by Kenny Myers
The information contained within the context of this article is presented in good faith. The responsibility for the use of any material in special makeup effects rests solely with the user. The author assumes no responsibility for the use, or misuse, of any material, technique, or informational content discussed within this article.
Gelatin is a colorless protein formed by boiling the skin, bones, and connective tissue of animals. It is used in food, pharmaceutical, photographic, ballistics, and cosmetic manufacturing. The end result is a protein derived by rendering the remnants of the animal down to a powder that is composed of about 84 to 90 percent protein, 8 to 15 percent water, and 1 to 2 percent mineral salts, free of additives and preservatives. It also contains about 18 different amino acids joined together in a chain.
In the film and television makeup industries, gelatin appliances are an alternative to foam latex in that gelatin is a moldable, flexible, and translucent material that simulates human flesh in a more natural way than latex. Gelatin for prosthetic appliances has a much higher
Bloom, or stiffness, (around 275-300) than the gelatin used for food consumption (around 200-250).
When you purchase gelatin from a supplier for appliance construction, you shouldn’t have to concern yourself with the Bloom. Though it is useful to know that gelatin’s “Bloom,” is the relative strength or rigidity of that brand or grade of gelatin, as well as its water-binding capacity. The higher the Bloom number, the denser it will be. Gelatin is hydroscopic, which is a fancy way of saying it likes and absorbs water, swelling to many times its weight of dry gelatin as you mix in liquids, turning the dry gelatin into a slurry. The higher the Bloom, the higher the price as well. The Bloom scale was created by Oscar T. Bloom. He must have played with an awful lot of gelatin in his time!