
Liquid latex body paint is used by artists to make artificial skin or to adorn their body with colored art. Due to liquid latex, fictional characters come alive. However, before lathering yourself completely in colorful paint read the following tips for applying liquid latex.
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Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs painted their bodies to declare their social status. Paint colors were made from substances such as gold, silver and copper.
Many artists use liquid latex to paint their models. This type of art gives people an illusion that the model is wearing clothes, but the model is actually covered with body paint. It is often used for body painting applications or to give your make-up some special effect. It is mostly used in creative field or preferably by people who dress up for Halloween nights.
Liquid latex is sort of a rubber that is initially in liquid form, it takes around 5-10 minutes maximum to dry when applied directly on the body. With liquid latex, it is fun to create rubber clothes, masks, and costumes plus you don’t need to worry about size. It is made up of 1/3rd latex , 2/3rd water, and less than 1% ammonia to control its pH level, and to prevent the latex from spoiling. Although latex is non-toxic, still many people are allergic to it.
Latex is a natural product secreted from rubber trees. In its natural form, it is white in color.
Producers use certain pigmentations to provide a wide variety of colored latex paint. Additionally, one can mix acrylic paints to the liquid latex solution, but it’s not advisable to use it for cosmetic purposes.
It is available in many stores that sell costumes and art supplies. It is widely used to make fake scars and wounds mixed up with tissue papers and cotton. If you are planning to dress up as a zombie, a wicked witch, an old woman, or a vampire for your costume party, then you can intensify your costume by using liquid latex. If you want wrinkles, scaly skin, gashes, or even prosthetic pieces to stand out in your party, then liquid latex is the solution. However, before buying any body paint make sure to confirm that the paint has ingredients approved by the FDA. Applying this is fairly easy, but to ensure easy and smooth application, learn how to apply liquid latex body paint in the upcoming sections.
Tips For Using Liquid Latex
► To start off cover the entire area, where you will be working with a plastic sheet, because we don’t want the paint to drip on the floor or on the table to make it messy. Assemble all your tools which you will be requiring, also keep in mind that liquid latex dries off very quickly so your brushes will have to be discarded.
► Shave the area of your body where you will be putting the paint. This is necessary because when the paint dries off, it will be very painful to peel the paint off your body due to body hair. Applying liquid latex over your hair is a very bad idea, not to forget the hours spent on its removal from your scalp hair.
► Take you daily moisturizer and apply it on the shaved area. Moisturizing will help you later during the removal process. Due to this cream, latex will come off easily. You can even apply liquid latex body prep as an alternative to your body lotion.
► Shake the bottle of latex paint thoroughly. Latex paint has small amount of ammonia in it. So before applying it, make sure to leave it open for a while. Doing this will ensure that the strong ammonia smell disappears.
► Make sure the room or space where you will be painting yourself is warm. Since latex paint is slightly on the colder side, on its application you may feel cold.
► Not many people are allergic to latex, but still a patch test is advised. Dab a tiny amount of liquid latex on your skin to check for any allergies. Let it sit for an hour, check for any redness, itching, or swelling. If no allergy is detected, you can safely use the product.
► Start off by putting a thin layer of latex paint on the shaved area. Keep in mind to cover smaller sections at a time, so that you don’t leave any spaces in between. After the first coat let it dry for a while, until it is not wet to touch. You can even use a hair dryer on low to speed up the drying process.
► If you wish to go for a second coat, use a brush and apply on the first coat. Again, let it sit for sometime. If you wish to have a thick fake skin then continue coating your skin with paint.
► To create a metallic effect sprinkle some sparkle dust on the dried latex. Alternatively you can apply make-up, costumes, or even fake blood on top of your design.
► Is it safe to use latex during pregnancy? There are no answers to this question yet but doctors advice to stay away from chemicals even if they are non-toxic. After all, prevention is better than cure.
Precautionary Measures
► It should not be applied over the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
► It is used for external use and refrain from applying it on inflamed, patchy, acne-prone, and damaged skin.
► Don’t let kids handle this product without your supervision. Don’t let kids under the age of 10 use this product.
► It can be absorbed easily by carpets, curtains, and, any fabric. It is almost impossible to get rid of it so cover your furniture with newspapers or any cloth.
Liquid Latex Removal
► Start off by rinsing your hand under warm water. You can either use a soap or a body wash, both works well. Lather your hand or the painted area with good amount of soap.
► Massage the area thoroughly with a scrubber or your hands. This will help peel off latex from your skin smoothly.
► Start pulling latex away from your skin, but do it gently without damaging your skin. Keep a warm cloth handy to soothe your skin while peeling it off.
► The thing about latex is, the longer it stays on your skin, the more easily it comes off. This is because the oil and perspiration on your body will loosen the latex.
► To remove latex from your hair, you can simply dab some baby oil or olive oil near your hairline, eyebrows, or your hair. Massage the spot gently. Hop in warm shower to get rid of the smaller pieces stuck in your hair or body.
► Try combing your hair as this will help the latex to slide off your strands.
Beginners can try their hand in using liquid latex because it is very easy to apply and remove. The removal process is much like removing any other body paint. Though it has a rubbery texture, it is an easy-to-breathe-in paint. It can used on the entire body because skin can’t absorb the paint. Investing in a good quality latex paint will not clog your pores, will be easy to remove, and won’t stain your clothes.