Antimicrobial Soap for Body, Face, and Hair

Antimicrobial pine tar soap originated hundreds of years ago in Scandinavia, where pine tar was harvested in a specialty kiln. Pine tar became coveted around the world for its healing properties. People still use it for daily cleaning in the form of an easy-to-use bar soap, an antimicrobial bar soap many keep in their routine. It's effective, lasts a long time, and is good for travel.

Pine tar is antimicrobial, which means that it inhibits the growth of microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. It has been known for centuries to decrease itchy skin, promote clearing of rashes and fungal infections, and shorten healing times for skin conditions. This makes pine tar soap an effective antimicrobial soap for the body, hands, and scalp while supporting balanced skin.

• Pine Tar Soap Is Naturally Antimicrobial
• What Is Antimicrobial Soap?
• Bathing with Antimicrobial Pine Tar Soap
• The Best Antimicrobial Soap for Bodies
• FAQs About Antimicrobial Soap

Pine Tar Soap Is Naturally Antimicrobial

With people washing their hands more frequently than ever these days, it's comforting to know that natural pine tar soap has antimicrobial properties without the use of harsh chemicals that can dry your skin. As an antimicrobial soap for the body, it helps cleanse effectively while respecting your skin barrier. Packer's Pine Tar soap is known for leaving a fresh and soft feeling on your skin for hours after you wash it off. Many loyal users say it is one of the best antimicrobial soap options without synthetic additives.

Do you know what is in the hand sanitizer or other agent that you use to clean your hands—possibly multiple times per day? The skin is the body's largest organ, and it is a critical barrier between you and the world. It's no wonder that so many people are becoming increasingly choosy about their personal care products; when your skin absorbs toxins from soaps, moisturizer, perfume, and the like, those toxins must be removed by the body down the line, taxing your system and potentially promoting rashes, allergies, or contributing to other, more serious conditions—one reason many prefer simpler antimicrobial soaps made with fewer additives.

Pine tar is obtained through heating and compressing pine wood stumps in kilns and extracting the sticky, viscous, aromatic substance that results. It has acidic properties and is composed of turpentine, resin, and creosol, among other compounds. Not only do these properties naturally clear dirt and oil from pores and the surface of the skin, but their antiseptic and astringent capabilities have also been used for thousands of years to ward off fungal infections in horses and cattle. Pine tar soap is also known to kill head lice after several days of application.

What Is Antimicrobial Soap?

Antimicrobial soap is any soap designed to help reduce or inhibit the growth of microorganisms on the skin or on the bar itself. “Microbes” is a broad category that can include bacteria, fungi, and viruses, depending on the ingredient and formula. In everyday use, antimicrobial soap helps wash away dirt, oil, sweat, and unwanted microbes so skin feels clean and refreshed.

Not all antimicrobial soaps work the same way. Some rely on synthetic active ingredients, while natural antimicrobial soaps may use plant-derived ingredients with cleansing, astringent, antifungal, or antimicrobial properties. Pine tar is one example. Because pine tar naturally inhibits microbial growth, Packer’s Pine Tar Soap is a strong choice for people who want an antimicrobial body soap that can be used beyond the sink—for the body, hands, and scalp.

Antimicrobial vs Antiseptic Soap

Antimicrobial and antiseptic soaps are similar, but they are not always the same. Antimicrobial refers broadly to products or ingredients that help fight or inhibit microbes, including bacteria, fungi, and sometimes viruses. Antiseptic typically refers to products used on living tissue to reduce the risk of infection, especially around wounds, cuts, or in medical settings.

For daily bathing, most people are looking for antimicrobial cleansing rather than a medical antiseptic. Packer’s Pine Tar Soap is not meant to replace medical wound care, but it can support a cleaner, fresher daily routine while helping skin feel comfortable and balanced.

Antibacterial vs Antimicrobial Soap

Antibacterial soap targets bacteria specifically. Antimicrobial soap is broader because it can refer to products that help inhibit multiple types of microbes, including bacteria and fungi. That difference matters when choosing a soap for full-body care, especially if you want more than a basic handwashing product.

Liquid antibacterial soaps like Dial can be effective and convenient for frequent handwashing. For bathing, however, an antimicrobial bar soap like Packer’s Pine offers a more complete full-body experience. It cleanses skin, supports comfort, and brings the earthy pine tar scent many customers associate with a deeper, more refreshing clean.

Natural Antimicrobial Soap vs. Chemical Antimicrobial Soap

At what cost are you getting clean hands and skin? You've probably been using soap since infancy, and most likely, you simply assume that soap is a harmless fact of life. For those seeking simpler routines, plant-based antimicrobial soaps can be an appealing alternative to formulas with unnecessary additives.

Unfortunately, there is a laundry list of harmful ingredients that are put into common brands of soap, shampoo, body wash, and other personal care products. A quick check of the labels of products around your home may reveal some surprises.

• Were you aware that some personal care products contain formaldehyde, a known carcinogen that can affect brain development, contribute to asthma, and cause other toxicities?

• How about diethanolamine or DEA, which is known to cause cancer?

• Parabens may be added to personal care products to keep them fresh—but these compounds are hormone disruptors, which can play havoc with your mood and energy levels, especially given the cumulative effect of using multiple products that contain these toxins.

• Another common carcinogen is PEG, or Polyethylene Glycol. The prevalence of this thickening agent is particularly concerning.

Bathing with Antimicrobial Pine Tar Soap

The scent of pine tar is woodsy and earthy, and even before you wet the bar of pine tar soap in the shower or bath or squeeze the body wash onto your sponge, you may be flooded with memories of childhood camping excursions or autumn mountain hikes. Maybe you're using the soap to improve skin or scalp conditions, or perhaps you just appreciate the scent and natural ingredients...whatever your reason, you're likely to feel invigorated by the tingly sensation of this lather-rich agent on your skin. 

As an antimicrobial body soap, it leaves skin feeling deeply clean without stripping. Used as an antimicrobial bar soap, it also fits easily into simple routines. In fact, most people feel increased moisture in their skin after bathing with pine tar soap.

The Best Antimicrobial Soap for Bodies

Pine tar has the benefit of being a natural, plant-derived substance that is anti-fungal and astringent without being toxic. It is gentle yet effective, which is why some of our customers have been using Packer's Pine for generations. What's more, antimicrobial pine tar soap derives its distinctive fragrance naturally, so there is no need to add a synthetic scent to pine tar soap. Altogether, it's a natural antimicrobial soap many families choose for straightforward, effective cleansing.

Packer's Pine has been creating artisan pine tar soap in the United States since 1869. Your grandparents and great-grandparents may well remember our product fondly from their youth, when pine tar was known for such diverse uses as an insect repellent, a treatment for insect bites, diaper rash, chicken pox, sunburn, shaving irritation, eczema, and psoriasis, among other skin conditions. Its original name, "Packer's All Healing Tar Soap," reflects its versatility in addressing a range of skin irritations—and promoting healing with few, if any, incidences of allergic or other reactions.

Antimicrobial pine tar soap is a preventative that every household can and should keep on hand. From summer mosquito bites and sun exposure to dandruff and scaly skin in winter, pine tar promotes clear, comfortable, moisture-rich skin every time you and your family take a bath or shower. Both kids and adults can benefit from this age-old remedy.

Frequently Asked Questions About Antimicrobial Soap

Where to buy antibacterial soap?

You can buy antibacterial soap online directly from the Packer’s Pine shop, on Amazon, or in select stores. Buying directly from our website is the easiest way to explore the full Packer’s Pine lineup, including our classic antimicrobial pine tar soap bars and body care products.

What is the best antimicrobial soap?

For quick handwashing, liquid Dial soap is effective, convenient, and easy to keep by the sink. For full body care, Packer’s Pine Tar Soap is the best antimicrobial soap because it combines natural pine tar’s antimicrobial properties with a rich lather, woodsy scent, and skin-comforting cleanse for the body, hands, and scalp.

What makes pine tar soap "antimicrobial," and how can it help my skin, hands, and scalp?

Pine tar naturally inhibits the growth of microbes—bacteria, fungi, and viruses—making it effective for everyday cleansing of hands, body, and scalp. As an antimicrobial soap for body care, it cleans thoroughly while respecting the skin barrier, leaving a refreshed, soft feel that many users say lingers for hours and often with increased skin moisture after bathing.

How does natural antimicrobial pine tar soap compare to chemical antimicrobial soaps?

Pine tar soap offers antimicrobial cleansing without relying on harsh synthetic additives, appealing to those who want simpler, plant-based routines and a natural antimicrobial soap option. The content highlights concerns about certain ingredients found in some conventional personal care products—such as formaldehyde, diethanolamine (DEA), parabens, and PEG (polyethylene glycol). By contrast, pine tar provides natural antifungal and astringent benefits and its distinctive scent comes from the pine tar itself, avoiding the need for synthetic fragrances.

Is pine tar soap suitable for families and daily use, and what are its traditional uses?

Yes, both kids and adults can benefit from its gentle yet effective cleansing, and it's often kept on hand as a year-round preventative for common skin discomforts. Historically, pine tar products have been used for a wide range of skin irritations, including dandruff and scaly skin, insect bites, diaper rash, chicken pox, sunburn, shaving irritation, eczema, and psoriasis. It's also simple, long-lasting, and travel-friendly, making it a practical everyday antimicrobial bar soap for households.