has anyone ever used powdered ammonium alum astringent?

Question

it is used as a topical medicine, mixed with a salve to heal small wounds. how does it work? is it bad for you?

Answer 1

I've only heard of it used in pickling to keep pickles from getting mooshy. Of course, you could just process the pickles properly and skip alum altogether.

I like Burt's Bees Dr. Burt's Res-Q ointment--it has comfrey in it and it really helps bruises. I bet it would help wounds, too.

Just keep the wound clean, keep it moist, and keep it covered. It'll heal up OK--maybe a little antibiotic ointment if it's particularly dirty (though an ointment wouldn't necessarily have to be antibiotic--I think it's the *ointment*, not the antibiotic.)

Answer 2

I have never used it, unless it was in a deodorant, but this is some of what I found:
Uses
Shaving alum is a powdered form of alum used as an astringent to prevent bleeding from small shaving cuts. The styptic pencils sold for this purpose contain aluminium sulfate or potassium aluminium sulfate. Similar products are also used on animals to prevent bleeding after nail-clipping.

Crystal deodorant: Alum was used in the past as a natural underarm deodorant in Mexico, Thailand, and the Far East and in the Philippines where it is called Tawas. It is now commercially sold for this purpose in many countries, often in a plastic case that protects the crystal and makes it resemble other non-liquid deodorants.

Alum powder, found amongst spices at most grocery stores, is used in pickling recipes as a preservative, to maintain crispness, and as an ingredient in some play dough recipes. It is also commonly cited as a home remedy or pain relief for canker sores.

Water treatment: Alum (aluminium sulfate) is used in water treatment. The addition of alum to raw water causes small particles and colloids to stick together form heavier particles (floc) which will settle in water. This process is called coagulation or flocculation.

By soaking and then drying cloth and paper materials they can be made fireproof.

Wax: Alum is used in the Middle East as a component in wax, compounded with other ingredients to create a hair-removal substance.

Foamite: Alum is used to make foamite which is used in many fire extinguishers for chemical and oil fires.

Hope this helps....