Making Birch Bark Oil

[luresalive]

went out today and made some,the stuff stinks and it's really hard to get rid of the smell!!

3960

[AdrianRose]

If you know anyone with eczema or psoriasis let them have a little as it is excellent for skin conditions due to the high concentration of Betulin.

I've been asked to do a video on the various uses and attributes of the Birch tree and birch oil is high on the list.

How much bark did you use and how much of a return in oil did you get? Last time I did this it was very little return for such a large amount of bark.

Ade.

[luresalive]

If you know anyone with eczema or psoriasis let them have a little as it is excellent for skin conditions due to the high concentration of Betulin.

I've been asked to do a video on the various uses and attributes of the Birch tree and birch oil is high on the list.

How much bark did you use and how much of a return in oil did you get? Last time I did this it was very little return for such a large amount of bark.

Ade.

I used a full biscuit tin of birch bark and got about 50mls of Oil..a lot of trouble for not a great lot of reward..

[jus_young]

Another one I'm interested in now. My son has had psoriasis from birth and was given the usual steroid treatments that we soon stopped using. This has certainly got me looking at this option.

[AdrianRose]

Another one I'm interested in now. My son has had psoriasis from birth and was given the usual steroid treatments that we soon stopped using. This has certainly got me looking at this option.

Foraging in all forms, food, medicinal and occupational has always been a passion of mine and is the reason I got into bushcraft in the first place. The birch tree has always fascinated me and I've spent the last three years researching as much as I can about it. It's amazing how much this inconspicuous tree provides both directly, indirectly and as a host organism.

Did you know that the three major ladies make-up manufacturers use approx 100,000 tons of Betulinic acid derived from birch bark as a major ingredient in their products?

So if you all need to look a little sexier in the woods just rub yourself against a Birch tree. Lol.

Ade

[paulthefish2009]

So how do you go about making it then? I'm surrounded by birch trees here ;)

[Martin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZcckxXAzTU

Martin

[paulthefish2009]

Thanks Martin,very interesting,think i will have a go at that.Paul

[Ashley Cawley]

Interesting - thanks for sharing.

I've always known it as "Birch Bark Tar" but looks like it's called Oil also, not sure how thick it's consistency becomes when it's cooled as it's something I've not yet tried to produce, what's it like cold? I saw this same process recently in that documentary about Siberian Trappers (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?2726-Siberian-trappers-Documentary) they used it to repell mozi's.

Wish we had more Birch trees this far down south!

[Realearner]

Good stuff, must give it a go.

[luresalive]

Interesting - thanks for sharing.

I've always known it as "Birch Bark Tar" but looks like it's called Oil also, not sure how thick it's consistency becomes when it's cooled as it's something I've not yet tried to produce, what's it like cold? I saw this same process recently in that documentary about Siberian Trappers (http://www.naturalbushcraft.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?2726-Siberian-trappers-Documentary) they used it to repell mozi's.

Wish we had more Birch trees this far down south!

It's produced as oil when first distilled from the bark,and when cool has the consistency of motor oil, if you want to make it into tar simply continue to boil it till it becomes thick and stiffens when it cools.

[LSKnives]

I hear pine tar soap is good for skin conditions too. Probably easier to find that birch tar. In Canada there's Tersa tar, I think it's called, at every pharmacy. Mosoap.com makes a bunch too.