Thread: Use of alum block

New to straight razor shaving, on about my 15th shave. Have read up on it, watched several tutorials and having a lot of fun with this. Question; should the alum block be used routinely after every shave, or only when dealing with minor cuts and nicks? Also, if it is used, should you wash it off before using any after shave balm (on the assumption that the alum will block the absorption of the balm)? Any feedback would be most appreciated! Thanks! 767Driver

Hey 767Driver,

Tell you what I do; I use my alum block on the tough spots where I know weepers might occur. But sometimes I use it on all my shaven face; the alum block in my fingertips gives a nice feedback on the whiskers I have missed.
In my routine, after the shave, I apply alum block after the hot towel. Then, after the alum block, I use the cold towel. Btw, don’t smear the alum residue onto your lips, it stings a bit. With the cold towel, the alum treated rough skin smoothens down a bit before I apply aftershave or balm.
If I have a real weeper or cut, merely softly touching once doesn’t do the trick, I rub the block hard on that spot. It really help stop the bleeding.

In the end; preparation is everything! Don’t forego the pre-shave hot towel. But shower, lather, hot towel, lather again, then shave. Use good aftershave balm. Baum.be is my current champion, it is magical.

Happy shavings!

paulj, That is excellent feedback! Will employee your technique next shave! Thanks! 767Driver

Hey 767Driver,

Different people have different technique and opinions regarding the Alum block and wether to use it daily or not. One thing that is definite is that it serves as both an astringent and a mild antibacterial agent, decreasing both bleeding and infections. When I began straight-shaving I used it daily, as it provides excellent feedback regarding technique - any areas you applied too much pressure to will sting for a couple of seconds, even if there wasn't any redness or nicks visible. You can use this feedback to improve your next shave, and a BBS shave without any stinging from the alum block makes you feel incredible. However, the alum block can also leave your face feeling a little too tight and dry, requiring the use of an aftershave with moisturizing properties. An excellent alternative is witch hazel, especially the formulations with aloe in them. It serves the same purpose, having the same astringent & antibacterial qualities, but is milder and with the aloe already mixed in, hydrates your skin so that you don't actually need to use an aftershave at all if you don't want to. It doesn't give nearly the same feedback as the alum block though, so for a beginner I encourage use of the alum block until you've perfected your technique.

I now use alum after every shave. When finished a shave I rinse the lather off with the same cold water I shaved with, apply alum all over and let sit. Rinse my brush, then rinse off all the alum with fresh cold water, towel dry my face and put on aftershave. Anyone who uses alum has their own routine. The big points are not to let it sit too long and to thoroughly rinse it all off.

Bob

I use alum every shave now. My skin will get dry either way, so balm is a necessity. I leave it on, let it dry and balm on top. It seems to help my skin with pimples and such.

BobH, Good info! Thanks!

71L, That is great info! Thanks so much!

When I'm done with my shave I warm water rinse to get rid of the lather then straight to a cold water rinse. I apply the alum to my whole face. I let it sit for about a minute, about as long as takes to rinse my brush. I rinse with cold water again to wash off the alum then dry and apply the aftershave. It makes a great end to a great shave in my opinion.

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Thanks Phil129!