Cuts and 'cat faces': In rural Alabama, a community's history is soaked in turpentine

Learn about the potential benefits of Turpentine including contraindications, adverse reactions, toxicology, pharmacology and historical usage.

Discover what turpentine is used for, its safety concerns, and how it differs from pine essential oils. Learn about its applications and potential risks.

Turpentine is a natural solvent distilled from pine resin that dissolves oil-based paints, varnishes, and resins. It has legitimate industrial uses as a paint thinner and degreaser, a narrow role in over-the-counter topical pain relief, and a long history of folk medicine claims that modern toxicology has largely discredited. Understanding what turpentine actually does to surfaces, to the body ...

Turpentine is a time-honored natural substance with a rich history of use in everything from folk remedies to industrial applications. Derived primarily from the resin of pine trees, turpentine is not a one-size-fits-all product—there are several different types, each with unique properties based on the tree species used, the method of extraction, and the intended use. Understanding these ...

Turpentine is a yellow-colored, sticky liquid that comes from pine gum or pine wood. Turpentine turns into a vapor very easily, and it can catch fire. Oil of turpentine is a colorless liquid with a very strong smell. Other names for turpentine are gum spirits, turps, gum thus, D.D. turpentine, wood turpentine, oil of turpentine, rectified turpentine oil, spirits of turpentine, sulfate wood ...