Pine Tar Soap

[earlene]

Mine is also the lighter brown sort of like a rich maple syrup type brown. I quite like it for a brown soap. And I really like the smokey scent of it with no added fragrance. I believe the brand is called Horse Health. Usage rate 10%.

 

[Malleebird]

I made 2 different formulas and used 10% pine tar in one and 15% pine tar in the other. Using them, I honestly can't tell the difference between the two (No added fragrance to either). The 10% one was REALLY slow to trace and the 15% one was "normal". I prefer the darker colour ... but depends whether you like chocolate or caramel

 

[Ant]

Hey there, I made a batch of pine tar soap not too long ago. Its literally in seconds from smooth to rock hard. I used activated charcoal in it to get to to a deep dark chocolate brown. Have some pics on that panic thread I made lol

I purchased some of Dr. Squatch's soaps for my OH, which liked how their pinetar one smelled best. I don't know if you have smelled Dr. Squatch's pine tar soap but it has a strong pine fo smell and probably a crap ton of activated charcoal in it. It leaves black streaks down the tub... anyways I'm thinking they have a whopping 1% in it, if that for label appeal, because my 10% pine tar with one of the better smelling smokey ones instead of burnt rubber ones it smells NOTHING like Dr. Squatch.

I have a feeling he may not like it as much as he thinks he does if he's comparing it to that brands version. Just my two cents based off of my husband's reaction to the higher percentage pine tar soap.

 

[Catscankim]

Hey there, I made a batch of pine tar soap not too long ago. Its literally in seconds from smooth to rock hard. I used activated charcoal in it to get to to a deep dark chocolate brown. Have some pics on that panic thread I made lol

I purchased some of Dr. Squatch's soaps for my OH, which liked how their pinetar one smelled best. I don't know if you have smelled Dr. Squatch's pine tar soap but it has a strong pine fo smell and probably a crap ton of activated charcoal in it. It leaves black streaks down the tub... anyways I'm thinking they have a whopping 1% in it, if that for label appeal, because my 10% pine tar with one of the better smelling smokey ones instead of burnt rubber ones it smells NOTHING like Dr. Squatch.

I have a feeling he may not like it as much as he thinks he does if he's comparing it to that brands version. Just my two cents based off of my husband's reaction to the higher percentage pine tar soap.

Hmmm....im gonna have to buy a bar.

Plus now im wondering about the orange eo listed. can you smell any orange in it? i havent used orange eo in soap before, and from my understanding orange doesnt stick, except maybe the 10x orange.

I also am thinking that the sea salt listed is label appeal as it is the last ingredient. Adding sea salt in lieu of SL maybe?

I am up for the experiment and experience of making pine tar soap. Knowing my friend....he is going to think HIS bar of Dr Squatch is the ONLY authentic bar of pine tar lol.

I think it might be fun to see how close i can get to it, but in the meantime, i think i am going to go with as little ingredients as possible on my first go considering what a fuss it is to make it from what i have read.

And i personally hate when charcoal soap makes a big stinkin mess in your tub/shower.

 

[Obsidian]

Looking at the ingredient list again, I bet they are using just a little pine tar for scent.

If they are labeling properly, there is more pine scent then pine tar.
I would only use like 1%, if you use too much your picky friend might well not like the unusual scent.

I'm thinking the orange is added for the "cleansing benefits" and label appeal. I doubt any scent would come through the pine.

 

[Ant]

I couldn't pick up on any orange scent. The pine overpowers everything. And looking at the ingredients again, it says pine fragrance lol so probably not an eo or they would probably proudly state that since they are against "nasty synthetic" ingredients.

 

[Catscankim]

I couldn't pick up on any orange scent. The pine overpowers everything. And looking at the ingredients again, it says pine fragrance lol so probably not an eo or they would probably proudly state that since they are against "nasty synthetic" ingredients.

Yeah. I noticed the pine FO. I am not familiar with pine EO, but doing a (very) quick google, it does not seem to be a skin irritant. With all their bragging about their natural ingredients, why do you think they opt for the FO?

edit: its not terribly expensive. I just looked it up on Mountain Rose Herbs where i get my eo...personal use, not for soaping. I think eo is too expensive to soap with, except the lav from one of our vendors. Anyway, off topic Lol. But it was kinda comparable in price to lavender. Maybe a tad cheaper. But if you are going to use orange eo that you cant smell in their soap, then why go off your “natural path” and use pine fo?

 

[Ant]

I don't know. I haven't researched anything but maybe the safe max amount of pine eo still couldn't cover up that 1% or so of pine tar odor enough to satisfy the masses. I figure most people are probably expecting it to smell like a Christmas tree. Some FO usage rates go way higher than EO and they could scent it enough for their tastes.

Money reasons dont make sense to me since they used more orange essential oil but if I remembering correctly thats pretty cheap as far as eos go.

Who knows though.

 

[Obsidian]

I personally don't like the scent of pine EO, its too resinous. I use balsam FO from NG, its really nice without being fake or overpowering

 

[Catscankim]

OMG I am so stupid. I do or should know better.

When I was a kid I had really bad asthma. Every single xmas I was in the hospital or just too plain sick to enjoy anything. Nobody could figure it out. Then when I was an adult (23 years ago LOL), my then 7 year old daughter was in bed and my dad and bf were out getting xmas presents from my dads garage. I had a serious allergic reaction to what turned out to be the xmas tree. My daughter found me in the hallway upstairs unconscious and called 911. I was in the hospital for a week from xmas eve to new years eve on a ventilator.

I am sitting here right now waiting for lye to cool for another soapy project. My pine tar isn't in yet, but my pine FO got here today. I opened it and I'm like NOOOOOO. OMG, how can I be so stupid. I never put two and two together until I sniffed the bottle. Its fragrance, so it should be ok, I think LOL. What I am nervous about is the pine tar when it comes in. I don't think I should use it in my house. Maybe soap outside? I dunno. That was really traumatic. I haven't had a xmas tree since then. It really never occurred to me 23 years later.

Right now I am itchy scratchy all over. But I think that's psychosomatic lol. I don't think I should make the pine tar soap.

 

[Obsidian]

I wouldn't risk it. If a tree sent you to the hospital, the pine tar could do the same.

I would also check the pine FO, make sure it doesn't contain any EO. It still might be a risk that isn't worth taking.

 

[DeeAnna]

Just because it's a fragrance oil doesn't mean it's entirely different blend of chemicals compared with the EO. It can be, but not necessarily. Sometimes the actual EO or certain chemical constituents found in the EO are also included in the FO.

Pine EO is an inexpensive EO compared to many, so I would be wary about it. The FO may be somewhat chemically similar to the EO.

 

[Catscankim]

Ok i know you are all going to think i was nuts, given the potential for an allergic reaction, but i did it anyway. I started a medrol dose pack yesterday that i have for a sinus infection, took my regular daily zyrtec, took some benadryl and a pepcid. Had my nebulizer all ready to go. I wore an n95 for good measure. I wont do it again lol. Definitely set off an allergy, I am ok. It started with the pine tar, I think the FO sent me almost over the edge.

All that aside, I took @DeeAnna website recipe, changed a few things. I was not going to use any additives for my first batch, but i figured i better go all-in in case i wasnt able to make another batch. So it got some pumice and AC and fo in one half of the oils (plus the tar). The other half was just oils and lye.

Got the lye batch to a definite light trace and poured it into the half with all the additives and only whisked. I got a decent pour, but the top got a little harder to deal with. Was definitely a bit of a rodeo lol. But since it set up so fast, it was fun to play with the top lol, which didnt last long because it kept getting more and more difficult to work with.

so i present my one and only batch of Pine Tar Soap. It looks purdy. It seems already rock hard. I pushed in on the sides to get rid of the mold bowing...no can do. It was kinda fun to make. Hope it turns out ok.

When should i unmold and cut??

In the meantime, i need to get out of the house and get some fresh air lol.

 

[Obsidian]

Glad you are ok and hope that you have someplace out of the house to cure the soap as the scent will last forever.

I made mine in the morning as was able to cut it early evening. I could have left it overnight but I wanted to use my new cutter.

If you ever decide to try again, I would suggest a proper respirator and making it outside.

 

[AliOop]

@Catscankim Girl, really???

Leave it to the medical professional to ignore life-threatening anaphylactic risks so she can make SOAP.

 

[Catscankim]

Glad you are ok and hope that you have someplace out of the house to cure the soap as the scent will last forever.

I made mine in the morning as was able to cut it early evening. I could have left it overnight but I wanted to use my new cutter.

If you ever decide to try again, I would suggest a proper respirator and making it outside.

Not going to do it again. I just drove down to the poolhall just to be around ppl.

The soap is curing in a spare bedroom in the garage. Got everything cleaned up and opened up the house.

So its not like salt bars where they are uncuttable after too long i take it? I want to cut them tomorrow after my allergies subside. I have a cheese cutter. Dont want to break the wire either.

 

[AliOop]

So I guess if we never see another post from you again, we know you cut the soap with your cheese slicer.

Seriously, if you don't post the cut by tomorrow, we will be sending someone to your house.

 

[Catscankim]

@Catscankim Girl, really???

Leave it to the medical professional to ignore life-threatening anaphylactic risks so she can make SOAP.

I took one for the soaping community lol. Pine tar contains pine, and pine fo also contains pine lol

i will cut outside i promise lol. I will premedicate again just in case.

 

[Obsidian]

Not going to do it again. I just drove down to the poolhall just to be around ppl.

The soap is curing in a spare bedroom in the garage. Got everything cleaned up and opened up the house.

So its not like salt bars where they are uncuttable after too long i take it? I want to cut them tomorrow after my allergies subside. I have a cheese cutter. Dont want to break the wire either.

No, it won't get hard like a salt bar does. If anything, pt makes soap a little softer. It sets up fast but not harder.
I cut mine with a wire cutter, no problem.

 

[DeeAnna]

+1 what Obsidian said. Pine tar soap is way more forgiving than salt bars are, even if the PT soap gels which I encourage it to do. I cut mine at 12-24 hours -- that's about as long I can manage to wait.

I just got done packaging a batch of PT bars I made about 7 weeks ago. The bars are plenty firm, especially for pine tar soap, but I bet I could still cut them with a wire or a bench scraper if I wanted to.