Thread: Alum, how should it be used; what is its purpose

After my first shave, I had a considerable razor burn. All I had was the styptic pencil from Tony Miller's kit. I thought the styptic and alum block were the same thing (some say the styptic is more concentrated with added stuff) and I used it all over my face like an alum block. yooooooooow!! Give me a stick to bite on. Ok, may be not that bad but I hope the alum block is a little kinder.

I've got a general question about alum blocks.

A while back I developed a skin irritation caused by my antiperspirant and picked up a "Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal" (actual product name). For a while I suspected it was just a chunk of salt, but now looking at it closely it says it's Ammonium Alum.

Most of the shaving related alum blocks say they're pure, or in one case mixed with potassium (potassium + water??).
Is there an advantage to pure alum?
Could this crystal be a viable substitute?

Yes

Mine is from here:

http://www.deodorantcrystal.com

you can tell just from the site name that they weren't thinking about shaving when they made these.

Thats great, thanks, one less thing I have to buy. I think the stick packaging is probably more convenient than the blocks, and in my case cheaper.

Originally Posted by Shur

I've got a general question about alum blocks.

A while back I [...] picked up a "Naturally Fresh Deodorant Crystal" (actual product name). For a while I suspected it was just a chunk of salt, but now looking at it closely it says it's Ammonium Alum.
[...]
Could this crystal be a viable substitute?

It's my understanding that the type of deodorant crystal you refer to is usually ammonium alum, although sometimes potassium alum is used. The alum block used for shaving is generally potassium alum.

Both types have similar effects and I believe that they could be used interchangeably.

Hmph, with all the alzheimer stuff going on, not sure I'm going to put any more aluminum near me than I have to...

Off topic, but wanted to give a few more pieces about alum/aluminium...

Aluminium is extremely inert to the human body. On the whole, our bodies do not react to aluminium. It is actually very rare to be allergic to aluminium. How do I know this? My wife is a GP here in the UK and our 5yo son happens to have an alluminium allergy.

We first discovered his allergy as a result of using sunblock, many brands contain aluminium (others contain titanium instead, lucky for my son). He came up with what looks like small red insect bites when applied to his skin. We eventually got referred to a specialist allergy hospital in London. They were very doubtful about our son having an allergy to aluminium since it is so inert to people. As confimation of this, the patch that they use to test allergies has a base made of.... aluminium! So they suggested just placing a blank patch to his skin. 48 hours later we went back, they took the patch off, and the first thing they said was "yep, a grade 2 positive reaction", i.e. an unmistakable marked reaction.

As an aside, aluminium is the stabilising agent used in most dead vaccines (e.g. BCG) as opposed to those using a live virus (like MMR). It is used because, again, it does not cause a reaction in the human body normally. (My son's arm swells up every time he gets a jab with aluminium as a stabiliser. We have tried to source alternatives, but they do not exist, such is the rarity of aluminium allergies that the medical establishment do not see a need for non-aluminium containing vaccines!)

Now, I cannot claim to know the detail about the studies of the effect of aluminium on the brain (i.e. alzheimers), but from our experience at home, aluminium seems to be a very inert substance for the human body, both externally (e.g. sunblock) and internally (stabilising agents in many vaccines).

People can avoid alum, but consider that every time you use sunblock you're likely spreading it all over your skin. Or when you get a jab from the doctor it's going into your body intramuscularly. Or when you cook with aluminium pots and pans, or take a swig from a can of drink. And probably many other daily activities!

I will be purchasing an alum block myself, but will be keeping it under lock and key, along with my blade, just in case my son decides to copy dad and start rubbing it all over!

A little info regarding alum blocks and Aluminum. This is stolen from the site I buy my blocks from:

No
Aluminum
Chlorhydrate

Crystalux®

100% Pure & Natural.
Aluminum Free Deodorant.
No Chemical Additives.
Dermatologist Recommended.
Guaranteed Results.
Diverse Product Selection.
Cruelty Free Products.

Thanks for all the information. Also, I'm trying out my signature!