What is Alum?
Alum or Potassium alum is a naturally occurring sulfate mineral which typically occurs as encrustations on rocks in areas of weathering and oxidation of sulfide minerals and potassium-bearing minerals. It can be found in many regions throughout the world but the largest deposit is located in the Zhejiang Province of China (near the Donghai Sea) at the Wenzhou Alum Mine, also called World Alum City, where they estimate to have 60% of the world’s reserves.
http://www.cn-alum.com/en/home.asp
The alum has hemostatic properties and stops bleeding instantly while the potassium has antiseptic and astringent properties to tone the skin and close the pores after shaving. Alum is also used in the preparation of cheese and flour, seafood preservation, pickling, water clarification, cosmetics and can be found in many oral health products; It has a long history of safe use and is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a food additive.
Here are some links about Alum for those looking for more information…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alum
http://wiki.badgerandblade.com/index.php/Alum
http://www.tomsofmaine.com/research/ingredients/ingredient-detail/potassium-alum
