Pine tar has been used medicinally for skin conditions for well over a century. It appears in the United States Pharmacopoeia. It is a recognized treatment in conventional dermatology for psoriasis and eczema. And it is used in homeopathic medicine as a remedy for chronic skin conditions that conventional treatments suppress rather than resolve.
The fact that pine tar appears in both conventional dermatology and homeopathic practice — for overlapping indications — makes it a particularly interesting ingredient to understand from multiple perspectives.
Pine Tar in Conventional Dermatology
Pine tar has documented anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antipruritic (anti-itch), and keratolytic (skin cell-normalizing) properties. It has been used in coal tar shampoos and skin treatments for psoriasis, seborrheic dermatitis, and eczema for over 100 years. The mechanism involves slowing the abnormally rapid skin cell proliferation that characterizes psoriasis and reducing the inflammatory response that underlies eczema.
Coal tar and pine tar are different substances, though both have been used dermatologically. Pine tar comes from pine wood; coal tar from coal processing. Pine tar has a more favorable safety profile for regular use and is considered natural. Our Pine Tar Rugged Bar Soap uses pine tar derived from pine wood at concentrations appropriate for daily skin care.
Pine Tar in Homeopathic Practice
Homeopathic Pix liquida — prepared from pine tar — is used for chronic skin conditions characterized by thick, scaly, itching eruptions, and for respiratory conditions with expectoration. The homeopathic preparation works at the energetic level according to homeopathic theory, stimulating the vital force to resolve conditions that topical application addresses mechanically.
Homeopathic practitioners often use both approaches simultaneously: topical natural pine tar preparations for direct skin support, and homeopathic Pix liquida internally to address the constitutional patterns that manifest as chronic skin conditions. The external and internal approaches are considered complementary rather than redundant.
The Water Quality Factor for Chronic Skin Conditions
Both conventional dermatology and homeopathic practice recognize that environmental factors influence chronic skin conditions. Hard water exposure has been specifically associated with eczema severity in published research. Chlorine exposure is known to dry and irritate skin that is already compromised by conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
For people using pine tar soap for genuine skin conditions — eczema, psoriasis, chronic dryness — the effectiveness of the soap is significantly enhanced when the water it's used with doesn't simultaneously work against the skin barrier. Our 15-Stage Filtered Showerhead removes the water quality factors that undermine the benefit of therapeutic ingredients like pine tar.
The complete approach: natural therapeutic soap plus filtered water plus, for those inclined, consultation with a homeopathic practitioner about constitutional remedies that address chronic skin conditions from the inside. Each layer supports the others.
Beyond Clean, Beyond Ordinary.