Pine tar is used on horse’s hooves to help with cracks and other injuries or problems, but is very good for soothing eczema, psoriasis, dander and other skin problems on humans. You can buy pine tar at any feed and seed store. It is kept on the isle where salve and other ointments are kept and is in a metal jar. The pine tar can be very thick, but if so open the lid and place the can in the top part of a double boiler. Let heat until the pine tar is thin enough to pour. Keep the water level low enough so that it does not boil into the pine tar.
You can add pine tar to any favorite soap recipe you make. Add as much or as little as you’d like, I’d personally not add more than ½ the jar for a 7 1/2lb soap recipe, but it’s up to you. I wouldn’t add any fragrance as the pine tar has a very strong scent and would overpower most fragrances anyway.
The recipe I have supplied is a very simple recipe that anyone can make using oils and shortening bought from the store. You can substitute the oils for any you’d rather use, just make sure to run through a lye calculator to ensure that the lye content is still correct for the modified recipe.
I measure everything in lbs on my kitchen scale.
This recipe will make 7 ½ lbs.
Equipment needed:
Rubber gloves (not necessary, but a precaution)
Goggles (not necessary, but a precaution)
1 stainless steel soup pot (medium size will do)
Wooden spoons
Spatula
Candy thermometer
Kitchen scale
Heavy duty plastic pitcher or tempered glass 8-cup measuring cup
Mold
Ingredients:
3 lb all vegetable shortening (store)
1 lb coconut oil (store, generally Wal-mart carries)
1 1/2 lb olive oil (store)
2 lb distilled water
¾ lb lye (100% lye) can be bought at Ace hardware
4 oz pine tar (Feed and seed store)
Using the pitcher or tempered measuring cup, fill with the measured amount of distilled water and then carefully pour the lye into the water. Stir with a wooden spoon until the lye is completely dissolved. Set aside to cool.
Using the soup pot add measured shortening and oils. On low heat melt the shortening and oils together stirring with another wooden spoon until completely melted. Remove from heat.
You will need to check the temperatures of the lye water and oils every few minutes until they have both cooled down to 100-105.
When the lye water and oils have cooled down to around 100-105 degrees (use candy thermometer) slowly stir the lye water into the oils with a wooden spoon. Continue to stir until well mixed, about 5 minutes.
Add the pine tar and continue to stir. Remember the pine tar will speed up the tracing from 0-60 in just a couple seconds. Stir well to incorporate the pine tar into the soap mixture. When the soap mixture is at a thick trace quit stirring and pour into your mold, using the spatula to get all the soap out of the pot. Insulate the mold. Let set 24 hours. You can then remove the soap slab from the mold and cut into bars. This recipe can make 30-soap bars depending on the size of your mold. Let cure for no less than 2 weeks before using.
Re-batching soap to make Pine Tar soap.
What you will need:
Up to 15 regular bars of soap, but no less than 7
1 cup water for 15 bars or ½ cup water for 7 bars of soap
Crock-pot (regular to large size)
Knife
Water
Pine tar 4 oz for 15 bars, 2 oz for 7 bars
Lined mold
Spatula
Wooden spoons
If you don’t have a mold then make one using the top from a copier paper box or similar box top. Take the box top and insert into a kitchen size trash bag. Smooth down the middle of the box and over the sides to make a nice neat liner.
Slice the soap bars into thin slices (about 8 slices per bar). Put these into the crock-pot and add the water based on the number of soap bars you are using (above). Cover and turn crock-pot on high for 1 hour. Stir the soap. Continue to stir every 30-minutes until the soap has melted down to the consistency of oatmeal. The soap will never be smooth like the original batch. When the soap has melted down to oatmeal consistency add the pine tar, again based on the amount of bars you have cut up. Stir real well so that the pine tar is completely incorporated into the soap mixture. Pour or spoon into the prepared mold. Let sit at least 24 hours before cutting into bars.
You do not need to let the soap cure for two weeks as the original soap was already cured, you just re-batched it.