If you're in the alum sucks camp, move along, nothing here is going to change your mind. We in club alum already know your thoughts. Unless you want to shitpost. Shitposts always welcomed and encouraged.

I was back and forth on alum for years. I'd use it for a few months, then stop randomly because either I ran out or it just fell behind other things in the drawer. The theory is it closes up small cuts. Is that an old wives tale or truth? Don't know, don't care. Even if it's placebo, it makes me feel better. Some folks use it as feedback for their shave, but that's not me. I don't practice shaving, I just shave. Maybe that's good for newbs or people who overthink or science their shaving technique. I have poor technique and I know it.

Cheap alum, like Gentleman's Jon's, Omega, Maggard is admittedly not great. It causes my skin to tighten up a little, even after my extensive hydration routine. I used it because of the perceived or placebo "medical" effects, not to feel good.

One day, after a conversation on irc likely led by /u/iamsms, I took a shot on Osma bloc alum. As the tale goes, the difference between Osma and virtually every other alum is that while cheaper alum is pressed from powder/shavings or something, Osma is cut from the whole stone. Well, that sounds fancy doesn't it? Turns out, Osma is amazing. (MOIMO. YMMV.). It never leaves my face tight, it rinses off cleanly, and somehow even with the other things I rub on my face, Osma does leave my face feeling silkier. Is that not true, and it's placebo? I don't know. I stand firm however that Osma is The Luxury Alum.

I was scrolling instagram one night, and scrolled by this Proraso post. In researching, it was a little vague if it was a single block of alum like osma, or just a block of pressed alum like everything else. As they are the maker of both Super Formula soap and the amazing Proraso Green splash, I figured i'd take a shot.

My method of testing the first day was Osma on one side of my face, Proraso on the other. For the last week or two it's just been randomly grab one of them. I (1) shave, (2) rinse my face, (3) wet the alum, and (4) rub it all over my face. Then, I (5) get in the shower, and while wetting my hair, let the water run down my face rinsing off the alum, so the alum is on my face for probably a minute or so [I also take off my pants in between 4 and 5, you do wear pants when shaving right]. (6) Dry face out of then shower and then for some reason (7) re-wet face immediately (8) alcohol splash [which lately has been either Catie's Bubbles, Declaration Grooming, Fine Accoutrements or Proraso], (9) sometimes Zingari balm. Hence the extensive hydration, i'm letting gallons of water run over my face in the shower.

The Proraso alum unfortunately does not live up to the hype I had for it. Despite the extensive hydration, my face still feels a tiny bit tight, like it does with the cheap alum. It never or rarely feels like this after Osma.

TLDR: Osma, Still the only Luxury Alum

I bought this alum on credit from Amazon. I received 5% cash back for my purchase.