Thread: Alum or Witch Hazel?

Originally Posted by crouton976

Probably it just tightens the skin to make the hairs stand up, allowing the electric razor to cut them closer to the skin. Kinda like 'Lectric Shave does.

And this Gentleman is why we do not want to lose our knowledge of the old ways...little tidbits of info like this are easily lost....

Originally Posted by Nightblade

And this Gentleman is why we do not want to lose our knowledge of the old ways...little tidbits of info like this are easily lost....

Totally agree

Going to mirror a lot of what has already been said. Use the alum block after my third / touch up pass. Clean up the sink and my shaving gear. Then rinse off alum and do my teeth routine. Dry off and apply Witch Hazel to entire face. I have had "bad" skin since I was a teenager. The combination of using a straight, alum, and WH has made a noticable difference.

Just a note. You probably already know, but I didn't for quite some time. There is a difference between using an Alum block and a Stypic (sp?) pencil. Both contian a form of Alum and help stop weepers... however the Stypic pencil stings MUCH more.

I like my Alum block, I like my Alum block, I like my Alum block, I like my alum block. Did I say I liked my Alum block?
First time I used it was a revelation. I have sensitive skin, especially neck. Always some razor burn, even with a DE. Rub face and neck completely, waited 30 -40 seconds and used a cold washcloth followed by a choice of the minute of an after shave, cream or balm of some kind, or if going out in the hot sun a 30+ SPF sunscreen. No burn, no swearing, no looking in the mirror and thinking what a schmuck I am for putting myself through this torture, I need to go back to my full beard (what would my dermatologist say when he can't easily see where to freeze spots off?). Witch hazel, which I have used and like, just doesn't do the same for me that my Alum block does. (I keep capitalizing Alum. Must be careful, next step is all caps and that raises it the level of a deity.)

I love the joy of testing and finding out what works and doesn't work.

As I mentioned before, I use witch hazel. After reading these posts I decided to get some Shavex alum. I've been using the alum alone for 2 weeks now post my cold water rinse, but no WH. From what I see, compared to WH, the alum is easy to apply, does a slightly better job at closing minor cuts, and stings a bit more on the cut/nipped areas. I'll keep using the alum to see how long it lasts me, but I don't see any major reason for me to switch from WH to alum, or use both.