5 health and beauty benefits of alum | Femina.in (2024)

FAQs

What are the benefits of alum? ›

Alum helps in quick healing of the wound, decreases swelling and brings back the normal texture of the skin. This is due to its Kashaya (astringent) and Ropan (healing) properties. Alum also works on the wound by controlling bleeding because of its Raktastambhak (hemostatic) properties.

Firstly, it is an astringent, meaning it causes the skin to contract or shrink. Astringents can temporarily reduce the size of pores and tighten the skin. Alum is also bacteriostatic, which means it prevents bacteria from growing, making it useful as a preservative.

Dry skin, skin irritation, burn, dizziness, throat tightness, fluid accumulation around the eye, hives, hypersensitivity reaction, allergic reaction, puffy face from water retention, skin ulcer and throat swelling are the side effects of alum. Therefore, it should not be used without a doctor's advice.

It is also beneficial for tightening and whitening of the skin due to its astringent property. Alum causes cells to shrink and removes excess oil from the skin making it effective for the reduction of acne scars and pigmentation marks.

Alum is rich in medicinal properties and hence is used in many home remedies. Here are a few benefits of alum. To get rid of dark spots try using alum powder dissolved in water on the affected areas every morning Apart from this, you can also apply alum as a face pack.

Importance of Alum in Vastu Shastra

In Vastu, it is believed that alum absorbs negative energy and removes bad effects, creating a harmonious and positive environment within the home. Therefore, people use alum, especially in those places of the house where they have to eliminate any negative energy.

Wrinkles. Alum has good astringent effects, making it useful for maintaining skin tightness and constricting skin pores.

Alum has natural antibacterial properties meaning you can use the alum stone to fight acne, clear breakouts, tone and tighten skin and draw out oils.

Wrinkles. If wrinkles have started to show on your face, then clean it with alum water every morning and massage it with alum every night. This will eliminate wrinkles or any possibility of it thereafter. You can also immerse a large piece of cloth in alum water and gently clean your face with it.

Alum is considered to be helpful for tightening the skin. Plus, it has astringent properties that remove excess oil from the skin, which is a major cause for acne or pimples.

Is alum good for teeth? ›

This natural substance also helps to neutralize bad breath and kill harmful bacteria in the mouth, which can lead to tooth decay and gum disease. It can also help in teeth whitening. You can use alum as a mouthwash by dissolving it in warm salt water and rinsing your mouth with it after brushing your teeth.

Hair Care: “Alum stone offers multiple benefits for hair care. It effectively combats dandruff and lice while serving as a natural hair dye. For dandruff control, mix alum powder with your regular shampoo and use it as usual.

Alum contains effective properties which will allow the minerals to settle down in the water for some time. This will prevent oxidization to take place, thus, preventing hair loss problem.

When topically administered, alum may cause severe ocular injury. Public awareness, early recognition of the injuries, and timely intervention may prevent permanent ocular damage.

Alum has been repeatedly shown to be safe for humans. Alum is a common food additive and has also been used for decades to clean our drinking water before consumption. HAB uses the exact same drinking water certified alum when preforming a lake improvement application.

Drinking alum water is not recommended, as it can have potential health risks. While alum has antimicrobial properties that can help purify water, consuming alum in large quantities can cause health problems such as gastrointestinal issues, kidney damage, and electrolyte imbalances.

Aluminum sulfate is fairly non-toxic, with acute and chronic oral LD50 both greater than 5,000mg/kg (5). However, alum can still cause irritation, burns, and respiratory issues. If inhaled, it may cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritations. Alum is not listed as a carcinogen by NTP, IARC, or OSHA.

Moist alum has highly charged Al+3 and SO2−4 ions which neutralize the charged protein molecules present in blood. This results in coagulation of blood, forming a clot which stops further bleeding.