Body Double® silicone has found its way on to movie sets, into Broadway and Las Vegas theater effects shops and onto college (and even some high-school theater) stages to create a variety of effects.

Stan Winston Studios in Hollywood (known for doing all of the creature effects in the Star Wars, Terminator, Men In Black, Jurassic Park films and many more) adds our Silicone Thinner to Body Double® to create a thin initial layer or "print coat" before adding an additional layer.

Above: Body Double
Silicone Rubber

They also thicken Body Double® with our Thi-Vex® thickener as needed. As much as these users love Body Double®, there are many applications for which they need just one casting, and for these they still prefer to use an alginate. And they repeatedly asked for our alginate or a recommendation.

Alja-Safe® is a new addition to the Smooth-On family of "Life Casting" mold making materials. Alja-Safe® alginate is easy to use and cures quickly - good for making "temporary" molds of the face, hands and other body parts.

What Sets Alja-Safe® Apart?

In addition to being an exceptional body molding material,
Alja-Safe® alginate does not contain free crystalline silica (a known carcinogen*). Alja-Safe® also captures detail better than other alginates, giving you a more accurate reproduction of your original.

Alja-Safe® is mixed 1 part water to 1 part Alja-Safe® and,
like all alginates, is best mixed with a Squirrel® Mixer or other mechanical mixer. Working time is 7 minutes and demold time is about 10 minutes (assuming a water temperature of 80°F / 27°C). Colder water will give a longer working time, warmer water will cause the alginate to cure faster. Alja-Safe® reproduces fine detail and makes and excellent temporary mold - good for one or two reproductions of any body part. You can then cast plaster, Matrix® NEO® (polymer modified gypsum) or Smooth-Cast® 300Q fast urethane resin into the mold to make a reproduction.

* The International Agency For Research on Cancer (IARC) has rated free crystalline silica a "Group 1" carcinogen, known to cause cancer. Alja-Safe® alginate does not contain free crystalline silica.

How Does Alja-Safe® Reproduce Detail?

To get feedback, we sent samples of Alja-Safe® to a few of our life casting customers that have used alginates for years. The consensus was that Alja-Safe® performs at least as well, if not better, as any alginate on the market. More than one commented on Alja-Safe's ability to reproduce detail.

In the words of long-time life caster, Guy Louis XVI of Quebec, Canada (see our latest issue of Smooth-Talkin'): "I've tried them all, and this (Alja-Safe®) is the best alginate I've ever used for reproducing detail".