Give this homemade tallow balm a try this winter season. It is creamy, fluffy, and smooth. Perfect for most skin types and extremely hydrating. The best part is that it is free of harsh chemicals and irritants and safe to use on sensitive skin.
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Why homemade?
For the past 10 years, I have been moving towards a more natural lifestyle and have been switching everyday products around my house. In the past, I did not think twice about what I put on my skin. That is until I became a mother. Having children changed my perspective on a lot of things and body products became one of them.
After some research, I bought what I thought was safe “baby” laundry detergent and body wash. Only to soon find out that in fact that stuff was no better than what I already had. Soon I started looking up how to make natural household products for my family. Soon I replaced our laundry detergent with this Natural Laundry Detergent and our body wash with castile soap. Lotion however was hard to find an alternative to. I tried making different homemade products with plant-based ingredients like shea butter and coconut oil but nothing worked how I hoped. The body butter always felt heavy and it left us feeling greasy.
Benefits of Tallow
That is where tallow comes in. Did you know that your skin is the largest organ in your body? It absorbs everything and it also acts as a filter. Pretty amazing right? This motivated me to start looking for natural chemical-free alternatives.
Tallow has some amazing properties and has been used by humans for years. Tallow can not only be used for cooking as a safe alternative to seed oils but it also makes a great ingredient as a moisturizer. This is because tallow has properties very close to our skin biology.
Ingredients for Homemade Tallow Balm
- 1 cup rendered tallow melted
- 1/4 cup olive oil or jojoba oil
- 48 drops of essential oils (optional for 1% dilution)
How to Make Homemade Tallow Balm
Start by melting the tallow over medium heat.
When the tallow is melted transfer to a clean glass bowl and add olive oil and essential oils if using.
Once the mixture cools it will start to become solid. If you want a solid balm pour it into a glass container of your choice before it cools. I prefer a whipped tallow balm so I use a handheld mixer and whip on high.
Transfer to a glass jar or container of choice. I prefer a glass jar that has an attached lid so my kids don’t lose it.
Essential Oils For Tallow Balm
I love using essential oils around my house. They add so many benefits and they make our house smell great! There are so many to choose from but I like to keep it simple. Having small children and being pregnant I often rely on safe oils like lavender, frankincense, copaiba, and tea tree. These three oils are great for the skin and are often used in beauty products.
I often make a large unscented, or lavender batch of tallow balm for the family and a smaller one with frankincense for an anti-aging facial tallow balm.
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More Benefits of Homemade Tallow Balm
Besides all the health and beauty benefits of homemade tallow balm, there is the financial aspect. A small 4oz jar of unscented tallow balm can cost around 13 dollars, while some higher-end brands charge as much as 45 dollars!
Making this at home saves my family a lot of money without compromising on our health and quality. It also makes a great healing gift.
Homemade Tallow Balm
Pamper your skin this winter with this amazing natural moisturizer.
Materials
- 1 cup rendered tallow
- 1/4 cup olive oil and jojoba oil
- 48 drops of essential oil (optional)
Tools
- Stainless Steel Pot
- Handheld Mixer
- Bowl
- Glass Jar
Instructions
- Melt tallow over medium heat.
- Once melted transfer to a glass bowl and add olive oil or jojoba oil.
- Add essential oils if using.
- Allow to cool. The tallow will start to solidify as it cools.
- When the mixture solidifies use a handheld mixer to whip on high.
- Scoop tallow balm into a jar or jars of your choice.
Notes
- I like to make unscented Tallow Balm for the whole family since I have kids under two and most essential oils aren't recommended for topical use until at least two.
- I do make smaller batches with Lavender and Frankincense as a wrinkle cream and for scrapes.
- We use Tea Tree in our tallow balm to treat certain skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
- I used a 17 oz jar and a 4 oz jar for this recipe.
- This makes great Christmas gifts!
- A note on the tallow. Make sure you use good quality rendered tallow. If the tallow is not rendered properly all your products will smell like beef.
- I render my tallow at home and source my beef fat locally from a small town butcher shop.
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