Pine tar is a thick, dark substance produced by slowly burning pine wood in a low-oxygen environment, a process called destructive distillation. It has been used for centuries across a surprisingly wide range of applications, from waterproofing wooden ships to treating skin conditions like psoriasis. Today, pine tar shows up in dermatology, horse care, baseball, and grooming products, all thanks to its sticky consistency and natural antiseptic properties.
How Pine Tar Is Made
Pine tar is created by heating pine wood (often the resin-rich stumps and roots) inside a sealed kiln or industrial retort, where the absence of oxygen forces the wood to break down without actually catching fire. The tar drains out from the bottom of the kiln and is collected in barrels or tanks. Traditional kiln production yields different qualities of tar as the process continues: the first barrels, distilled at lower temperatures, have a different chemical makeup than later barrels produced at higher heat. Industrial retort production, by contrast, mixes everything into one tank, resulting in a more uniform but less varied product.
Chemically, pine tar is a complex mixture. It contains terpenes, phenolic compounds, resin acids, and aromatic hydrocarbons. Lab analysis shows that sesquiterpenes (a class of plant-derived compounds with anti-inflammatory activity) make up roughly 71% of pine tar’s volatile content. The most abundant single compound is isolongifolene at about 30%, followed by isobornyl acetate and borneol. These compounds collectively give pine tar its antiseptic, anti-itch, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Treating Skin Conditions
Pine tar’s longest-running medical use is in dermatology. It is applied topically to manage chronic skin conditions including plaque psoriasis, eczema (atopic dermatitis), and seborrheic dermatitis. The resin acids and phenolic compounds in pine tar work in several ways at once: they slow the overgrowth of skin cells (which causes psoriasis scales), reduce itching, fight bacteria and fungi on the skin’s surface, and help soften and break down thickened patches of skin.
Pine tar is available in soaps, bath solutions, shampoos, and ointments. For psoriasis specifically, tar-based soaps and washes are sometimes used alongside other treatments or light therapy. Pine tar products can help reduce scaling, calm inflammation, and relieve the persistent itch that makes these conditions so disruptive to daily life.
Pine Tar vs. Coal Tar
You’ll often see coal tar and pine tar mentioned side by side in skin care, but they come from very different sources and have distinct safety profiles. Coal tar is derived from heating coal, while pine tar comes from wood. Coal tar contains compounds called anthracene and pyridine derivatives that can make skin more sensitive to sunlight and increase the risk of folliculitis, an inflammation of hair follicles that commonly appears on the legs at concentrations above 2%. Coal tar can also trigger a type of acne caused by chloronaphthalene, one of its chemical components.
Pine tar lacks these photosensitizing effects, meaning it doesn’t make your skin more vulnerable to UV damage. That said, pine tar can still cause irritation or allergic reactions in some people, particularly when applied to sensitive areas like the face, genitals, or skin folds. These side effects are uncommon and typically mild, resolving within a few days if you stop using the product.
Waterproofing Ships and Ropes
Before pine tar became a drugstore product, it was a strategic military resource. Pine tar, along with pitch, rosin, and turpentine, formed the core of what was historically called “naval stores,” products essential to building and maintaining wooden ships. Tar was applied to hulls, decks, and rigging to seal wood against water and prevent rot. It was rubbed into ropes to keep them from deteriorating in salt water.
The naval stores industry was so important that it shaped colonial politics. England depended on massive supplies to maintain both her navy and merchant fleet, and for years she was at the mercy of Sweden and Denmark, which controlled Europe’s supply. The American colonies, particularly North Carolina, became critical alternative sources. By 1716, Bath County, North Carolina was designated as a port specifically for loading masts, pitch, tar, and turpentine for the British fleet. Colonial tar makers sometimes produced “hot tar” using methods that introduced acids into the product, which damaged ropes rather than protecting them, a quality control problem that drew formal complaints from the British.
Grip Enhancement in Baseball
In professional baseball, pine tar is a sticky substance applied to bat handles to improve grip. Batters rub it onto the lower portion of the bat so it doesn’t slip during a swing, especially in cold or humid conditions. Major League Baseball permits pine tar on bats but limits how far up the handle it can go. Under the official rules, no substance can cover more than 18 inches from the end of the bat handle. If an umpire determines the pine tar extends past that limit, the bat is removed from the game.
This rule became famous during the 1983 “Pine Tar Game” between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees, when George Brett’s go-ahead home run was initially nullified because pine tar on his bat exceeded the 18-inch limit. The decision was later overturned by the American League president, and the game was completed weeks later. The incident remains one of baseball’s most memorable controversies.
Horse Hoof Care
Pine tar is a staple in equine care, used to maintain healthy hooves. Applied directly to the hoof, it acts as a natural antiseptic while helping to restore moisture to the frog (the triangular, rubbery structure on the underside of the hoof that absorbs shock). Pine tar helps prevent hooves from cracking and splitting by keeping the horn pliable. Farriers and horse owners often brush it on after trimming or shoeing, and it can be packed into the sole of the hoof to protect against bacteria in wet or muddy conditions.
Beard and Hair Care
Pine tar has found a niche in grooming products, particularly beard soaps, shampoos, and bar soaps marketed toward people with dry or irritated skin. The same anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties that make it useful in dermatology translate to everyday grooming. Pine tar soaps can help manage beard itch and flaking by clearing buildup and reducing the bacteria and fungi that contribute to dandruff. They also help with general scalp itchiness.
Unlike harsher cleansers, pine tar soap tends to clean without completely stripping the skin’s natural oils. It pairs well with moisturizers or beard oils applied afterward. The tradeoff is a distinctive smoky, woodsy smell that some people love and others find overpowering. Pine tar products can also stain light-colored clothing, towels, and sheets, so keep that in mind when using them in the bath or shower. Bath products containing tar also make surfaces extremely slippery, which is worth noting if you’re bathing a child or have balance concerns.