Actually, he has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
I have the mutation for it too, according to a DNA test, but I haven't gotten any super powers from it.
Alum Block Revelation
- Thread starter fast shaver
- Start date
I have the mutation for it too, according to a DNA test, but I haven't gotten any super powers from it.
I didn't get the medical part of my DNA test. I made it almost to 70 and just don't want to know.
+1
It dries my skin out so much that despite using aftershave balm, my skin feels dry the next day and causes issues for my shave.
I have. B.I.G. Company alum block I use after each shave. Great size, easy to travel with and it comes in a little plastic case. Apply it and let it sit while I put away all the shave gear. Once everything is away a nice cold rinse to take it off and then the AS or Balm of the day. Let’s you instantly know if you have applied to much pressure during your shave. I rarely get nicks or weapers but it does the job of taking care of them pretty efficiently if I do.
I never used to use one until I joined this forum. Now I would not be without one. Use it after most shaves. I shave before I shower so I definately rinse the Alum off my face.
I rinse it off immediately and even then my skin doesn't like it so I gave up on it but still do use an alum block daily as a deodorant stick.
+1 to benefits listed above, but I have found it to be mandatory when using a slick razor like the Futur. I swipe my fingers across the block and I can use the razor without fear of it slipping at the worst time.
Has anyone tried natural alum blocks versus manufactured alum blocks? And if you have, have you noticed any differences between the two, beside natural alum costing more?
I recently switched my shaving routing and stopped using my alum block. I haven't noticed any change in my skin and I'll likely not go back to using one again. Just one less step to mess with in the morning.
I’m a huge fan of alum, I bought one from amazon called fighting Jon, came in a plastic travel case, I use it with cold water brush my teeth, put my stuff away then wash it off and get to the after shave. My face feels great with it. And as someone else mentioned, I use it on my fingers for grip on my razor and then also to pull my skin tight
I’ve used Razorock and Osma alum blocks.
I think the Razorock block is made by melting the alum and pouring it into a vertical mold. It refreezes just like a homemade popsicle, with crystallization starting at the walls and bottom of the mold, and finishing at the center of the top end. It’s not one crystal, but a bunch that have grown together and fused. As it is used, the edges of those individual crystals can get a little rough. That said, it is still alum and works fine.
Osma seems to be sawn from a larger crystal. I assume it is from a natural deposit, but don’t know. There will be some internal fracture lines that seem to have rebonded, just like you often see in quartz or other large mineral crystals.
Osma smells a little different from Razorock to me, a little more like a wet rock. There may be some other trace minerals in it - I’m not sure if that is possible in the crystal structure.
Whatever the reason, and maybe it’s just placebo, the Osma feels better on my skin.
I’ve got a Maapilim alum block right now, and I always use it after my shave. In fact, I almost always use it after every shower, shave or not, because it helps so much with my acne. I apply it to my face first, then chest and shoulders, then underarms for its deodorant properties (it works excellently as a deodorant, by the way - I work heavy manual labor and I have no B.O. even at the end of a 16 hour shift). I rinse it off my face after about 30 seconds with cold water (the time it takes me to get through applying it everywhere else) to prevent over-drying and tightness, but I leave it on everywhere else. Once I’m dry, I then apply antiperspirant to my underarms - it works so much better after using alum than on its own, though Alum alone works great.
Since switching from a cartridge razor and Barbasol and using Ivory soap in the shower to a safety razor, Mitchell’s Wool Fat shaving soap, an alum block as my aftershave, and using genuine African Black Soap (it’s amazing, info can be found here: African Black Soap ) in the shower, I’ve noticed a significant drop in acne - far better than I ever saw with salicylic acid acne products and even much better than Proactive.
The Maapilim block appears to be crystallized from solution, as it has a hole in the middle on one end where a bunch of the tiny crystals terminate - a bit like a geode. The edges of the block on that end have begun to get rough after a month or two of daily use as described above; face-only users will probably not see toughness for several months.
I always make sure to stand the block up with the hole facing down to let it drain when I’m done to minimize loss as it drips dry.
I can confirm it is excellent for getting a grip on a slick razor handle.
I will, however, say I strongly advise against using it before shaving or washing or really anything, because it seems to react very poorly to soap and soap-like substances; I made this mistake once and I was left with an extremely unpleasant residue on my face that peeled off like wet, peeling skin after a bad sunburn. It wasn’t actual skin, that’s just what it felt like.
I personally rinse extremely thoroughly with warm, then cold water before using the alum block to remove any traces of soap to avoid this, just in case.
Since switching from a cartridge razor and Barbasol and using Ivory soap in the shower to a safety razor, Mitchell’s Wool Fat shaving soap, an alum block as my aftershave, and using genuine African Black Soap (it’s amazing, info can be found here: African Black Soap ) in the shower, I’ve noticed a significant drop in acne - far better than I ever saw with salicylic acid acne products and even much better than Proactive.
The Maapilim block appears to be crystallized from solution, as it has a hole in the middle on one end where a bunch of the tiny crystals terminate - a bit like a geode. The edges of the block on that end have begun to get rough after a month or two of daily use as described above; face-only users will probably not see toughness for several months.
I always make sure to stand the block up with the hole facing down to let it drain when I’m done to minimize loss as it drips dry.
I can confirm it is excellent for getting a grip on a slick razor handle.
I will, however, say I strongly advise against using it before shaving or washing or really anything, because it seems to react very poorly to soap and soap-like substances; I made this mistake once and I was left with an extremely unpleasant residue on my face that peeled off like wet, peeling skin after a bad sunburn. It wasn’t actual skin, that’s just what it felt like.
I personally rinse extremely thoroughly with warm, then cold water before using the alum block to remove any traces of soap to avoid this, just in case.
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