Padikara kal / Alum stone

In Tamil Nadu, Alum stone(padikara kal) is one of the items used to prevent us from evil eye and evil influences. It is a long term belief and being followed by generations. People usually tie it using black rope and hang the alum stone outside the house to keep the evil influences away.

Alum, popular known as Fitkari, is a commonly used name of  chemical compound: the potassium double sulfate of aluminium. 

1) Alum for Evil Eye and prevention of evil influences:

In Tamil Nadu, Alum stone(padikara kal) is one of the items used to prevent us from evil eye and evil influences. It is a long term belief and being followed by generations. People usually tie it using black rope and hang the alum stone outside the house to keep the evil influences away.

2) Alum Stone / Alum Block for shaving cuts:

Alum stone is commonly used for after shaving treatment. It is used a styptic for minor bleeding from shaving cuts.

3) Alum stone/block and powder for deodorant for body odor:

Alum is used as a natural deodorant for body odor as it has the capability of inhibiting bacterial growth which is responsible for body odor. But people say that it is not recommended to use it everyday.

4) Alum block for minor bleeding:

Alum is used to treat minor bleeding resulting from minor cuts and abrasions. Sprinkling alum powder can help to stop bleeding. However deep cuts and non stop bleeding requires medical intervention.

5) Alum(Potassium Alum) for Water Purification process:

Alum is used in water purification treatment widely. Alum attracts fine particles and suspended materials in raw water. It settles down those particles at the bottom of the water. The water over those particles are clean other than the dissolved particles. Hence alum powder is widely used in purifying muddy water when people go for camping. Add 5 mg alum powder per liter of water. Check whether it is able to clean the water. If not, add pinch by pinch. Make sure that you do not add more alum powder as it can cause negative side effects like nausea, vomiting, stomach upsets and many more when taken internally.

6) Alum for canker sores:

Alum powder is used to treat canker sores easily. Just place a pinch of alum powder on top of the sore and leave it for 30 seconds. Wash it off thoroughly. Repeat this for 2-3 times daily till the canker sores go off. You will get complete cure mostly within 3 days.

7) Alum for acne/pimples and tightening:

Alum is used for pimples, acne marks, acne scars and acne treatment widely. Alum powder is widely used for treating acne and pimple problems. Let us see how to use alum powder for acne. Mix alum powder with water and apply it on the acne. Leave it for 20 minutes and wash the face with clean water. Regular usage of alum powder reduces the acne.

Alum is used for tightening the skin too.

You can use rose water instead of water. You can also add egg whites if you like the egg white smell.

8) Alum for athlete's foot:

Alum powder is one of the home remedy to treat athlete's foot. Add 2-3 tbsp of alum powder in hot water and soak the feet in the water till the water remains hot or warm. Soak for a minimum of 20 minutes. Dry the feet and do not wear any synthetic fabrics till the athlete's foot is cured. Repeat this daily to get rid of athlete's foot quickly.

9) Alum for hair removal:

Alum is widely used for hair removal. Women in ancient ages used alum for removing unwanted facial hairs like upper lip hair. Mix 1/2 tsp of alum powder with 1 tsp of rose water and keep it ready. Adjust the quantity of alum powder and water as required. The ratio of alum powder to rose water is 1:2 approximately. Once hair is removed or waxing is done, apply the alum mixture on the face or the place where you want the facial hairs to be removed. Leave it for 20 minutes. If you feel that the mixture gets dried up, you can sprinkle rose water on it to keep it on more time. Wash thoroughly and pat the face dry. You can do this on your hands and legs too. Apply moisturizer after pat drying to keep the area moisturized. Regular coconut oil can be used for moisturizing. Take care not to apply on the eye and surrounding areas.

You can do this process after you go through hair removal process like threading and waxing. It will slow down the hair growth. Follow the process for long time to see the visible results like 6 months to 1 year.

10) Alum for blackheads:

A pinch of alum powder can be mixed with water or rose water and applied it on the blackheads gently. Do not rub it. Follow this process daily to remove the blackheads easily. You can use this with any natural face masks too.

11) Alum for black or dark underarms:

Using deodorant for long time might be one of the causes of black underarms or dark underarms. Using alum powder as deodorant can help to get rid of black underarm problem. But do not use it daily.

12) Alum for cold sores:

Add a drop of water to a pinch of alum powder and apply it on the cold sore. Leave it for 30 seconds and wash it off thoroughly. Repeat this process twice or thrice daily to see the visible results within 3 days.

13) Alum for cooking and canning:

Nowadays you get cooking alum(alum exclusively for cooking purpose) in many Indian grocery stores. It is used in making pickles to maintain the crispiness of fruits and vegetables used in the pickles. Alum powder is also used in making baking powders as an acidic component.

14) Alum for dandruff:

A pinch of alum powder and salt are added in shampoo while taking head bath to reduce the dandruff and to treat itchy scalp. Take care not to add more alum.

15) Alum for dark circles:

Many commercial brands started using alum powder in their product for curing dark circles. You can mix a pinch of alum powder with water and apply it on the dark circles. Take care not to apply on the eye. Please do it carefully.

To know more about the benefits of Padikara kallu  in tamil watch this video 

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Apart from the above mentioned uses there are many other uses and benefits of   Padikara kallu which can be felt while using.