Thread: Do you use an alum block after shaving?

You know, I like macho burning too, but here's the problem. Alcohol or citrus aftershave burn for a bit and then the burning goes away. If I use alum in the morning (like I did today), my face is liable to feel stingy and scratchy ALL day.

Originally Posted by russellnyc

You know, I like macho burning too, but here's the problem. Alcohol or citrus aftershave burn for a bit and then the burning goes away. If I use alum in the morning (like I did today), my face is liable to feel stingy and scratchy ALL day.

Fantastic! then you will feel macho all day long!

So which one of the Village People are you 'Macho Macho Man'?

Rex

$12 for an alum block? my goodness. I bought mine at the local pharmacy for $2 I think. I have one but only use it when I really CUT myself. The other day I had a good bleeder that wouldn't stop untill I put the block on it. But that hardly ever happends anymore.

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

After the alum, I give my face another quick splash then apply Coral Skin Food.

YMMV, but it works for me and I like it
Ed

Gosh it is nice to see someone else with the same routine I use. After shaving I spash with warm water, use the block over my entire face--I love pain--the splash cold water the Coral skin Food followed by a hot towel. I am ready for the day.

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

Anyway, an alum block has become a standard part of my post-shave routine. ... rubbing the alum block over my cold-water splashed post-shave face, closes the pores and tightens/tones the skin. Yes, if I've gotten too aggressive while shaving, I can tell where I've abraded the skin, but it does not have near the intensity of sting that a styptic has; nor will application of alum stop a real bleeder. After the alum, I give my face another quick splash then apply Coral Skin Food.

This is what I have done for years. I started using the block when I stopped using alcohol based aftershaves.

Originally Posted by jmsbcknr

Gosh it is nice to see someone else with the same routine I use. After shaving I spash with warm water, use the block over my entire face--I love pain--the splash cold water the Coral skin Food followed by a hot towel. I am ready for the day.

I shaved WAY too close with my DE yesterday (no stubble today) and so had a decent but pretty razor-burned shave with my dovo this morning. When the coral skin food hit my face, it burned like the dickens. If it had been the alum block, I would have probably pulled the faucet out of the sink... I'll save the alum for my expert shave days.

Originally Posted by russellnyc

I used to rub this lightly on my face every time I shaved after applying the cold water, both to stop bleeding and as an antiseptic on my face. Nowadays, I rarely ever nick myself anymore (hope this doesn't jinx it), so I stopped using it and I find I'm having a much more comfortable after-shave experience.

I think the alum sticks around on my skin and stings me all day (i.e. when my sweat re-activates it). Does anyone use alum regularly, and what kind of results do you get with it?

Thats a good question, I only use an alum block or styptic pencil when I nick myself. Generally after the shave is complete I will rinse my face with hot water, dab my face with a towel not to remove all of the moisture, and apply the alum over the nick or affected area for razor burn.

I will let this do its job before I apply any aftershave or lotion. I will strop my razor and store it away and rinse out my brush before I apply an aftershave.

If you use an alcohol based aftershave it will also act as an antiseptic so now worries there.

Cheers!

CS

I was searching for the longest for some alum even before joining this site, not for shaving, but for another medicinal purpose. During this quest for alum is when I found that it was used for shaving. Now my understanding of alum has broadened to. You see my parents kept some in the medicine cabinet at home when I was a child. Now, as I am writting this, I realize why it was in our medicine cabinet, I'm sure my dad used it for shaving, that had to be the initial reason it was there. As I now reminisce, I recall seeing his Gillette Fatboy and double edge razorblades in his bathroom, but what I have always remembered about alum is, my mother always breaking out a little piece for the occasional painful cheek/lip bite and cold sore, she kept little chunks of it in a small jar for that purpose(I thought that is how it came, in little pieces) as children we weren't supposed to mess with it without her supervision. Thirty somthin years later as a grown up I had been unable to find it in our local drugstores around here, and turned to the web to see if it still existed, lo and behold I found it! and alot more info about its uses. I don't ever recall seeing the bar, but I'm sure it was there. My Dad probably hid it from my mom so she'd quit breaking chunks of it off! By the way it does have a bitter "draw your mouth up" effect when using it(like you see in the cartoons), but your just supposed to hold it against the affected area for a minute or so, and repeat as neccessary until the pain swelling subsides. Today as a matter of fact, I unfortunately 'ate my face' while eating breakfast, and it sure was a relief having that little chunk of alum to help make it feel better! I knew it was the right stuff when I tasted it, and then rested the little piece I broke off the bar of Hero I just recieved in the mail two days ago, against my cheek bite. I bought two bars you see, one to break up in little chunks and store them in pill bottles in our bathroom medicine cabinets, and the one solid bar for me to use when shaving.

I've always used the alum block after every straight shave.It stings a little,but closes the pores and tightens the skin.I like the tightening,and I even like the sting.