Bloc Osma - how do you use it?

I've just got myself a block of that Potassium Alum stuff. Its ace for stopping all of those little bleeds. The problem is, after I use it dries on my face like a white powder. If I then use my aftershave (I use the nivea stuff) it pushes the white powder into white lines all over my face. So how do you use the Alum?

Here the steps I take:

1) have a shave :gth
2) rinse my face with cold water

3) rub the alum all over (its amazing how many little nicks you dont notice)

4) let it dry naturally (no towel)

4) put my nivea balm on.

After the balm completley dries I'm left with the white powder all overy my face. HELP!!!!

If its like the styptic pencil, I only use it when I cut myself! In fact, it's been so long since I cut myself where it doesn't stop bleeding immediately that I don't think I even know where the styptic is!?

This is an alum powder your using? Most of us use alum in a stick or block form sorry cant help more.

I use it to stop bleeding but not all over my face. I use it most to improve my grip for stretching by rubbing my wet fingers on it before I stretch.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/after...lum-block.html

I recently bought an alum bloc like that... a portuguese brand: 444. Very good.
After I shave I rinse my face with cold water, pat dry most of the water and then wet the alum bloc and rub it on my face. Then... I cry! :cry: When the blades get a bit dull I tend to irritate a lot and the alum bloc stings a bit; when I do a less than perfect two pass shave it also stings. But the face gets desinfected, it prevents irritation and makes you feel like a real man! :p

Hope this helps.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by trebor

I've just got myself a block of that Potassium Alum stuff. Its ace for stopping all of those little bleeds. The problem is, after I use it dries on my face like a white powder. If I then use my aftershave (I use the nivea stuff) it pushes the white powder into white lines all over my face. So how do you use the Alum?

Here the steps I take:

1) have a shave :gth
2) rinse my face with cold water

3) rub the alum all over (its amazing how many little nicks you dont notice)

4) let it dry naturally (no towel)

4) put my nivea balm on.

After the balm completley dries I'm left with the white powder all overy my face. HELP!!!!

---

The only difference in my procedure is that I dry my face and then wet the block as needed to glide it all over my face, yet I don't get any powder. I've never used that brand of balm though.

There are two types of alum block. Potassium and Ammonium. The potassium is what we usually use on our face. The usual Styptic pencil contains other ingredients to specifically stop bleeding which the block does not contain. I usually use the block by rubbing it all over my face after shaving after the cold water rinse and then add a lot of witchazel afterwards. The block acts as a skin toner but once on it quickly does its job and once dry just leaves a film on your skin you don't need.

Thanks Guys

Its a block I'm using. After the cold water rinse I wet the block and rub it allover.

I'll think I'll give the following a try:

1) wash off the alum with cold water before I but the aftershave balm on
2) pat my face dry straight after the alum
3) try the portuguese brand: 444 reccomended by fpessanha

BTW thebigspendur, you say "once dry just leaves a film on your skin you don't need." How do you get rid of the film? Do you wash it or just brush it off? I've tried gently brushing but it feels like rubbing my face with sand.

That's the same one I have. I rinse with warm and then cold water, then wet the block with cold water and give a quick glide around my face/neck. Then I dry the block with tissue, put it back in it's box and rinse face again with cold water and pat dry. This final rinse will wash off any residue and eliminate the powder. Once you rub the bloc on your face, the bloc has done its job---you don't need to leave the residue on. In my understanding, whatever pores/nicks it closes, it does pretty much instantly.

Having said all that though, I don't use it that much anymore since I don't see any real benefit. If I have a decent nick, the bloc doesn't seem to stop it like a styptic pencil will anyway. Weather it "closes pores" or "tightens skin" I can't really say I've noticed. So I've been skipping it altogether and don't miss it at all.

What I HAVE been doing is using plain old drugstore witchhazel followed by Musgo Real Classic. This seems to work great----I think the plain witchhazel probably is more concentrated than what they put in the "witchhazel mixtures" like Thayers. IMHO doesn't smell as "girly" either, even though the slight scent is quickly covered up by that wonderful Musgo!

End of speech, thank you all for reading!

Number 1) worked!

I rinsed my face with cold water after the alum step, patted dry and then applied the balm.

My skin did feel tightned and all of the little nicks stopped bleeding but this was much more comfortable and there was now white powdery film.

I think I prefer the alum to styptic. The balm seems to open the nicks back up when I use the stuptic but with the alum they stay closed.

Thanks again guys.