DIY Tallow Balm: A Natural Solution for Skincare at Home
Using Good Old Tallow for Skincare
Tallow, a fat from animals, has been keeping human skin soft and supple for centuries. It's been a perfect match for our skin as it's easily absorbed, thanks to its structure similar to our cell membranes. Here's a simple recipe for making your own tallow balm at home.
On our homestead, we regularly render tallow for various uses, including cooking and skincare. Once revered by our ancestors, tallow balm fell out of grace when skincare products with petroleum and other endocrine-disrupting ingredients took center stage. However, tallow remains a fantastic moisturizer. Packed with vitamins A, D, E, and K, it's a superb choice for various skin concerns.
Tallow Balm's Marvelous Uses
Tallow balm sinks into your skin without clogging pores or leaving a greasy feel, making it an ideal moisturizer for cracked, dry, or calloused skin. It's a godsend for damaged skin, wrinkles, itchy and burning skin, and numerous other problems. Say goodbye to dry feet burdened with petroleum jelly under socks! Tallow balm is a superior choice for deeply moisturizing and repairing dull, parched skin.
Infusing Your Tallow Balm
Essential oils are optional extras in your tallow balm. Frankincense and lavender are popular choices. Frankincense, apart from its wonderful aroma, protects skin cells and reduces the signs of aging. Lavender can help reduce acne, even out skin tone, and minimize wrinkles. Both oils have a delightful scent to boot!
Choosing the Right Tallow
Grass-fed, grass-finished beef provides the best tallow for skincare applications, as it contains more vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids. Remember, always opt for rendered tallow, not the fat scooped from a pan or broth project. This way, your tallow balm will last for over a year, even at room temperature, making it a natural and preservative-free alternative to products like goat milk lotion.
Perfecting Your Recipe
Here's a simple recipe that makes about eight ounces of tallow balm. Store it in a cobalt or amber-colored jar to keep sunlight away and avoid using plastic containers to prevent harmful chemicals from leaching into your balm.
Ingredients:- Beef tallow- Olive oil- Frankincense oil (optional)- Lavender oil (optional)
Instructions:1. Melt tallow in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat.2. Remove from heat, then gently stir in olive oil and essential oils, if using.3. Let the mixture cool for about an hour to start solidifying.4. Using an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or by hand, whip the mixture until it thickens.5. Store in an airtight container, in a cool, dark place for up to a year.
If you're interested in rediscovering your food, nature, and a heritage way of life, come join our community of over 40,000 like-minded folks in our Facebook group, "The Self Sufficient Life."
📖 DIY Recipe for Tallow Balm
Active Time: 10 minutes | Resting Time: 1 hour | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
This four-ingredient tallow balm is a breeze to prepare and works wonders for your skin.
Materials:- 8 Ounces Grass Fed Tallow- 2 Ounces Quality Olive Oil- 24 Drops Lavender Essential Oil (optional)- 24 Drops Frankincense Essential Oil (optional)
Tools:- Small Saucepan- Mixer With Whisk Attachment- Jar
Instructions:1. Place tallow in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and heat slowly over low heat until melted.2. Remove from heat, add in olive oil and essential oils, if using and stir.3. Allow the mixture to sit for approximately one hour until it begins to solidify.4. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the mixture until it thickens.5. Store in a glass jar or metal container with a lid for up to one year in a cool, dark place.
- Tallow balm, rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, is a marvelous choice for various skin concerns, including cracked, dry, or calloused skin, damaged skin, wrinkles, itchy and burning skin, and numerous other problems.
- With its ability to sink into skin without clogging pores and leaving a greasy feel, tallow balm is a perfect moisturizer for health-and-wellness enthusiasts, making it an ideal addition to a lifestyle focused on skin-care and overall well-being.
- Infused with essential oils like frankincense and lavender, tallow balm can offer additional benefits such as protection of skin cells, reduction of signs of aging, even skin tone, and minimalization of wrinkles, making it a valuable component in the fashion-and-beauty realm as well as home-and-garden applications.