Antiseptic Properties of Pine Tar Soap
Most of us cleanse our skin multiple times per day. We shower, often with multiple products for skin, hair, shaving, and exfoliating. Some may even shower a second time after sports or a workout at the gym. Plus, hand washing is at an all-time high, especially for those in the medical and food service industry, where frequent hand washing is mandatory.
Having clean skin is important on so many levels. Antiseptic pine tar soap is ideal for keeping skin free of microbes and bacteria while soothing any itchy or impure skin. Pine tar soap is a proven agent for cleaning skin while keeping it moist and hydrated. Let’s explore the antiseptic properties of pine tar soap below to find out the benefits that it may have for you and your family. You may even decide to make pine tar soap your everyday bar when you find out the many benefits it has for promoting clean, hydrated, clear skin.
How Pine Tar is Obtained
Many people who are unfamiliar with the antiseptic properties of pine tar soap are curious about how one arrives at the rich, sticky substance.
What exactly is pine tar? Pine tar has been produced going back thousands of years by applying extreme heat to wood in specialized kilns. The thick, golden substance that results is protective enough and hydrating enough to have protected wooden ships that sailed in the harsh temperatures of Scandinavia. These same properties that protect wood from the elements have long been known to protect skin as well.
Ingredients in Pine Tar Soap
The antiseptic properties of pine tar soap have their origin in the powerful components of pine tar resin. The synergistic blend of substances that result from heating the pine wood at high temperatures is known to be antiseptic, antimicrobial, antifungal, and anti-itch. Many of our customers have been with us for decades, even generations, because the benefits for skin are so impressive.
Packer’s Pine Tar Soap uses pine tar in its natural state rather than extracts that are less effective or too harsh when used on their own. Despite the powerful antiseptic properties of pine tar soap, it has been shown time and time again to have virtually no side effects or irritating effects to skin, even when used on the face. Some of the ingredients of pine tar soap include:
Phenol–Phenol has strong antiseptic and antifungal properties.
Turpentine—Yes, you read that right—turpentine is a byproduct of pine wood! Most of us would never dream of applying turpentine directly to our skin, but as a component of pine tar soap, it lends a powerful cleansing ability and yet remains protective, meaning that it is never drying to skin.
Rosin—Many natural soaps do not produce the satisfying soapy lather that most of us are used to. Unfortunately, this lather is typically produced by chemical additives like sodium lauryl sulfate, a lab-created surfactant that is irritating and harmful to skin.
Guaiacol—A component of woodsmoke, guaiacol is thought to have disinfectant properties.
Toulene—Toulene is a natural carrier of the famous Packer’s Pine Tar Soap’s earthy, woodsy scent. Some people claim to be fans of our soap for the scent alone!
Uses for Pine Tar and Pine Tar Soap
Pine tar has been used medicinally, as a wood sealant, and in livestock applications going back hundreds or thousands of years. It is still in use in some places today on wooden furniture and to improve the grip on baseball bats. Pine tar is even used as a flavoring in some candies and foodstuffs due to its smoky, aromatic properties. Body care products such as shampoo, deodorant, and toothpaste are also made from pine tar in addition to soap.
Pine tar also has its use with farm animals, protecting horses and cattle from hoof disease.
Skin Conditions that Benefit from Antiseptic Pine Tar Soap
The antiseptic properties of pine tar soap make it an ideal way to cleanse skin and keep it free of bacteria that can infiltrate sores or rashes and cause irritation and infection. It is particularly important to use a soap on skin conditions that relieves itch and promotes healing without stripping the skin of its natural protective oils.
Eczema—The antiseptic properties of pine tar soap are especially important to a skin disease like eczema, which can cause cracked skin that oozes and even bleeds. Cleaning itchy areas with pine tar soap is an effective way to gently yet thoroughly purify the skin and prevent bacteria from entering into open sores, which can cause infection.
Psoriasis—Psoriasis is a stubborn and unpredictable condition that goes into remission and then reemerges in cycles. Medications that suppress the lesions may become ineffective over time, making psoriasis difficult to successfully treat. The antiseptic properties of pine tar soap are a perfect adjunct to your regular treatment, and many people find that its antifungal properties even aid in healthy skin regeneration.
Dandruff—The right dandruff shampoo cleans the skin as it helps to heal the underlying fungal infection or dryness that causes the flakes in the first place. Packer’s pine tar shampoo is the perfect way to get the benefits of the antiseptic properties of pine tar soap in a soothing, moisturizing everyday shampoo.
Chicken Pox—Good luck getting your kids to stop scratching when the chicken pox come to town! Add kids’ potentially dirty fingernails to the mix, and you’ve got the potential to contaminate open skin. Add Packer’s Pine Tar Body Wash to the bath for a soothing, clarifying soak for kids, even once the chicken pox are gone for good.
Diaper Rash—Pine tar soap is gentle enough, even for baby’s skin, and strong enough to purify diaper rash, which may well help it to heal.
Insect Bites—Yet another avenue for itch to turn into infection. Pine tar is an anti-pruritic, meaning that it is known to relieve itch. This helps to stop the cycle and keep skin free of dirt and germs so it can return to normal.