Bloc - Alum Block 75g (Soothes Shaving Irritation)

I purchased this back in May due to switching over to DE razors and a badger shaving brush at the start of the year.Anyone who has done the switch from commercial multi-blade razors with self adjusting heads to DE will tell you that you will get the inevitable odd nick here and there, as DE razors are great but don't naturally follow the contours of the face and are not forgiving to those that don't respect them, it takes a little practice before you master the correct angle for perfect shaving and even then there's always that time where you're in a rush and turn butcher from careful user. It's at this time that this product is a life saver, especially if you're wearing a white collared shirt!When you receive the alum block (mine turned up in perfect condition with no breaks) you are surprised at how small it is, it's like a very small bar of soap, but don't be fooled by it 's appearance, it really does pack a punch and a little goes a very long way. As I say, I've had mine since May and with frequent use it still looks exactly the same as when I received it.In Use: I simply run the block under the cold water tap then gently run it over my face where I have cut the skin. You get a slight sting when it finds the cut but this quickly disappears and the result is no more bleeding. You can get dressed and have no concerns about blood seeping onto your clothes or having to apply all those little bits of tissue paper - how much time did we all waste doing that?! then walking around advertising the fact that we had hacked our face to bits whilst trying to decide upon the best time to re-wet the tissue paper and remove it only to find that the blooming cut starts to bleed again! Thank you Alum, thank you.

An excellent value alum block.Certain well known shops sell their own branded blocks for astronomical prices but what you get is exactly the same. I have in the past paid three times as much for a block from a certain Mayfair based shaving emporium but alum is alum and I can categorically state from a users experience that there is no difference whatsoever. There is no need to pay more.If you have not used alum before as part of your shaving ritual it is something you should definitely consider. Alum is a natural styptic and anti-septic and will seal and sterilise any small nicks in the skin. It will also help you to improve your technique and tell you when your razor is getting blunt. You can expect a little bit of stinging after applying the alum no matter what but if you are scraping the skin and causing lots of abrasion or your blade is blunt then you will really feel it.My technique is to finish shaving, wash face in warm water to remove soap, submerge face in cold water them make alum block wet with cold water and pass thoroughly over all shaved areas. Follow that with a skin tonic and a moisturiser and your face will feel smoother than it ever has.An extra benefit of using alum I find is that I hardly ever get collar burn if I shave in the morning and then wear a tie. It really settles the skin down again quickly after shaving.Tip: alum is a salt so it melts (slowly) in water. Make sure you dry it off thoroughly after use and store it somwhere dry. If you do then this small block will last a very long time - probably more than a year.Tip: Alum is an anti-septic and can be very helpful for acne even if you don't shave. I bought my teenage son one and he uses it to keep his spots under control.Tip: You can even use it as a deodorant because it closes pores and kills bacteria - you might want to get two blocks though if you are using one on your pits!

Because I use a cutthroat razor to shave, I brought this block because my Jin Que Syptic Stick were running out, as you only get 10 in a pack and each stick is only good for one shave. So straight away a good thing about this product is that it saves you money right away, as this bloc would last the average male a life time. Its a good astringent, making it good for calming down rashes and closing up hairline cuts from shaves. However, I find that its not strong enough to stem the bleeding for larger nicks. Shaving cuts tend to flow with blood after I've applied this block, so what I do now is use Syptic Sticks for deeper cuts and for smaller finer cuts I use the alum block, and also if I get a shaving rash. If like me, you like to use aftershave post-shave, I would suggest waiting for your face to dry naturally. The block needs to be wet when you apply it, so if you wet it and apply it to your face, your face will be wet. Rather than drying it with a towel, wait for it to naturally dry and then apply the aftershave.In conclusion, its a great product that will last you a life time, however I wouldn't recommend it for stemming the bleeding of weeping cuts.

After years of bad shaves with horrible razors, I started considering ways of improving things - this Alum block was one of them. While I switched over to double-edge safety razors instead of cartridges, razor rash is still an issue. This stuff not only stops any bleeding, but reduces inflammation with continued use.As others’ have said, just wet the block under cold water and apply to your face after shaving. It will sting slightly, but will pass. Once you have finished, lightly dry off the block and put it back in the card box. It will be slightly slippery, so take care (as it is brittle since it's a block of salt). While you might still get blotchy skin with razor rash, this will help reduce it quickly.Beyond shaving, for such a cheap price it's worth having one of these blocks in an emergency kit as well, for cuts and grazes.