# Pine/balsam soap recipe



## Adirondacker (Feb 4, 2014)

I want to make a pine or balsam scented soap and am looking for a good recipe. Does anyone have a tried and trusted recipe they've used?  My Aunt has a store here in the Adirondacks and during "tourist" season she can't keep pine scented soap on her shelves. She has been buying from a catolog, but I would really love to do some homemade soap for her. Thanks!!!


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## dixiedragon (Feb 4, 2014)

Have you considered pine tar soap?

Also, I really like the Brambleberry FO "Woodland Elves." It's very piney without smelling like Pinesol.

You can also get pine cone soap molds. Possibly a stamp?

I also read about a lady who used powdered spruce cones to make her soap brown.
http://67.222.53.210/frontierfreedom/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=168&Itemid=52


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## Adirondacker (Feb 4, 2014)

dixiedragon said:


> Have you considered pine tar soap?
> 
> Also, I really like the Brambleberry FO "Woodland Elves." It's very piney without smelling like Pinesol.
> 
> ...




I've never heard of pine tar soap. What is it?


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## dixiedragon (Feb 4, 2014)

You can find pine tar at horse supply places. They use it on hooves some times. You can also order it on Amazon. Be very careful you get something that is 100% pine tar! It will make a chocolate-colored soap that smells very piney and also (IMO) smells a bit medicinal. Some people think it smells smokey. Pine tar soap is an old folk remedy for all kinds of skin conditions.

If you search the forum for pine tar soap, you will see lots of threads, recipes, discussions, etc. I don't want to summarize those threads, but I am happy to tell you about my experiences.

25% is too much. 6 months later the soap is STILL soft and gooey!
20% is okay.
My recipe is something like 40% lard, 20% coconut, 30% olive oil, 5% castor and 5% sunflower. This works fine for pine tar soap. I increase the water percentage from 38 to 40% (using soapcalc). I also use lavender EO.

DO NOT STICK BLEND! Pine tar soap traces VERY VERY fast! It's comparable to clove EO.

I heat the little can in a saucepan with some water, then pour the pine tar into the oils. I stir the oils and pine tar with a large paint stirrer (free from Home Depot), then add my lye water, then stir with the paint stirrer. I use cardboard milk cartons as molds. Which is good, since my last attempt is STILL in the mold! I prefer to use as many disposable things as I can, so I don't have to get pine tar off of anything.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 4, 2014)

Have you made soap before?  It sounds like you are looking for recipe to make a batch of soap with Pine scent in it....Can you clarify please.....thanks!


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## cmzaha (Feb 4, 2014)

If you are just starting out making soap I certainly would not make pine tar soap as a beginner. My suggestion is to stay away from pine tar soap completely as it is can be a high allergin. Of course people should take responsibilty for themselves and read labels but they don't. I would keep it plain soap with pine scent for putting in a shop. Plus pine tar is hard to work with. It could save you a lot of money of fo's if you just purchase some sniffy bottles and test first until you find one you like. I personally love Big Sur from soapalooza mixed with some cederwood


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## dixiedragon (Feb 4, 2014)

shunt2011 said:


> Have you made soap before? It sounds like you are looking for recipe to make a batch of soap with Pine scent in it....Can you clarify please.....thanks!


 
LOL I hadn't thought of that! If you haven't made soap before, don't make pine tar soap as your first batch!


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## Adirondacker (Feb 4, 2014)

I've made three batches of CP soap before so I am looking for something a bit on the easier side. I do want a pretty basic recipe as I only have a 9 bar birch wood mold I purchased from Bramble Berry. If my soap comes out well and sells good I'll definitely get a bigger mold.


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## Adirondacker (Feb 4, 2014)

shunt2011 said:


> Have you made soap before?  It sounds like you are looking for recipe to make a batch of soap with Pine scent in it....Can you clarify please.....thanks!




Yes I am looking for a nice bar that has a pine/cedar/balsam/woodsy scent to it. I have quite a few oils on hand and will be ordering more stuff when I figure out which scent I'm going with so I'm open to any recipe. I'm just not brave enough or educated enough to make my own recipe up.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 4, 2014)

You can take any recipe you like and add some piney or woodsy FO or EO to it. I like the recipes on www.millersoap.com.

Cedar EO is also a great scent!


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## DeeAnna (Feb 4, 2014)

The scent of pine tar soap varies from "eau de smoky campfire" to the stench of burned rubber ... it's not remotely a pine/cedar/balsam/woodsy scent in my opinion, even after a nice long cure.


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## bluelilyboutique (Feb 5, 2014)

I made a "hunters soap" I used cedar wood EO with tea tree oil EO and pine EO. Very woodsy my dad a hunter loves it! Also tea tree oil helps keep the bugs off of him.


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## shunt2011 (Feb 5, 2014)

My hunters soap is actually green apple scented.  It sells in hunting country like hotcakes when I do my show there once a year.   Soap and lotion.   I originally made it as a kids soap but then sold out at this one show for 3 years in a row now.  Go figure.     I love Cedar and Balsam together.  Reminds me of the woods.


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## bluelilyboutique (Feb 5, 2014)

Lol hunters and green apple??? Lol that's funny.


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## dixiedragon (Feb 5, 2014)

Next time I make camo soap, I think I will make it vanilla scented. I made it with a scent called "Sexy Man," which reminds me of Gillette, but softer. Women LOVE that smell. Men are "meh". But IMO, men love vanilla.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 5, 2014)

Men also love lavender, too!  Strange, I know.

I like the idea of cedar and balsam.  I can see apple working, maybe with something woodsy, though.  Vitververver* maybe?

* I can never spell it


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## bluelilyboutique (Feb 5, 2014)

Vanilla is an aphrodisiac for men which is why they like it.


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## The Efficacious Gentleman (Feb 5, 2014)

Hmmmm, I might need to go and collect the "Night Time Shower Soap" vanilla bars that I gave to the local Old People's Home..................................


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## dixiedragon (Feb 5, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Hmmmm, I might need to go and collect the "Night Time Shower Soap" vanilla bars that I gave to the local Old People's Home..................................


 
Hey! Old people need their lovin' too! :wink:


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## bluelilyboutique (Feb 5, 2014)

The Efficacious Gentleman said:


> Hmmmm, I might need to go and collect the "Night Time Shower Soap" vanilla bars that I gave to the local Old People's Home..................................




Lol!!! Let those poor old people have their vanilla bars!!


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## Saponista (Feb 5, 2014)

Does the pine tar accelerate the soap and overheat it?


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## dixiedragon (Feb 5, 2014)

I have never had pine tar overheat soap, but it does very much accellerate it! I get medium trace in less than 10 minutes just hand stirring. And as I mentioned, I use 30% or more olive oil and 40% water.


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## Saponista (Feb 5, 2014)

I will keep that in mind Dixie, it's on my list of things to try soon.


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