Going to a barber shop is always a refreshing experience. While shredding the hair does relieve the head that little crystal in the barber’s hand after being rubbed on the face can lend the biggest burning sensation making you want to run away from there. But hugely potent in its anti-microbial and disinfectant properties, nothing can treat the skin better than Alum or Phitkari as it is commonly called.
Alum may burn deadly after a shave but not many people know that Alum is one of the best things you can apply to your face. Almost not letting you age, a regular use of Alum can dissolve all wrinkles on the skin making it firmer and tighter. When we use the word Alum or Phitkari, it basically refers to the variety which is commonly available in the market as Potassium Alum. You can find it any store in the spices section in a powered form. While it is most commonly seen as a glowing diamond shaped crystal, it’s loosely sold in the powdered form.
So while we discuss more, here is a look at some of the benefits of Alum that we can optimize in everyday use:
6 Reasons why you should use Alum
- Ever wondered how you could get rid of the pesky and irritating head lice that just do not seem to go. Well, just mix Alum powder with water and a few drops of tea tree oil. This mixture will totally kill the lice because of its properties.
- Cracked heels need to be hidden. What is the point of wearing that expensive set of heels when the feet look shabby and dirty? Cover your cracked heels and make your feet look younger and cleaner by rubbing alum over it. Head a thick bottomed deep pan and add alum to it. It would liquefy over the temperature. Make a thick paste with coconut oil. Rub this deeply into the heels and see the haling begin overnight.
- Women tend to spend a lot of money in removal of hair from the body. Alum mixed with water or even better with rose water and rubbed over like an essential oil reduces hair growth over time.
- Alum has found the biggest use as a blood coagulant. Rubbing alum over a wound helps to stop the bleeding almost immediately and also hastens the process of healing making it one of the best and the first things to be rubbed over scratches or a wound.
- You may also try rubbing a thick paste of alum on your hair and it would not only kill the lice if any but also make your hair stay styled and standing up all day.
- Countries like Mexico, Philippines and Thailand use alum crystals as deodorants. Beat the heat by rubbing alum under your arms and on your back and keep smelling minty all day long.
Fun Activity – making Alum Crystals
If you have a couple of hours at hand and want to have some fun, just add the crystals of alum together into water just till more alum does not dissolve into it, then once you have some seed crystals formed in the jar suspend the biggest one high enough to stay submerged in the water yet not be within it completely using a nylon thread. You will see small crystals sticking to big crystals on their own under the effect of sunlight and warmth. Let this process continue till you make a huge crystal of your choice. Call it a rare diamond in front of your friends and see how you can amaze them!
