Why does everyone always say to apply alum post shave and then to rise it off? What is wrong with just leaving it on? Thanks for the help.
Alum?
- Thread starter cvandyke27
- Start date
Unsure of the answer for that but I personally do not rinse it off. I do usually splash some WH on after the alum dries.
Some don't rinse, but I find that when it dries it leaves a white residue that my aftershave does not eliminate.
Face and head get rinsed with either cold water or witch hazel... once the alum has dried, it's done it's job and there's no point in leaving it on.
On my pits, it does not get rinsed off, as it's "job" there is to continue to fight bacteria all day.
Some find the "tight" feeling uncomfortable if they don't rinse.
Face and head get rinsed with either cold water or witch hazel... once the alum has dried, it's done it's job and there's no point in leaving it on.
On my pits, it does not get rinsed off, as it's "job" there is to continue to fight bacteria all day.
Some find the "tight" feeling uncomfortable if they don't rinse.
I find that when I leave alum on my face too long it actually starts to itch. Usually after about five minutes or so. I usually wash it off as soon as it dries.
I leave it on. Whatever your preference is, go with.
If I don't rinse off the alum, it really dries out my face and leaves my skin really uncomfortably tight. Alum is a strong astringent.
Honestly, I only use it now when I am trying a new product. It helps be gauge razor burn or not. I found it very useful when I was learning DE shaving, helpful in gauging my technique and it feels good after a shave.
Depending on my mood I'll either wash it off or not. Having said that, I do tend to notice that if I don't rise it off that my face feels tighter and has a different feel to it. Nothing bad...just different. I don't get a white residue as some others have said.
I have left it on once or twice without problems. But I like to cold water rinse after a minute or so then apply WH to the wet skin. I think it cools better this way.
An Alum Block is mainly used as an Aftershave but can be applied to weepers or small nicks & cuts, a styptic pencil is more effective on bigger nicks & cuts that bleed more.
Alum is an astringent which shrinks/constricts tissue, and why your skin feels tight, it kills bacteria on your face, and why acne-prone complexions benefit & makes a good deodorant for your underarms.
Using Alum Post Shave to improve your technique (Blade Angle, amount of pressure used) is another benefit of keeping it in your Den. Alum will burn your face when your Technique is poor, and highlights the areas needing more attention, a slight tingle equals improved/ better Technique and helps a new shaver track his/her progress.
There isn't a hard rule on rinsing or not, if it doesn't overly dry your face, don't rinse... I'd suggest trying it both ways, settling on which you prefer.
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I use a liquid styptic for any nicks, cuts, or weepers. Its the same thing as the pencil, just easier to use. Its still alum, but I always rinse before using any AS or balm. I find that leaving it on tends to kind of gunk up when it mixes together.
I dont use alum anymore after discovering witch hazel, but when I did I rinsed it off, did not like the residue feeling.
+1. I definitely agree with the part about the feedback it gives you. I love it when I have no tingle whatsoever.
I swapped to only witch hazel with no change.
I apply witch hazel followed by aftershave after using my alum block. Since witch hazel is mostly water it is an effective rinse that removes most, if not all, residual alum.
I just tried an alum stick today after shaving and right now my almost 60 year old cheeks feel as tight as a chubby faced 14 year old. I really love the feel of it and even though I do not have much razor burn from my DE, it was a nice feel after my shave.
