Lets's talk about Alum

miner

Member
Joined
Aug 17, 2019
Location
Perth Oz
I recently purchased a very fine soap from begins with V ends with D
The soap was amazing but V ends with D sent me a block of alum.

Had a shave this morning and tried the alum roll on

Put it under the tap and rubbed it on my face. I had no instructions so I'm winging it but, face felt good, do I apply after shave ?...

So now I would like to get the Forum consensus,...

How do you use Alum ?
 
I have an alum stick, like a deodorant stick, that I bought in a pharmacy in Cebu about 2½years ago. I have only used it to help close up minor wounds.

A while ago I decided to put my alum stick into long-term storage as I hadn't needed it for many months. With my very next shave, I nicked myself and had to retrieve my alum.

My lesson was learnt. To this day I always keep that alum stick handy although I can't remember the last time I used it.

The best alum to get is the cheapest. You should be able to pick it up for under AUD 70 per kg. A 100g piece should last you a lifetime if you don't break it. After all, it's just a potassium aluminium double salfate. Commonly used in Asian cooking.
 
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I use my alum block after every shave as it's not just for nicks. The antiseptic properties help calm the skin which although it doesn't feel like it, can get quite distressed from the act of shaving.

You can leave it on your face after applying but I prefer to rinse it off after a couple of minutes (I leave it on while I rinse my shaving bowl and brush) then applying either a balm or splash.

As rbscebu said, a 100g block will last you years if you let it dry after use and don't drop it on the bathroom floor.
 
I use my alum block after every shave as it's not just for nicks. The antiseptic properties help calm the skin which although it doesn't feel like it, can get quite distressed from the act of shaving.

You can leave it on your face after applying but I prefer to rinse it off after a couple of minutes (I leave it on while I rinse my shaving bowl and brush) then applying either a balm or splash.

As rbscebu said, a 100g block will last you years if you let it dry after use and don't drop it on the bathroom floor.

This is how I use it as well.

I bought my current block from Chemist Warehouse:

https://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/buy/85190/Dermal-Therapy-Crystal-Deodorant-Stick-120g
 
$2.50 at the local Indian food supermarket for a little Alum block ($2.95 for the big block). After shaving and on wet skin, rub the wet block on the freshly shaved areas of face and neck. Watch the little blood spots go away. For "bleeders" I use a styptic pencil. Seems more effective than the Alum block.
Rinse off after a while, a white powdery type residue will form when it dries, and you don't want to leave the house looking like that.:mask:

And don't get either of these in your mouth :vomit::vomit::vomit:

Balm and after shave after that and you're good to go.:cool:
 
Like wise I've received the odd Alum block from sellers over the years and tried a roll on which was a pain to use as it eventually fell out of its container.

I find I only ever use it when I get a nick or weeper that needs attention but those times are rare so it sits in a draw gathering dust.

I tend to leave it on for under a minute and quick rinse then apply my favourite post shave splash, balm or lotion otherwise it doesn't work well at sealing the cut.
 
And don't get either of these in your mouth :vomit::vomit::vomit:
PaK5BDY.gif
 
I use alum every day; rinsing off after I’ve cleaned up my shaving gear. Living in the tropics makes me wary of minor infections, and I’ve noticed a major improvement in my 73 year old skin tone as well. I gave a block to a teenager with serious acne, and it’s cleared that up quite quickly.

The alum crystals from Windrose work best for me. They look pretty, and are very smooth with no scratchy feeling. The reconstituted alum blocks from Razorock, Dr Jon, Osma, etc seem to become friable and scratchy after a while.

I haven’t tried it but it’s relatively easy to grow alum crystals using the powder found in some supermarkets.

 
I use my alum block after every shave as it's not just for nicks. The antiseptic properties help calm the skin which although it doesn't feel like it, can get quite distressed from the act of shaving.

You can leave it on your face after applying but I prefer to rinse it off after a couple of minutes (I leave it on while I rinse my shaving bowl and brush) then applying either a balm or splash.
+1
 
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