Care and Feeding of Your Latex Mask

You've saved up and finally gotten that horrifically beautiful latex mask you've been eying for ages.

You've worn your scary Halloween mask to a costume party and now you want to store it till your next use. How can you best store this baby to keep it looking just as gory the next time you want to use it?

No worries, that's why I'm here today.

My tips will work for any prosthetic or appliance that is made from latex as well.

First you must understand that latex is very sensitive to lots of different chemical reactions.

Damage to latex includes loss of elasticity, crumbling, peeling, cracking, it may even get squishy or the paint may peel.

So after you've worn your mask be sure to clean it with soap and water. The oils in your skin can do extensive damage if you store the mask without proper cleaning and drying.

Next, you'll want to have a styrofoam head. Often these are used as wig or hat stands. Latex will retain any creases if it is stored flat or under a heavy object. So place your mask on the dummy head. If your latex mask or appliance won't be supported in this manner, you'll want to create something, stuff with plastic shopping bags or tissue paper. Flat appliances you can skip this step.

Next we want to protect from airborne pollutants. If your mask came in a bag you can place it back in the bag. If it did not come in one, you can use plastic wrap, zip top baggies, or even dry cleaning bags.

If your mask came in a box, use it! If it did not get a box for it. This will help again with preventing crushing from storing items on top of your mask.

Also storing in a cool, dry dark place is very beneficial.

Latex is sensitive to temperature changes and sunlight, so the right home is important.