The most important factor in choosing a styptic pencil is how well it can stop the bleeding. No surprise here. Most traditional styptic pencils have similar astringent properties, but where you’ll see the biggest difference is between traditional styptic and liquid styptic. Liquid styptic on the other hand usually contains a few more ingredients to soothe the wound like Aloe Vera, vitamin E, and fruit oil. As a result, the aluminum sulfate is slightly diluted and most men find that liquid styptic is not quite as effective at stopping the nastier cuts. The soothing ingredients are a nice touch, but they might not be best suited if you are prone to bleeding a lot. 2. Price & Availability Shaw CA, Tomljenovic L. Aluminum in the central nervous system (CNS): toxicity in humans and animals, vaccine adjuvants, and autoimmunity. Immunol Res. 2013 Jul;56(2-3):304-16.

In 2017, Glyder’s Styptic Balm was ranked #1 by GQ, and Editor Choice at AskMen.com. Antonio Centeno from Real Men Real Style created the chart below around products that stops bleeding from shaving cuts and styptic balm ranked #1. Q. Many decades ago, Dad used a styptic pencil to stop the bleeding when he’d cut his face shaving. Later on, he used an electric razor and didn’t need the pencil. Here are five things you should consider when choosing a styptic pencil. Top 5 “Styps” for Finding Best Styptic Pencil 1. Sealing the WoundThe word "styptic" is not one that you hear too often today. Styptics are products that are used to stop bleeding. The root words refer to items that cause contracting or closing up of the tissue. We more often hear the word "astringent" used in the same way, but astringents are used to contract pores on the face, for example. The most common use for styptic pencils is to treat small cuts caused by shaving. Despite what your pops taught you, rubbing alcohol and shreds of toilet paper are not the way to salvage your wounds. Using them tends to only trigger inflammation and prolongs the healing process. Sprinkling talcum powder doesn’t do you many favors either, as most experienced barbers discourage its use for shaving purposes. What’s left? The styptic pencil.

Aluminum (element) in: PubChem. Bethesda (MD): National Center for Biotechnology Information [cited 2021 Feb 24]. A styptic pencil is used to stop bleeding from a small cut. It is applied to the cut and then pressure is applied. Rinse and pat-dry any excess blood that is coming out of the cut before applying the styptic pencil to it. Make sure you’re only getting wet what will be applied to the wound, not the entire thing – if too much gets on there, it can end up being more painful than helpful!Moreno A, Domínguez P, Domínguez C, Ballabriga A. High serum aluminium levels and acute reversible encephalopathy in a 4-year-old boy with acute renal failure. Eur J Pediatr. 1991 May;150(7):513–4. Styptic pencils are an essential, non-negotiable staple in any man’s shaving kit, but how do you choose the right one? There are lots of different styptic products available, and they seemingly all do the same job, but there are some key differences to keep in mind. Clubman Pinaud has remained the premier source for barbers across the globe throughout the past three decades. Recognized mostly for its talc powder, the brand’s styptic pencil is its hidden gem. The tube is larger than all other selections on our list, still it’s a great size that warrants consistency with sleek grip control. Don’t hesitate to use this pen on bug bites or other irritable scratches. Each styptic solution has been created differently to stop the bleeding from shaving cuts. The main ingredient in styptic pencils is anhydrous aluminum sulfate. It comes in different forms and not everyone uses the same formula to create their own styptic solution – a.k.a “styptic pencil”.