Pine Tar Salve

Benefits of Pine Tar:

  • Antiseptic
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • Anti-fungal
  • Antimicrobial

Pine tar has a very strong scent, but is very beneficial for things like eczema, splinters, minor skin irritations, bug bites, dry skin patches, blistery rashes (like from poison ivy), and more.

Essential Oils help cut down on the tar scent a little bit, plus lend their own individual benefits to the mix. Don’t think you will be able to cover up the scent completely though.

Other oils that may go well in this salve are Frankincense, Rosemary, and Lemon Eucalyptus. Experiment, and see what you like best. This was my first go with Tea Tree (anti-bacterial/fungal/infectious/inflammatory/septic), Orange (helps repair tissue and dermatitis), and Cedar (helps psoriasis and skin diseases) oils in this salve, and I actually like the scent I got out of it. It still has a pungent smell to it, regardless though, so be warned.

  • 2 tsp. Beeswax ( .5 oz.)
  • 7 grams Sweet Almond Oil ( .25 oz.)
  • 17 grams Pine Tar ( .6 oz.)
  • 78 grams Chamomile Infused Olive Oil ( 2.75 oz.)
  • 1/4 tsp. Neem Oil
  • 10 drops each of Tea Tree, Orange, and Cedar Essential Oil

Directions:

I found a pint of pine tar at my local Tractor Supply in the clearance section for crazy cheap. Note that it can cause irritation on very sensitive skin. Usually between 11 and 14 bucks for a pint like this. You only need about 2-3 tbsps. for this recipe, so it goes a long way.

Weigh out your ingredients in a heat proof glass bowl, as shown in the background of above picture.

In a double boiler, melt the beeswax into the oils.

Pic from Peppermint Rosemary Lip Balm DIY. Mason jar rims can be used to raise your bowl up off of the bottom of the pot so your oils don’t scorch. You don’t have to have some fancy setup to do this. Use what you have.
FYI: One single wide mouth rim is not the best option. 3 regular mouth rims do better. I use a Pyrex 4 cup measuring bowl, with mason jar rings to raise the bowl off of the bottom of the pot. The single wide-mouth ring I used this time around cannot be seen in the picture under the bowl and is not recommended.

Stir occasionally. Once beeswax is melted, remove from heat, and let stand a few minutes.

Then add your essential oils, and stir well.
*Adding essential oils to a solution that is too hot can reduce the efficacy of the oils.

Pour into a 5 oz. jar.

I used a 4 oz. tin jar and had a little bit left over, so I recommend the 5 oz. to be on the safe side.
The salve cools to dark brown from the near black you get while it is still hot. I stuck mine in the fridge for a few minutes to help it along.

Let your salve cool and harden, and store in a cool, dry area for up to year or so. Your salve can last longer, but you want to make sure the oils don’t go rancid, so don’t try and keep it around forever. Make a half batch if you don’t think you will use that much in a year.

To use, apply a small amount to minor cuts and scrapes, dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, and other skin ailments. Do not ingest.

I hope you found this post useful. Let me know if you try it out, especially if you use different essential oils. I would love to hear your combos and what the smell came out like.

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Many blessings,
Emma Lee

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This post is part of a series on Pine Trees. The other posts can be found below:
Pine Needle Tea & Medicine
Pining For You
Pine Pitch Candles
Pine Needle Oxymel
Infused Cleaning Vinegar
Identifying Pine Trees

All About That Pine Bark
Collecting Pine Pitch

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