Alum stone 500 g (Chebba in Arabic Language)

Alum Stone
Alum is a very common, naturally occuring compound.

“Liquid alumen is naturally astringent, indurative, and corrosive: used in combination with honey, it heals ulcerations of the mouth, pimples, and pruriginous eruptions. The remedy, when thus used, is employed in the bath, the proportions being two parts of honey to one of alumen. It has the effect, also, of checking and dispersing perspiration, and of neutralising offensive odours of the arm-pits.”

Alum stones properties are known since a long time, we even find some papyrus which talks about alum stones uses.

Used since the Antiquity as a cosmetic, it’s also has been used in the textile industry. 

During the last centuries a lot of uses of the alum stones have been discovered as well as in the agriculture as in Medicine.

During the years 1800, potassium alum was used a lot in surgery to treat different diseases.

The most important producers of potassium alum are China, Turkey, Russia.
In Europe : Italy, was the most important producer of alum during the past centuries.

Some of the uses of Alum are :

Since the earliest times, alum has been used for the purification of drinking water as well as industrial water. It has the capacity to adsorb the suspended impurities in water and these then settle down at the bottom making filtration and subsequent purification easier.
It is used in the tanning of leather and is an ingredient of baking powder.
It is used as a pickling agent.
Alum is used as a flame retardant while it is also a component of foamite which is used in fire extinguishers.
It is used in cosmetics because of its astringent properties and is also used in many brands of toothpastes and tooth powders.
It is used to get rid of snails as in gardens and pots as it kills the snails as well as its eggs.
It is used as a roll on deodorant as it kills bacteria and prevent smelly underarms.
Alum is incorporated in body hair removal waxes as it soothes the skin.

Alum stone is a common name for a type of natural deodorant and aftershave that is popular in France  under the name Pierre d’alun and found throughout Europe. In the U.S. alum stone is typically known as crystal deodorant. The cosmetic and personal care use of alum stone dates back to antiquity due to is simple, yet powerful cosmetic formula. Alum stone is made of potassium alum and comes from the Greek word Alos. It was originally used as an aftershave, but since the 1980s alum stone has been marketed as a deodorant. Now many deodorant and aftershave brands utilize the term alum stone and crystal deodorant to describe and classify their product. But it is important to note that alum stone is the type or name of the product, not the ingredient.
Initial Preparation
Before using a new Alum Stone; wet it and rub dry with a cloth – this will remove any rough edges.
In normal use; dampen the Alum Stone block and/or apply to moistened skin.
Some uses for  Alum Stone :
Deodorant
Shaving
Cuts and grazes
Insect repellent
Water purification
Fire retardant