pine tar soap

[treadlightly]

Thought I might buy me some pine tar soap after reading some encouraging stuff on here...then I read this

http://www.ehow.co.uk/about_5465183_health-risks-pine-tar-soap.html

it raises the question: are there any "natural" soaps out there?

I know the creation of soap is a human-induced chemical reaction but does anyone know what comes closest to an ideal of a natural cleansing product?

 

[PDA1]

Can't get more "natural" than this
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Natural-Health/1972-01-01/Soap-Making-in-the-Woods.aspx

 

[spiritwalker]

plants! saponins soapwort, horse chestnut and birch leaves are a few when crushed up and rubbed in water will make a lather

some interesting reading here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponin

 

[treefrog]

Dr Bronners teatree soap is pretty good,

http://www.biggreensmile.com/produc...c-soap-bar/drbteabar.aspx?productid=drbteabar

 

[British Red]

Dr Bronners teatree soap is pretty good,

http://www.biggreensmile.com/produc...c-soap-bar/drbteabar.aspx?productid=drbteabar

Some "Green Product" - it contains palm oil - arguably the most destructive product to the environment ever produced!

 

[Toddy]

Soapwort is lovely to use. Gentle on the skin, grows prolifically in season, known as Bouncing Bet and was traditionally grown at the edges of villages for women to gather for their washing.

British Red makes real soap too, and it's just good cooking

Look up washballs for old recipes for soaps made from natural ingredients.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[British Red]

He does indeed - he hates making pine tar soap though - it traces like lightning and is a swine to get in the moulds (and then John Fenna nicks it all )

My Soapwort has filled a 14" pot by the way Mary - thank you very much indeed! I still have some Valerian seed if you would like some btw.

Red

 

[treefrog]

Some "Green Product" - it contains palm oil - arguably the most destructive product to the environment ever produced!

Ethically sourced from Ghana in this apparently.

 

[British Red]

I would need to see a definition of "ethically sourced" to be convinced sadly. It might be ethical in a fair trade sense but that does not mean that it isn't grown on land "cleared" for the purpose

 

[treefrog]

I would need to see a definition of "ethically sourced" to be convinced sadly. It might be ethical in a fair trade sense but that does not mean that it isn't grown on land "cleared" for the purpose

Yep, I rely on my other half for the info, she gets on her soapbox <> about all things ethical/environmental when it gets to beauty products.
"The production of our oils also does not contribute to deforestation. The palm oil comes from about 2,500 acres of smallholdings in Ghana that were established decades ago and we support growers in improving palm fruit yields &#8211; thus getting more oil out of the same amount of land."

http://www.drbronner.com/palm_oil_from_ghana.html
http://www.noble-house.tk/html/enge...an_soap_opera_Lucy_and_the_palm_oil_mill.html

I don't know if 'Grandpa's pine tar soap', which contains palm oil, can claim the same?

 

[British Red]

Might be worth pointing her to this

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/foo..._oil/environmental_impacts/forest_conversion/

Palm oil has devastated the tropical forests of Indonesia and Malaysia and threatens the same in areas of West Africa (e.g. Ghana). Whilst it may be "fair trade" and indeed "organic" it is destroying entire ecosystems and biodiversity.

Anyway...I'll climb off my "soapboax" (love it) now. As people who love our woods and trees, I do like to let people know that the one thing we can do to preserve the most fantastic forests is to refuse to use palm oil products.

Red

 

[treefrog]

Might be worth pointing her to this

http://wwf.panda.org/what_we_do/foo..._oil/environmental_impacts/forest_conversion/

Palm oil has devastated the tropical forests of Indonesia and Malaysia and threatens the same in areas of West Africa (e.g. Ghana). Whilst it may be "fair trade" and indeed "organic" it is destroying entire ecosystems and biodiversity.

Anyway...I'll climb off my "soapboax" (love it) now. As people who love our woods and trees, I do like to let people know that the one thing we can do to preserve the most fantastic forests is to refuse to use palm oil products.

Red

Thanks for that. I did edit my post with some claims from the manufacturer.

"Some of our customers are concerned that the palm and coconuts oils we use in our soaps may come from plantations that were established on recently cleared tropical forestland or otherwise contribute to environmental destruction. They don't."

 

[Samon]

Is the grandpas pine tar soap any good?

What I hate the most is the chocolate bars these days with fair trade and ethically sourced ingredients advertised on it..yet it contains palm oil. I saw it on tv too, was very upsetting.

 

[Soundmixer]

I've been using Grandpa's Pine Tar soap for about three years now and I love it.
Great for shaving if used with a brush, good for washing your hair, just good.
Ray's shop has it

http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/758-Grandpas-Wonder-Pine-Tar-Soap-3-25oz-Pack-of-4/

Cheers

 

[torc]

This has nothing to do with soap but I love the scouring effect of beach sand.
Not quite antibacterial and completely impractical if you're nowhere near the seaside but it works for me.
Happy trails...torc.

 

[Toddy]

A wee bit of clay turned into a slurry in warm water really cleans hands and feet, doesn't irritate, doesn't dry them out, and it rinses off no bother.
Nothing added to the environment except dead skin cells.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[John Fenna]

He does indeed - he hates making pine tar soap though - it traces like lightning and is a swine to get in the moulds (and then John Fenna nicks it all )

Red

Ahem!
I thought our deal was the epitome of "Fair Trade"

 

[John Fenna]

A wee bit of clay turned into a slurry in warm water really cleans hands and feet, doesn't irritate, doesn't dry them out, and it rinses off no bother.
Nothing added to the environment except dead skin cells.

cheers,
Toddy

I hate the feel of clay (and cotton wool for that matter) and would be loath to use this - but many "beauty treatments" rely on the scouring effect of of clay - perhaps that is why I aint pretty......

 

[British Red]

Ahem!
I thought our deal was the epitome of "Fair Trade"

It was indeed mate - I'm just conscious I need to make some more for you - but today is greenhouses

 

[treadlightly]

The Dr Bronners account of its source for palm oil, linked earlier in this thread, seems to be OK by me. Does it pass the test, do you think? (particularly keen to hear from BR on this).