Pine Tar Soap



Pine Tar Soap



Back in Grandpa and Grandma’s day, the use of pine tar in soap was pretty much a common thing. It was touted for soothing such skin problems as rashes, dry and itchy skin, and a variety of skin disorders. 

Today, pine tar is commonly used as a wood preservative, a topical ointment for livestock, and in medicinal soaps and shampoos for humans. 

Pine tar is a sticky substance produced by rapid decomposition of pine wood (usually stumps and roots) in a process of applying heat and pressure in a closed container.  Pine tar does not smell pleasant.  However, the reason pine tar is used in soap is not for its scent.  The anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties of pine tar are claimed to be very beneficial for a variety of skin ailments.  No cure is guaranteed, of course, and one often must experiment to find what works for a particular condition. 

Pine Tar Soap lathers up beautifully

and the pine tar scent does not linger for (too) long!  

Some may find the scent pleasurable or intriguing

whereas others may think it is medicinal smelling or too strong.  

You either love it or you don’t. 

That is a call only you can make! 

  



Pine Tar Soap



Ingredient List

tallow

soybean oil

coconut oil
olive oil

sweet almond oil

shea butter

pine tar





  

Whether or not Pine Tar Soap appeals to you,

what appeals to me is that it is

reminiscent of a day gone by when

homesteaders made their own necessities

instead of going to a store to buy them.  

Today, we are all busy and the "chores" are different.  

Some chores (such as soapmaking) that were considered

a necessity for life on the prairie 

are now considered a craft.

The pioneers went through much hardship

to establish life here on the prairie. 

Life was very difficult back then

...

and it is still difficult today,

but let's not forget to appreciate the advances

we have made in meeting our most basic needs. 



Drawing by my son, Ryan
Medicine Rocks Park
between Baker and Ekalaka, Montana

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Oatmeal Scrub Soap

Oatmeal Scrub Soap



I have lost track of the number of times I have made this particular soap.  It's one of my personal favorites!  I simply love lathering up with the yummy fragrance and the ground oatmeal texture.  Rather than repeat previous posts, I will just post updated photos.  Enjoy! 



Oatmeal Scrub Soap



Ingredient List

tallow

soybean oil

coconut oil

olive oil

sweet almond oil

shea butter

milk

fragrance oil

ground oatmeal



Oatmeal Scrub Soap
Works For Cowboys!



“Been workin' like a dawg slavin' on the fence line stretchin' those wires tight, diggin' and tappin' and sweatin' in the sunshine, but I get off tonight. 

I got a date with a girl, a perdy rancher’s daughter, green as her golden hair.  Gonna pick her up at eight after some soap and water and we're headin' to the county fair.

Well, there's a full moon in the western sky and there's magic in the air.  Ain't nothin' I know of can make you fall in love like a night at the county fair ..."  Chris LeDoux

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Lemongrass Soap

 

Lemongrass Soap





Although lemongrass is not a native species to Montana’s prairie we can still appreciate its lemony, yet earthy, aroma.  Not only is lemongrass valued for its fragrant properties in perfumery or soapmaking, it is valued for its use in oriental cooking, teas, and medicinal purposes. 



 

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)



In fact, citronellol is an essential oil constituent of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) and the high citral content makes it an effective insect repellent.  



dried Lemongrass



The ground lemongrass herb perfectly complements the lemongrass essential oil in this soap.  The herb provides visual and textural appeal long after the soap has fully cured. 





Lemongrass Soap



Ingredient List
saponified

palm oil

soybean oil

coconut oil

olive oil

sweet almond oil

shea butter

lemongrass essential oil

ground lemongrass





Lemongrass Soap

 

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Happy Bathing!



Lavender Soap



In order to properly write this post

I have transported myself to a lovely hillside scattered with lavender. 

The luscious fragrance of lavender wafts through the gentle breeze. 

I feel myself drifting off to sleep, completely relaxed.  Ahh ...  

(It helps to have a bar of Lavender Soap in my hand to sniff on
while I am transporting myself around!) 



Lavender Soap





Back to reality, I could tell you of my disappointment that the blend of two parts ultramarine violet and one part ultramarine blue cosmetic-grade pigment didn't quite make a lavender color. 

Or I could tell you I am worried that the dried lavender buds are too much texture. 

But I won’t.  In my humble opinion, it’s all good! 



 

 

Lavender 40/42 is actually a blend of various lavenders. With its somewhat camphorous, crisp aroma, it is the most widely recognized lavender in the world. This is probably due to the fact that the perfume industry uses this blend as a base for lavender scented products. This oil is obtained from the flowering parts of the plant.   

The dried lavender buds with their beautiful bluish-gray color were added for both texture and a decorative flair.  In addition to the lavender essential oil, the dried lavender buds enhance the lovely lavender scent.



Lavender Soap







 

 

saponified

tallow

soybean oil

coconut oil

olive oil

shea butter

sweet almond oil

lavender 40/42 essential oil

lavender buds

cosmetic-grade pigment







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Anise Soap

Anise Soap

The list of soaps I would like to make is … well, it’s endless.  There are so many wonderful combinations of base oils, essential oils, botanicals, and natural soap colorants. 

Anise Soap

Lately, I have been intrigued by the use of activated charcoal in soapmaking.  I was mainly interested in the visual effect of contrasting the black charcoal against a basic white soap background for starters.  Just thinking about combining the black with even more colors makes me giddy! 

However, when investigating the use of activated charcoal in soapmaking I discovered that there is quite a list of beneficial medicinal properties associated with the use of activated charcoal.  I will make no claims as to these beneficial properties in soap other than its use as a visual effect. 



Anise (pimpinella anisum)



My source for anise essential oil describes it as having a “warm heady licorice aroma that brings back childhood memories of black licorice shared with friends.”  Yes.  I agree.  In this soap I did not combine the anise essential oil with any other essential oils because I just wanted to enjoy it all by itself … and drift back to my childhood for a piece of black licorice. 



Anise Soap



saponified

tallow

soybean oil

coconut oil

olive oil

sweet almond oil

shea butter

anise essential oil

activated charcoal powder

The base oils used in this soap
(and all my soaps for that matter)

are constantly subjected to scrutiny. 

[Translation:  I obsess and lose sleep over this stuff.] 

The goal is to produce a soap that

lathers well, cleans well, but is gentle on the skin. 



Anise Soap



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Big Sky Soap

For quite some time I have looked at the sky and wanted to make a soap that would emulate Montana’s beautiful big sky.  We have our cloudy days, rainy days, and snowy days, but I wanted to make a soap that highlighted a big blue sky with just a few wisps of clouds.   




Looking east towards Plevna, Montana




Big Sky Soap





Achieving the proper sky/cloud swirl balance was a challenge. The color ratios are somewhat tricky and timing is of the essence when pouring into the mold.  Each soap batch has a learning curve no matter how many times it is made!



Big Sky Soap





Saponified

• tallow
• soybean oil
• shea butter
• sweet almond oil
• olive oil
• coconut oil
• fragrance oil:  Russian sage blends with Canadian fir needle at the top of this fragrance with midnotes of Canadian cedarleaf and bottom notes of cedarwood, oakmoss, fir balsam, and alpine hay. 
• cosmetic-grade ultramarine blue pigment



Big Sky Soap



Whatever the weather, when you use
Big Sky Soap you will be transported to Montana's great outdoors by the refreshing fragrance and lovely lather.







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