The fats in tallow are so close to the make-up of fats below the skin on our body, making tallow balm so nourishing and absorbable to our parched skin.
Why You Need to Make This
- Perfect for skin in all seasons - summer and winter on the farm are hard on hands and feet!
- Works for baby's tender areas at diaper changes.
- Can help with dry patches that crop up anywhere on the body.
Need to know how to "make" your own tallow? I've rendered bear, beef, and deer! It can also easily be done in your slow cooker.
Key Ingredients
Beef tallow - Try and stick with your own stock if at all possible. Since we are putting this on our skin (our largest organ!) I try and use organic, or from my own animals, or at least know the source.
Oil - I like avocado, but any "light" oil works such as sunflower or almond. Again, I try and use organic for this since it's for the skin. If you'd eat it, then it'll work!
Essential oils - These are optional, but sometimes the beef smell can be a bit much for some people, so adding oils helps with that.
How to Make Tallow Balm
Step 1
Measure out the tallow into a small saucepan and melt gently. You want it just melted, where you can still comfortably stick a finger in.
Step 2
Remove from the heat and stir in your essential oils.
Step 3
If your pot is large enough for using your mixer, then let it cool in there. Otherwise, pour into your mixer's bowl.
Step 4
Once mostly cooled, go ahead and whip just like making whipped cream, though it finishes a lot quicker than cream!
Step 5
Scoop into desired jars and label.
FAQs
Nope! The tallow and oil are of course edible, so there's no need to use special equipment. And as long as you aren't using any plastic bowls or utensils, any essential oil residue will wipe right out. I wouldn't be concerned using these dishes and utensils for food after a good washing.
I like lavender for a relaxing smell at bedtime. Tea tree has some great properties that might help with skin issues. Just pick scents pleasing to you and use common sense like maybe you won't use peppermint if you're using this balm for an infant.
Did you know that deer tallow makes awesome candles? It's super easy to do.
Tallow Balm
Equipment
- Small Pot
- Jar or Container
Ingredients
- 6 oz beef tallow preferably organic/know the source
- 2 oz "light" oil of choice such as sunflower, apricot kernel, avocado or almond oil
- 60 drops essential oils favourites include tea tree, lavender, frankincense, orange
Instructions
- Using a scale, measure out your tallow and oil into a small pot
- Over medium-low heat, gently melt until tallow is just about melted, take off the heat.
- If its too hot to hold a finger in, let cool until you can hold a finger in for a few seconds.
- Add essential oils, stir well.
- Let cool either in the pot or transfer to the bowl of your stand mixer. You want it to cool so it isn't liquid, but not return to a fully solid state.
- Once cool, whip like buttercream! It goes very quickly so keep watch on it.
- Scoop into desired containers and label.
Video
Notes
- We use this primarily for dry hands and feet. In winter our hands get so chapped and dry we cant live without it. In summer, the dirt from the garden dries out our feet and hands, often making cracks in our feet, ouch! I use it as a baby bum cream, for chapped cheeks, lip balm, cuts, you name it! Our all purpose balm.
Denise Millard
How can I make tallow from deer fat ?
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There has never been enough deer fat around to give that a try!
Maddie
First time making this today & am so proud of how it turned out!!!
This recipe was easy to follow. Thanks for sharing!
Caitlyn
Could you use coconut oil?
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Yes, but remember coconut oil is a solid at room temperature which might make the tallow balm not so whippy and creamy.
Louise Ayre
Does this skin cream need to be refrigerated?
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No it does not need to be refrigerated. If you keep one jar out and the rest in a cool cupboard it should last a year. Keeping your "not in use jars" in the fridge would keep it longer.
Colleen
How long does it take to cool to the proper consistency?
Thanks, Colleen
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Hard to say how long as that can depend on the temperature of your house. But leaving it to cool completely leaves you with a soft white bowl of oil. Do not put in the fridge or the tallow will return to a solid state. When I made it in January I just walked away for a few hours then came back to whip it.
Colleen
How long does this have to cool to the proper consistency?
Thanks, Colleen
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Hard to say how long as that can depend on the temperature of your house. But leaving it to cool completely leaves you with a soft white bowl of oil. Do not put in the fridge or the tallow will return to a solid state. When I made it in January I just walked away for a few hours then came back to whip it. Worked like a dream.
Margie M Duckworth
After sealing jars, do you refrigerate. If not, what is shelf life for the profuct.
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After putting the lids on tightly (this does not "seal" them in the canning sense of the word), storing them in a cool cupboard will give them about a year of shelf life. You can also store the "not in use jars" in the fridge for longer life.
Krystine Thompson
Has anyone very tried bear fat? I tried and it doesn’t seem to be thickening?
Chris
Do you have to refrigerate it?
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Not if you are going to use it within the year. Extra is best stored in a dark cool cupboard and in a fridge if it is going to last you longer that a year.
Sabrina
Can I use two different "light" oils? For instance, 1oz avocado oil and 1oz jojoba oil?
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Yes you could use those oils along with the tallow
Melis
Would coconut oil work?
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You could use coconut oil but it's more unpredictable.
Jen Sundermeier
Does it need to be refrigerated?
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Not unless you won't use it up within the year. I put extra jars in my fridge.
Luigi Balducci
In the video you don't whip it. Is that a necessary step?
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The video is called DIY Tallow Balm, which is a different recipe than the whipped recipe. Having said that the only main difference is the whipping, which makes it light and creamy!
Lee
Thank you so much for this! Have you tried adding a bit of powdered herb to this mixture? Would this be possible if the oil was not available?
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Never been tried. Not sure that it would work the same as oil infused with herbs
Val
Can I use coconut oil?
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You can use coconut oil instead of avocado or olive oil but coconut oil is a solid when cooled which might make the tallow balm not so whipped and creamy.
Deidra Prestridge
Have you tried or would you recommend Jasmine oil?
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Kate said she hasn't tried Jasmine oil. We really don't have access to it, other than super spendy small amounts. I'll bet it smells divine.
Ty
Hi, thanks so much for this post! Can I just place the tallow in a pot on the stove to heat up? I've seen other posts where they say to use a double boiler? Is that necessary?
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Yes, you can just put the tallow in a pot. Make sure you heat it up slowly so it just melts, not boils or gets really hot.
Michael Bressette
Is Castor Oil beneficial in this preparation ?
I have almond oil & castor oil & want to use one or a mix of both to make this.
I bought an organic NON GMO grass fed & grass finished Tallow for this purpose.
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We've never used Castor oil in Tallow Balm. Almond oil is lovely, but sunflower oil works too. I've used Castor oil in soap making and it's a very sticky oil. Not sure that I would attempt it here. Remember to cool down the oil/tallow completely on the counter before whipping.[Some people have suggested to chill it in the fridge but that returns the Tallow to a solid state.] Sounds like you have a lovely batch of Tallow to work with!
Brianna
How long would this last if I use it solely for my face? Also, could I add honey to this? And how long would it take to melt all the beef tallow? I've heard multiple things, so I'm not sure.
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Here is a post Kate did on rendering fat. If you make excess you can store it in the fridge so that is lasts longer. Typically a jar of it, not refrigerated, lasts a year.
https://venisonfordinner.com/how-to-render-fat-pork-beef-bear-lard-tallow/
Colleen Steele
Hi, Colleen. I've just started making my own tallow. So far, I've only used it for cooking. My last batch, I put several cloves of my home-smoked garlic in it to infuse that flavor. Now I'm thinking about using some of my home-grown herbs in it for use as a skin treatment. Will your process work without using the essential oils? Would I just use olive oil to make it more like a balm?
Thanks, another Colleen
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Yes this recipe would work without the essential oils and yes, you would need the olive oil to keep the balm soft.
Melanie French
Love it
Susan Simpson
I thought uou were supposed to whip the tallow ta make balm.
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Yes you are whipping the tallow and other oil together.
Ashley Kuerschner
Oh my I NEED that mug with the milking mom and the baby on her back!! Also this turned out great.