You'll never guess what I found @ Indian grocer

There's a large Indian grocery a couple blocks away from my GF's place. I like to go there for my produce & things like Lentils. The other day, the GF & I were poking around the areas of the store we've never examined & made a couple extraordinary finds.

First, they sell alum blocks for $1 (this is not a typo). As far as I can tell, it's the same exact alum shave vendors sell for $15.

Next, I wanted to try an aftershave balm recipe I read about: 6 parts aloe vera gel, 1 part witch hazel. Guess what the Indian grocery had? Giant Aloe leaves, over 2 feet long & 3 inches wide at the base, for $2 each. (Side note: I'm very pleased with the balm, though it should be noted that the aloe meat must be pureed in a blender, and the concoction must be stored in the refrigerator, and it must be applied liberally).

So if there's an Indian grocery in your neck of the woods, I recommend calling them & asking if they carry alum and aloe vera.

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Originally Posted by Johnny J

There's a large Indian grocery a couple blocks away
....
First, they sell alum blocks for $1 (this is not a typo). As far as I can tell, it's the same exact alum shave vendors sell for $15.
.....
I recommend calling them & asking if they carry alum and aloe vera.

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There are two types of alum if I recall.
Potassium and Ammonium alum.
One is better than the other for shaving use.

Well four:

• 6 Types of alum
• 6.1 Potash alum
• 6.2 Soda alum
• 6.3 Ammonium alum
• 6.4 Chrome alum

Alum - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For a buck I would buy one just to try it.
Good find.

Out here in the West, aloe plants grow all over the place (or the can)...heck, I rented a place once that had a bunch of plant out front of the apartment.:) We used to go out and whack off a leaf and directly apply the juice as required. Only thing about aloe directly from the plant is that it is reeeaallly slimey, like wiping yourself with snot.

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Originally Posted by niftyshaving

There are two types of alum if I recall.
Potassium and Ammonium alum.
One is better than the other for shaving use.

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Label says "shaving alum," dunno if that means anything. I used it & I can't tell the difference between that & the $15 stuff.

@Red, yes it's exactly like snot! Once it's pureed & mixed w/the witch hazel it becomes much more liquid.

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Originally Posted by red96ta

We used to go out and whack off a leaf and directly apply the juice as required. Only thing about aloe directly from the plant is that it is reeeaallly slimey, like wiping yourself with snot.

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Its actually better that way. I had a bunch growing around. Would take a knife cut off a piece and slice it. Just rub it in for a second and it dries like water though a little gooey at first.

Way better than any aloe cream/balm/lotion. It just feels like water and instantly has effects. Nothing better for a sunburn.

You should also keep an eye out for creams and such--Indian creams have good reputations, esp. Godrej and old Spice, and they are cheap to boot.