Alum users
- Thread starter LMAN007
- Start date
I do a cold water rinse, then use the alum. No need to wet the alum since my face is already wet. I keep a sponge near the sink to clean up so I simply use the sponge to wipe down the excess water on the alum bar and store it in the plastic box it came in. I keep the lid open so it can dry, then close it before I go to work in the morning.
+1 I pretty much utilize the same process. I wet my face with cold water and run the alum block gently around, then I pat it slightly with a dry washcloth after use.
Here's what I do:
Rinse face with cold water
Apply alum (I do wet it first)
Rinse face again with cold water after a few minutes
Dry face
Apply AS or ASB
Rinse alum
Store alum
As far as storage: I keep it in a closable plastic soap container but allow it to dry after use.
Also, alum provides great feedback on your shave. It you get a major burn after applying your alum, you probably used too much pressure while shaving.
Rinse face with cold water
Apply alum (I do wet it first)
Rinse face again with cold water after a few minutes
Dry face
Apply AS or ASB
Rinse alum
Store alum
As far as storage: I keep it in a closable plastic soap container but allow it to dry after use.
Also, alum provides great feedback on your shave. It you get a major burn after applying your alum, you probably used too much pressure while shaving.
Last edited:
I have very sensnsitive skin..so I use it if I ever get a nick or cut..works great for skin stretching..I rubbed it on my face once...like the pits of fire!...
I wet my face (cold water) and the alum block and rub it all over the face. I dry it off with a towel and just put it back on the glass shelf in my medicine cabinet. I agree, it does provide good feedback.
I don't really bother to wash it off but I follow it with witch hazel which gets wiped off a bit before it dries, then AS and balm. So indirectly the alum does get removed.
I don't really bother to wash it off but I follow it with witch hazel which gets wiped off a bit before it dries, then AS and balm. So indirectly the alum does get removed.
Last edited:
I bought my block from Em's... large block, came in a small woven "basket".
Apply, shake dry, and put it back in the basket.
Brush my choppers, then rinse the alum off with cold water and continue with the post-shave routine.
Apply, shake dry, and put it back in the basket.
Brush my choppers, then rinse the alum off with cold water and continue with the post-shave routine.
I use it just when nicks or weepers occur. Locally, so to speak....
I use it fairly regularly, and like most people have mentioned, I do a cold water rinse, then wet the alum and rub it all over. I'm a pre-shower shaver, so I don't rinse the alum off my face, I just let my skin tighten up while I clean up the sink and then I jump in the shower. Now, here's the important thing, where my routine differs from most. I store my alum vertically in a little plastic teacup that I stole from my daughter. This is very important as the tea cup certainly improves the performance of the alum (and it's mere presence in the bathroom improves the overall shave routine).
I follow the same, Cold water rinse, Alum block, WH, ASB. I also found that rubbing it wet in my hand before shaving improves my grip on an otherwise slippery razor handle (I got that idea somewhere on this forum I think...). Also, I agree, it provides great feedback. Has helped my technique tremendously...
Same here. Cold rinse, wet face and block, I do rinse after a minute, but I store it in the fridge with my AS balms and creams I love the cold shave. The fridge is low humidity so the alum block doesnt dissolve from the water. Although I been using the same block for 1 1/2 years and I got over 1/3 left.
My routine:
rinse face with cold water,
apply dry alum block to wet face
Clean and rinse gear while alum dries
rinse with cold water, dry and spray on WH
brush teeth while WH dries
apply ASB
Rather than trying to hold on to a slippery, wet block only the side in contact with my face gets wet and is smooth. The other sides are dry and still a little rough, which I think gives me a better grip.
rinse face with cold water,
apply dry alum block to wet face
Clean and rinse gear while alum dries
rinse with cold water, dry and spray on WH
brush teeth while WH dries
apply ASB
Rather than trying to hold on to a slippery, wet block only the side in contact with my face gets wet and is smooth. The other sides are dry and still a little rough, which I think gives me a better grip.
Very similar set up. Cold water rinse, alum, flick a few times to get the water off and then place the bar across the top of the box perpendicular so the air gets on all sides and let it dry out for the rest of the day. Then is is right there ready to pick up the next morning. Sometimes I rinse the alum off of my face. Sometimes I do not.
There really isn't a wide variety of ways to do it. Here's how I do it, which is similar to everyone that has posted. One thing to stress is that you need to wash the alum off your face after it has sat for a minute, it's not supposed to stay on your skin all day. For reference I use a RazoRock alum block.
-Cold water rinse, keep face dripping wet
-Rub alum block all over shaved area (I do not wet the block first, since my skin is already wet)
-Clean up the area while the alum sits on my face for a minute
-Wash the alum off with warm water and soap
-Final cold water rinse
-After shave splash
-ASB
-Skin is left baby smooth and refreshed
After I use it, I rinse the alum block off quick to get off any blood or shaving lather. I then pat the block dry and put the cover back on.
-Cold water rinse, keep face dripping wet
-Rub alum block all over shaved area (I do not wet the block first, since my skin is already wet)
-Clean up the area while the alum sits on my face for a minute
-Wash the alum off with warm water and soap
-Final cold water rinse
-After shave splash
-ASB
-Skin is left baby smooth and refreshed
After I use it, I rinse the alum block off quick to get off any blood or shaving lather. I then pat the block dry and put the cover back on.
I've only started in the last week. After I shave I wipe the remaining lather off with a warm wet wash cloth. Then I run cold water from the tap over the alum block and rub the alum block on my face. I usually repeat the cold water rinse once or twice and continue rubbing around my face and neck.
I don't wash it off. I brush my teeth after the alum block use, then deoderant, then aftershave.
I don't know what you are supposed to do. I don't know if I need it or if it is doing anything. But it feels good. No stinging. Just a sort of soothing feel. Whether it is really doing anything or not, the soothing feeling is worth it.
I just leave mine sitting on top of the plastic storage box it came in, on the sink counter.
I don't wash it off. I brush my teeth after the alum block use, then deoderant, then aftershave.
I don't know what you are supposed to do. I don't know if I need it or if it is doing anything. But it feels good. No stinging. Just a sort of soothing feel. Whether it is really doing anything or not, the soothing feeling is worth it.
I just leave mine sitting on top of the plastic storage box it came in, on the sink counter.
Last edited:
why rinse it off?
I've recently changed how I use alum.
I wipe my face clean with a damp, cold cloth, so it ends up fairly dry.
I dip my fingertips in water, rub them against the end of the alum block, wipe fingers over my face, then wipe the wet end of the alum over my face. Repeat as necessary.
This way only 'wears' the alum where you want it to. It ends up mostly dry and minimises waste. Not that that matters much, but the method works well anyway.
I wipe my face clean with a damp, cold cloth, so it ends up fairly dry.
I dip my fingertips in water, rub them against the end of the alum block, wipe fingers over my face, then wipe the wet end of the alum over my face. Repeat as necessary.
This way only 'wears' the alum where you want it to. It ends up mostly dry and minimises waste. Not that that matters much, but the method works well anyway.
The directions on the package that mine came in said it doesn't have to be washed off. But it did talking about one use of the alum block, for oily skin, and warned that you don't want to use it too freqently in that instance because your skin will begin to compensate and defeat the purpose.
Anyway, as far as rinsing or not rinsing, I think it's only a problem if it's a problem. Not rinsing doesn't seem to be a problem for me.
What I do is
rinse well with cold water
wet the alum bar & wipe once across shaved area
leave for about 30 seconds then rinse face again
gently pat my face dry with a soft towel
pat the alum bar dry & put away
rinse well with cold water
wet the alum bar & wipe once across shaved area
leave for about 30 seconds then rinse face again
gently pat my face dry with a soft towel
pat the alum bar dry & put away
Not so much answering OPs´s question- consider it more as a side note: It´s a great advice I learned from someone here I think: rub a little alum on your fingers before the doing the last touch up. The alum on your finger will let you stretch the skin without the usual slipping.
