While it does not saponify, it does react with, and therefore "use up" some of the NaOH.
Is 5 % pine tar enough in soap ?
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My guess is because it looks like and oil or butter, they put it in the oils list for us to find and account for it's weight. Since it would weigh a lot more in a recipe than other additives.
No, that is not the reason. As stated above, pine tar does react with NaOH and use some of it up. But like citric acid, or vinegar, it doesn't actually saponify.
Thank you for this! I use 7% pine tar along with some salt and colloidal oats and get a great bar. I just don't like doing things without understanding why they work the way they do...lol
Me neither! And since there are so many myths about soaping, it's great to ask questions and find out the real story.
Over a decade ago, one of the first books I read on soaping was Modern Soapmaking by Ann Watson. She dispels a lot of old-time soaping myths. This forum has been another fantastic resource, with so many knowledgeable folks here! Another really good resource is the Soapy Stuff section of @DeeAnna's website.
Pine tar, along with lanolin, beeswax, and jojoba, are "fat wannabe" ingredients. They're soluble in fat for one thing. Makers may use them in significant amounts in a batch of soap, so it's important to account for the volume and weight they add to a soap batch.
In addition, these ingredients also react with alkali (NaOH or KOH). Some components in these ingredients may actually saponify a little bit to produce unusual types of soap, but the essential point is they consume enough alkali that you want to include them when calculating the amount of lye required for a recipe.
For these reasons -- fat soluble, significant volume and weight, and consumption of alkali -- they are treated in the calculations as if they're the same as regular fats. That's why they're included in the list of fats in soap recipe c@lculators and the amount of alkali they consume is handled the same as if it is a "saponification value".
Rosin is another "fat wannabe", but it is unusual in that it has a "saponification value" that's quite a bit higher than the other "fat wannabe" ingredients. It is handled the same way as pine tar, lanolin, beeswax, and jojoba when calculating a soap recipe.
In addition, these ingredients also react with alkali (NaOH or KOH). Some components in these ingredients may actually saponify a little bit to produce unusual types of soap, but the essential point is they consume enough alkali that you want to include them when calculating the amount of lye required for a recipe.
For these reasons -- fat soluble, significant volume and weight, and consumption of alkali -- they are treated in the calculations as if they're the same as regular fats. That's why they're included in the list of fats in soap recipe c@lculators and the amount of alkali they consume is handled the same as if it is a "saponification value".
Rosin is another "fat wannabe", but it is unusual in that it has a "saponification value" that's quite a bit higher than the other "fat wannabe" ingredients. It is handled the same way as pine tar, lanolin, beeswax, and jojoba when calculating a soap recipe.
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An article which was medically reviewed cites a study, but mainly talks about coal tar soap, as that is what doctors usually recommend. It also cites safety concerns regarding side effects, and mentions alternatives such as jojoba and oatmeal. I think I would rather use those, personally, but my eczema is not that bad. Also, I think someone here already said this, but we can't put any labeling on our soap regarding health benefits. If you do, your soap will be considered a drug and subject to FDA regulations.
https://www.healthline.com/health/tar-soap-for-psoriasis#1
https://www.healthline.com/health/tar-soap-for-psoriasis#1
