Pine tar, Tallow & Colloidal oats – why this combination works for Eczema

 

Some remedies have been around so long they’ve become part of family memory.

Growing up in New Zealand, Pinetarsol was a household name. My grandmother used to add it to our baths for everything — eczema, chicken pox, dermatitis, sunburn. I had eczema as a child and I know first hand that particular misery – the skin that won’t settle. That familiar woody scent meant relief was coming. It was steered by one simple idea: that pine tar, drawn from nature, had a genuine ability to calm troubled skin. That memory never left me. And when Fatglow was born, creating something that might offer the same relief to others that it gave to me as a child felt like the most natural place to start.

What is pine tar? Pine tar is a dark, sticky resin extracted from pine wood through a slow carbonisation process. It has been used for centuries in traditional skin remedies — long before modern dermatology had a name for what it was doing.

In skincare, pine tar is known for its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and antifungal properties. For skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis, it addresses the itch-scratch cycle that makes these conditions so relentless — calming inflammation at the surface while offering relief to skin that has simply had enough. It has a distinct, woody and smoky scent. Not subtle. But for skin that needs it, that’s a small trade.

Why tallow? Grass-fed tallow is the base of every Fatglow soap, and for good reason. Rich in vitamins A, D, E, K and B12, tallow’s fatty acid profile speaks the same language as human skin. It doesn’t sit on the surface — it absorbs, nourishes and supports the skin’s natural barrier from within. Eczema-prone skin is skin that can’t quite hold itself together – moisture escapes, sensitivity follows and the cycle starts again. Tallow works to restore and reinforce that barrier with every wash — not strip it the way conventional soap can. Pine tar and tallow together create something genuinely complementary. Pine tar calms and protects. Tallow nourishes and restores. Neither needs the other to work — but together they work better.

And then there are the colloidal oats. Colloidal oats are finely ground oats that have been used in skin therapy for decades. They contain avenanthramides — compounds known to reduce inflammation, redness and itchiness. They help the skin retain moisture, repair and restore the skin barrier, and provide a creamy, comforting lather that’s gentle enough for the most sensitive skin. For eczema and psoriasis, colloidal oats can offer relief that’s both immediate and cumulative. The more consistently you use them, the more the skin responds.

In Eczema Relief Soap, the oats are ground fine and worked into the cold process recipe. You’ll find them on top of the bar too — a quiet nod to what’s working inside.

So why this combination? Each one is doing something distinct. Pine tar calms and protects. Tallow nourishes and restores. Colloidal oats soothe, retain moisture and repair the barrier. They don’t overlap – they work together, each filling a gap the others leave. Together in one soap, working quietly, working completely. This isn’t a formula built around trends. It’s built around what works — the way my grandmother always knew pine tar worked, long before the science caught up.

Pine tar is not an easy ingredient. It’s dark, sticky and moves fast in cold process soap. It accelerates trace quickly — too much time with the immersion blender and the batch sets up before you can pour it. I’ve adjusted the percentage carefully over time, pulling it back from where I started to find the balance that gives Eczema Relief its light warm colour and gentle scent without overwhelming either.

You’ll find Eczema Relief Soap in the Fatglow Soap Collection.

Where tallow becomes botanical luxury.