Years ago I discovered the skin health benefits of tallow. While these DIY tallow lotion bars were a favorite, I wanted something with a softer consistency. The result is a healthy whipped tallow cream, suitable even for sensitive skin.
I love how it makes my skin feel silky and soft. It also has natural ingredients that I feel good about using with my kids too. I really noticed a huge difference in my son’s eczema scars after using tallow. Here’s why tallow balm is so great, how to use it, and how to make your own!
Benefits of Tallow Balm
Unlike other moisturizers and lotions with plant oils, tallow balm is a unique creation. Everything starts with animal fat (usually beef fat, but mutton works well) and then it is rendered and cleaned. It is like lard from pigs.
The best fat to use for beef is tallow from grass-fed suet or vegetable oil. This leaf oil is the one found near the kidneys. Tallow balm benefits the skin in many ways.
Since tallow comes from an animal source it nourishes and penetrates our skin well. You can use it for lip balms, soaps, lotions, and salves. As a balm, it helps with dry skin, eczema, and anti-aging.
Many people use tallow balm on the skin because it is naturally rich in fatty acids that are very similar to the oils in our skin. It is suitable for all ages from toddlers up. I used tallow balm for eczema on my son and it is great for diaper rash too.
Ingredients of Tallow Balm
You can just use tallow on your skin, but it’s very strong and difficult to spread. The easiest way is to make a tallow lotion made from a mixture of tallow oil and liquid. This makes it very easy to apply and get the best of both worlds. The result is a deep nourishing beef moisturizer that works well for both face and body care.
Some recipes add shea butter, coconut oil, or jojoba oil. I like to keep things simple and mainly use extra virgin olive oil here. I also added a little bit of rosehip seed oil. As rosehip is astringent it helps the tallow to penetrate slowly, and it has amazing skin rejuvenating properties. This anti-aging rosehip facial moisturizer is a reader favorite!
You don’t even need beeswax to thicken this. You can also add some of your favorite essential oils, although it is completely optional. Frankincense, chamomile, and lavender essential oils are good ones to consider.
How to Make Tallow Balm
This recipe feels like a whipped body butter, or you can skip the whipping step and it feels like a salve. Either way works, but I prefer the feel of the battered version. If you’ve been searching for an easy tallow balm recipe, this one works well because it’s customizable and gentle enough for sensitive skin.
Another question I often hear is how to make tallow balm oil-free. Adding a lightweight oil like rosehip seed oil and a touch of finished balm both help create a light texture that absorbs easily into the skin. Olive oil is a very heavy oil, so you can replace it with a lighter one (like grapeseed) if you need something a little more moisturizing.
Where to Find Tallow
Okay, so maybe I’ve sold you on how great tallow is for the skin… but where do you get it? You can get high-quality grass-fed beef from a local farmer in your area. If not, I also like to get my tallow online here.
Rendered tallow has an off-white color and may or may not have a beef flavor. Continuous cleaning helps eliminate odors and bring out the white color.
How to Purify Tallow
If you use tallow for cooking (or even making soap) the smell is not strong enough to make a difference. For skincare products or you’ll want pure tallow. You can find a tutorial on how to make tallow here, but here’s how to clean it further.
- Add 2 cups of rendered tallow, 5 cups of water, and 3 tablespoons of salt to the crockpot. You can double the amounts used if you have extra tallow.
- Put it on low and let it boil for about an hour.
- Drain the hot liquid in a large bowl through a fine mesh strainer lined with paper towels or a very clean tea towel or t-shirt cloth.
- Let the bowl cool in the fridge until firm.
- Remove the solid tallow block from the surface of the brine and flip it. Underneath, you may see brown bits, remove all of these.
- You can repeat this process again if you like.
- Allow the tallow to dry at room temperature so that all the water evaporates (otherwise it will mold).
Once your tallow is cleansed, you’re ready to make your own homemade tallow balm!
Whipped Tallow Balm Recipe
This silky tallow balm is great for dry skin and all types of skin irritations. Great for all ages!
Reveal: 6 ounces
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Add the tallow to a double boiler and melt the tallow over low heat.
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When it is completely liquid add olive oil and stir.
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Remove from heat and add essential oil and rosehip seed oil if using.
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Pour the tallow balm into a glass jar and refrigerate to harden.
Whipped Tallow Balm
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For a whipped version of tallow balm, pour the balm into a mixing bowl instead before refrigerating. You want it to be stiff enough, but not really hard.
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Mix the tallow balm with the whisk attachment of a stand mixer or hand mixer. If it’s too hard to whip, let it sit at room temperature until it’s soft enough to whip.
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Transfer to a glass jar to store.
- Shelf Life and Storage: Store your tallow oil at room temperature away from direct light and heat. It should last for several months if stored properly.
- This recipe uses a 1% dilution of essential oils. If using children 6 months to 3 years old, reduce the essential oil to 7 drops total (.25%) or skip it.
Optional Herbal Inclusions
You can add more herbal skincare benefits to your tallow balm. Instead of using regular olive oil (or any carrier oil) use vegetable oil instead. Calendula, lavender, chamomile, or plantain herb are other good options for the skin. Here’s how to make vegetable infused oil. I used leftover dandelion oil for one batch.
Don’t feel like doing it? Toups & Co Organics make wonderful balms that my family loves.
Tallow Balm Recipe FAQ
1. My tallow balm is too strong/soft.
Some tallow is harder than others, and some people like their tallow balm harder or softer. If you want a lighter version, add less oil. If you want a stronger version, then reduce the fat or add a little bex.
2. Can I use tallow balm on my face?
Yes! I do all the time. Tallow balm whipped on my face makes it feel smooth.
3. My tallow smells like beef, can I use it?
Yes, but clean it first. See directions above. Mine still had a slight beefy smell after cleaning it, but it wasn’t overpowering.
4. I bought tallow from a store/farmer, do I still have to clean it?
Well, probably, unless it’s already been washed a few times and doesn’t have a strong beef smell.
5. Can I use lamb or pork fat?
The lard is very fatty and soft in this recipe (but it makes great French fries!). Mutton tallow should work, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Have you used tallow on your skin before? What’s your favorite way to use it? Leave a comment and let us know!
