Pine Tar Soap

[Catscankim]

I got a new photography thingy. Photo box? Anyway. I have been playing with it all day. I know, not related to my title.

I posted one of my prettiest soaps on facebook. And I got a request from a friend for pine tar soap. I have heard of it, still doing research. Wondering if anybody has a good recipe? What is there to like about pine tar soap?

 

[AliOop]

There is a recipe here in this thread. Apparently the smell is less than lovely, and it can be a bear to soap with, as in, major acceleration and guaranteed rustic-looking finish. But people like it because it helps with their skin issues.

 

[earlene]

The pine tar you use makes a difference with the smell. I was fortunate enough to find a brand that I really like the smell of when made in pine tar soap. Not all are equal from what I've read. There was a thread around here somewhere discussing different brands, but depending on where you live and availability, sometimes you just have only one option.

I bought mine at a feed store, but I don't recall the brand name. It was the only one they carried, so it was my only option.

I use it to sooth my psoriatic itching. I know that is medicinal, so be careful if you sell this soap. People expect it to be medicinal, so no matter how you market it, you will have to label it as if it is medicinal. You don't have to SAY it is medicinal, you just have to follow the FDA labeling requirements as if it is a medicinal soap.

Some people scent theirs to mask or complement or otherwise make the pine tar odor more acceptable. Search for pine tar soap and you'll find all kinds of inform about different scents that are used. I did not scent mine as when I made it I was traveling and didn't have access to a scent. Besides, I like the natural scent of the pine tar I found.

And adding a scent to a soap that is quite possibly going to be used by someone who has skin issues, may be contraindicated anyway. Since your friend asked for it specifically, if it were me, I'd leave out any added fragrance.

 

[Obsidian]

I just took my favorite recipe and replaced 10% of the OO with pine tar.
I think it smells like burning rubber. I usually leave it unscented but tea tree goes ok with it, same with pine or spruce.
The scent mellows a lot with age.

Yes, its a bear to work with. You'll want to keep the pine tar separate until you get the rest of the oils/FO to emulsion. Then hand stir your warmed until thin pine tar into the batter.

This is where you need to be ready to move quick. Usually within a few seconds, it starts to thicken. Stir as fast as you can and get it poured.

If you are lucky, it will behave decently and you'll get a good pour, if not, you may have to plop it in the mold.

People may expect it to be medicinal but you can't label it as such unless its been laboratory tested to prove it actual is.

 

[earlene]

By labeling it as medicinal, I mean follow the FDA labeling requirements for medicated soap. I do not mean to actually say "Medicinal" on the label. Perhaps I wasn't clear enough on that.

 

[DeeAnna]

I do pretty much the same as Obsidian does except I mix the pine tar with some of my soaping oils to make it easier to mix in. Here are my thoughts about this soap and how I make it -- Soapy Stuff: Pine tar soap

I do about 2 batches of PT soap each year (14 bars per batch). I just made a new batch last month and somehow managed to stop stirring and get the batter poured at the exact right moment. (That miracle only happens once or twice in every half dozen batches.) Most of it goes to my DH for his personal use (I don't care to use it myself) and I sell a few bars here 'n there.

I don't find the smell offensive now that I'm familiar with it (it's kinda like neem that way), but the brand does make a difference in the smell. I have used Bickmore and Auson pine tars. I much prefer the smell of Auson, but the cost is a lot higher and I have to order it online. The other brands can often be found in local horse and farm stores for quite a bit less.

Other than the odor being somewhat different, the various brands of PT I've tried or heard other people talk about seem to behave about the same.

 

[Obsidian]

I've used bickmore and horse health, I found the bickmore to be more rubber like in scent. The horse health was milder

 

[Ford]

Only made this once. But worked great. I combined my soft oils and lye, brought to a light trace. Then added my hard oils, butter, pine tar. I warmed pine tar some to get it more fluid before hand. Was able to pour into molds. It did set fairly fast, But did not seize in 1, 2, oh no! I think someone actually timed there's. And it was seconds to seizer. Found Bickmore at tractor supply.

 

[Catscankim]

Found out that he currently uses Dr Squatch soap. Im only slightly familiar with pine tar soap, so i dont know if this is a popular brand

edit... i just ordered brickmore pine tar. The Auson brand was way too expensive for an experiment lol.

My friend basically wants this recipe recreated. But then tells me he doesnt want anything “fake” in it. So i tell him that it contains pine fo....he says no, its pine oil. This is what i am dealing with lol.

And he went on and on about AC like this is a new invention. I had to send him a picture of my jar of AC to prove it to him.

And i dont know what they mean by sand in their bar. Like just sand? I have other scrubbies that i think have more label appeal

Other than the FO and the sand, i am all set i think.

 

[Ford]

Never thought about putting something like pumice in it. "PINE fragrance OIL" just leave fragrance out of the conversation with your friend. He'll not know. hope it works out well for you.

 

[linne1gi]

I've made Pine Tar Soap a few times now - I really like it. I make it slightly different than @DeeAnna suggests. I let my oils and lye solution cool to about 90-95F, Add my Pine Tar to my oils and stick blend in to be sure it is fully incorporated - I add a little lavender essential oil usually to the oils as well - then I hand stir my lye solution in - I have time to completely mix the lye solution before it gets too thick, it's maybe at medium trace, then spoon into my mold. Each time has been relatively stress free. And I love the soap.

 

[Catscankim]

I am kind of afraid to add too many ingredients on my first go round since this seems like a bad behaving soap. I might just make a plain old pine tar soap first.

What is the natural color of pt soap without charcoal or fragrance?

 

[linne1gi]

I am kind of afraid to add too many ingredients on my first go round since this seems like a bad behaving soap. I might just make a plain old pine tar soap first.

What is the natural color of pt soap without charcoal or fragrance?

Here's my latest Pine Tar soap - I use Pine Ta

r at 20%. No added colors.

 

[Catscankim]

Here's my latest Pine Tar soap - I use Pine TaView attachment 50213r at 20%. No added colors.

Thats a pretty color!!

 

[linne1gi]

Thats a pretty color!!

Sort of a chocolate brown I think. And with the lavender scent it’s pleasant.

 

[Ford]

just plain soap. no additives or fragrance.

 

[Obsidian]

Mine with 10% bickmore. I got lots of bubbles with this one

 

[DeeAnna]

The color of PT soap will vary because pine tar itself varies since it's made from waste wood, not from strictly controlled ingredients.

All of my batches have been blackish brown to near black, and that's what I usually see when other people share photos of theirs. The honey brown color is less common, but the color is really attractive.

 

[Catscankim]

I'm gonna have to practice LOL.

 

[Catscankim]

The color of PT soap will vary because pine tar itself varies since it's made from waste wood, not from strictly controlled ingredients.

All of my batches have been blackish brown to near black, and that's what I usually see when other people share photos of theirs. The honey brown color is less common, but the color is really attractive.

I really like the black. So i guess i am adding AC. I am going to follow your recipe on your site.