best buy sahib

[malocchio]

wow...i have seen alum blocks on some of the shave supply websites for as much as 12 bucks !!! and that's for the wrapper i guess....if you live in a major city and you are lucky enough to have a market with indian or pakistani goods,they sell those blocks for 2 bucks !! they may not understand your request for "alum" .if so , just ask them for the block for shaving cuts..

 

[miner77]

I don't remember seeing alum block in any of the Indian grocers in Houston...I got the Thai crystal deo stone from Whole Foods for $6 and using it as my aftershave & deodorant...

when I run out of this block I need to check closely in the Indian grocers

 

[falkor27]

The blocks in Indian markets are often the "bad" alum — ammonium alum, while the more costly ones are potassium alum, which is more gentle on the skin. I picked up a block of Hero alum when I forgot my AoS block on a trip and . . . well, I don't use the Hero one any more.

I think shavex has a good-sized potash alum block for around $8, and the RazoRock is another good buy (two 60g sticks in a screw-top holder for $13 shipped).

 

[malocchio]

this is interesting...i did not have this info...where did you research the differences? is one safe and one toxic ?

 

[malocchio]

what do the styptic pencils contain ??

 

[Go West Young Man]

Both alums work, but the potassium one is a little gentler and less likely to irritate so it's better suited for putting on your face. The ammonium alum is more concentrated, so works better as a deodorant, but as always ymmv and whatever works best for you ,etc.

 

[falkor27]

There have been a few threads on alum blocks (this one is similar, and I've since confirmed the Hero is AA; RazoRock has an excellent mini-treatise). I can attest to the difference from personal experience.

They're both safe for use, but potash alum is more of a tingle sensation while ammonium alum is . . . well, it stings (me). It's my impression that western manufacturers only use ammonium alum in deodorants.

According to wikipedia, styptic pencils have a third type of alum, anhydrous aluminum sulfate OR titanium dioxide. Alum is a family of compounds, not a specific one.

this is interesting...i did not have this info...where did you research the differences? is one safe and one toxic ?

And of course, as Chris says, YMMV and all that.

 

[bald1]

I've been using Crystal alum based mineral salt deodorant for a long time and a few years back picked up the much smaller 2 oz size for use in lieu of styptic pencils. (alum based mineral salts feature physically large potassium or ammonium alum molecules) For well under $2 it works for me

Basically the same as Razorrock but much cheaper!

 

[ph33nyx]

I got my last batch from Tulumba. There a little small when compared to the first one I got at WCS, but work just fine.