Latex impression mats

[Vicki C]

Hi all, I have been having fun with silicone impression mats lately. In the ceramics world there are vendors of latex impression mats, rather than the fondant and resin mats I have been using. I use nitrile gloves which are rubber - is there a reason to not use latex impression mats? They won’t react with soap batter, will they?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Latex rubber is not unlimited oil-safe (cf. the warnings on latex condoms ), but it probably depends on contact times if it really makes a difference. If it's rolled onto a soft loaf just after unmoulding, or soap dough, I'd say it's fine. But CP/CPOP? Idk, not so sure.

When you have store-bought impression mats, this is probably irrelevant for you: the one thing that annoyed me when playing around with latex, was the shrinkage. The negative is some 10–20% smaller than the original. Thick-walled latex rubber appears to have some internal tensions for this reason. And it also appeared that the latex undergoes some swelling when in contact with water, but then it might just be that I hadn't let it dry up long enough. Commercial industrial latex might be more well-behaved than DIY hobbyist qualities, cured under DIY hobbyist conditions.

You know there is a way to find out.

 

[earlene]

Of course I wouldn't use latex mats myself because of my sensitivity to latex, but I would be concerned of the potential for latex deterioration leading to latex adhering to the product you are making. Latex allergies are certainly a problem for those who have them, and I would not want to come into contact with latex on my soap.

Latex rubber does deteriorate over time from light, ozone, heat. So if you sell, these may not be the best investment because latex allergies are more and more prevalent in the population, especially among healthcare workers and rubber industry workers.

If you choose to use them, I would strongly advise you to put a warning label to the effect of, "Caution: this soap has come in contact with latex".

 

[Vicki C]

I think I’ll give it a pass - thanks for your input!