering the model’s nose in any manner. In fact, keeping the nostrils open and clear is a major concern during life casting. The mold making material should not even go into the eyes due to improper application.

  • Think you can breathe a sigh of relief once the mold making material has been applied? Well, think again as you still have to demold the body mold from the model’s body. This brings the possibility of fine body hair getting snagged in the mold and causing discomfort to the model. The mold will not come away easily either. Consider the possibility beforehand and coat the body part with a liberal dose of release agent or petroleum jelly. And the model will thank you infinitely if you cover the head with a bald cap or even a shower cap!

Happy mold making and life casting!

What to Wear for a Life Cast?

Photographs, even candid ones, are so passé…..Getting a three-dimensional replica of yourself is what makes things truly exhilarating. Indeed, the realism and detail of a life cast beats all other mediums hollow!

You can actually get a life cast of anything from your face, hand, torso, breasts or pregnant belly to the whole body in all its glory. And the process of getting a life cast made is equally exciting for sure.

However, it calls for a certain level of care and caution as well. Things can get quite messy when posing for a life cast despite the artist using plastic, towels, drop cloths and more. Spills are almost unavoidable. And you don’t want to get the petroleum jelly on your good clothes either.

Therefore, as the mold is taken directly from the body, people are always advised to wear old and washable clothes. Choose something that you wouldn’t mind getting ruined. The clothes should be comfortable as well.
 Moreover, if the body part that is being cast is usually covered, you should also avoid wearing anything tight-fitting over those areas even a few hours before getting the life cast. This is because the body mold is generally made on bare skin and even the slightest indentations can show up clearly in the alginate mold as well as the final cast. Think ring, watch, underwear, socks, waistband, belt and you will get the picture. For face casts, avoid wearing any makeup as well.

All life casting materials and supplies can be easily sourced from Artmolds.com.