# Pine tar salve/lotion?



## Mockingbird Ramble (Jul 16, 2013)

has anyone experimented with pine tar in leave on products?  Pine tar is on my go to list for scrapes and roap burns on my horses, that and lanonin creams. I love how my hands fel after doctoring, even after washing a few times.

 I have been using lanolin in a few of the lotion bars I made and like that, but has anyone put pine tar in lotion bars or made salves with it?

Any tips or thoughts?


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## AngelMomma (Jul 16, 2013)

For people or animals?  I bet a calendula salve would benefit from a dab of pine tar.  I make and use a calendula salve/balm all the time.  On scrapes or just when my skin is dry.  It works so good and is super duper simple to make.

I am rambling.  To answer your question.......No, I have never tried it.  But now I am going to!  Lol!  I just picked up some more little containers at the dollar store last night, so perfect time.


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## Mockingbird Ramble (Jul 16, 2013)

For people, I use corona ointment on the horses and it is 30% lanolin. I think I am going to do a small test batch of lotion bar, start with like 5 % pine tar and remelt and add more if I like it, until I stop liking it.


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## heartsong (Jul 16, 2013)

hi there!  many moons ago I posted a lotion bar with pine tar, but i'm foxed if I can find it!   for a balm you can pour in a tin:

this makes 100 grm:

25 grm natural beeswax (25%)
60 grm organic coconut oil (60%)
15 grm pinetar (15%)

you can tinker around all you want...if you increase the pinetar, then reduce the coconut oil...my favorite now is using BA's awesome lipbalm base & add pinetar to that for a softer salve-like balm...hth!
http://www.bulkapothecary.com/lip-balm/unscented-all-natural-lip-balm-base/


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## Mockingbird Ramble (Jul 16, 2013)

Awesome heartsong, have you ever added Shea or avacado butter?

I think I am looking for more of a lotion then a leave on balm, something that will absorb pretty quick.


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## DeeAnna (Jul 16, 2013)

I'm not too sure how well the pine tar will play with your idea of an absorbent type of lotion, just from playing around with a dab of it on my hands when I made pine tar soap. I might offset it with fractionated coconut, jojoba, almond, or other light oil if the goal is a lighter "dry" feeling lotion, rather than a heavy cream or salve. The shea or avocado butter will make the lotion more greasy and thicker.

I did find a few vague references to pine tar salve or lotion and was seeing percentages of pine tar similar to what is used for soap -- anywhere from 10% to 20% of the total oil-phase. Nothing really concrete to share, unfortunately.

On a related note, I took the plunge today and ordered some "Stockholm" pine tar -- the pine tar that is actually made in Sweden. It comes in "light" and "dark". I ordered the light, which is recommended for above-ground wood treatment, use on horses, etc. The dark is for below-ground wood treatment and other purposes where rot resistance is important. (No recommendation for soap or other products for use on humans, unfortunately.) I thought humans might be more like horses than like posts buried in the ground.

I get the impression that the Swedish product is thicker and more piney smelling than the "burnt rubber" smelling Bickmore product I have been using, and that would be a lovely improvement. It's considerably more expensive than Bickmore, but I'm looking forward to seeing the difference. What exactly I'm going to do with a whole 3 liters of the stuff, I'm not quite sure -- perhaps I shall become the crazy pine tar soap-and-lotion lady of northeast Iowa?!?    

Oh, and Angel Momma, I use calendula infused sunflower in a lip balm aka lotion bar. Like you, I really like the calendula. This past winter was the first time in years that I have not had dry-itchy skin, and I really do credit the calendula for that.

Even my normally macho strong silent type of brother told me he really likes the calendula-based lip balm I gave him. For him to give that kind of praise is pretty amazing. Guess what he's getting for this coming winter season!

I think I'd avoid pine tar in a lip balm -- the odor is so strong and I'm not sure I want to ingest pine tar. But Mockingbird's idea of pine tar in a salve or lotion for general skin use is intriguing.


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## Mockingbird Ramble (Jul 17, 2013)

I love the smell of pine tar, I must be a freak.

Anyway I did a very very small test of pine tar with equal parts lanolin. A third part beeswax and a third part shea butter with a bit of jojoba oil for shiggles. 

This will be a healing salve I think more then a lotion... we shall see once it sets up.


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## Kasha77 (Mar 25, 2022)

how would you store a pine tar salve, in glass or a tin?


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## DeeAnna (Mar 25, 2022)

I'm the only one still around who participated in this 2013 thread, so I'll take a stab at answering.

Pine tar is sold in metal cans, so metal should be fine. I don't care for putting products in glass due to the breakage issue, but I'm sure glass would also be fine. A plastic container -- polyethylene, polypropylene, or PET -- would work too.


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## Kasha77 (Apr 19, 2022)

That makes sense!  Thanks so much!


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