Name: Tallow Balm
Prep time: 5 min
Total time: 5 min
Yield: 1
Ingredients: ½ cup grass-fed tallow; 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, jojoba oil or sweet almond oil (optional); optional essential oils (maximum 10 drops)

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Tallow balm is what your skin has been waiting for! Just a few whole food natural ingredients that will leave your skin hydrated and glowing. Plus, it's SO easy to make!

open jar of tallow balm on wood board — *This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here*.

When I heard that animal fat is way closer in composition to my natural skin oils than plant oils, it made total sense! We are animals, after all!

I ordered some tallow balm from Toups and Co. Organics (heard about them on Homemaker Chic podcast) and loved it! Most skin care products are full of crap and Emilie does a great job of making clean, yet effective items! Use my code THEHOMEINTENT10 to get 10% off at checkout!

I have to say I'm the kind of girl that likes to make things from scratch myself, so when I turned the jar around and saw tallow, olive oil and essential oil as the ingredients... well, let's just say I knew I could do it!

We already order meat from a local farmer outside of the city who raises his animals in ideal conditions, so I ordered some beef fat and rendered it myself. But you can purchase tallow and skip that step!

I whipped up this tallow balm recipe in no time and have been enjoying it ever since!

WHY USE A FACE MOISTURIZER?

All our lives we've heard it's important to moisturize your face daily, but why?

When you moisturize your face consistently, it's less likely your skin will become extremely oily or dry. The skin on the neck and face are particularly sensitive, so slathering on hydrating ingredients can help the skin cells to repair and remain healthy. Moisturizing also gives the skin a healthy sheen, which can camouflage blemishes and improve skin tone. Lastly, adequately moisturized skin will age much more gracefully because hydrated skin maintains elasticity!

Using high-quality, natural and organic ingredients is a must for optimum skin health.

When trying a new product or DIY recipe, it's smart to test it on a small inconspicuous area for at least 24 hours, especially if you have existing skin conditions. This ensures that no allergic reactions or skin irritations occur. Here is a more detailed article about how to do a patch test for a new recipe or product.

What is Tallow?

Tallow is the rendered (liquified and clarified) fat from a cow or sheep. It is solid at room temperature but melts when rubbed into the skin. It can be made at home quite easily (check out my tutorial on how to render fat at home) or bought online.

Rendered tallow is great for making skincare, candles and salves as well as for cooking and conditioning leather and wood.

Tallow Balm Ingredients

Grassfed tallow - It's important to use tallow from grass fed cows or sheep because it will be much more nutrient-rich. These animals lived happy, healthy lives, so their meat and fat is naturally healthier too! Grass-fed beef tallow is high in Vitamins A, D, K and E. And whatever you put on your skin will absorb into your body!

Extra virgin olive oil - Rich in healthy fats and antioxidants. It can also reduce inflammation, calming the skin. You can substitute jojoba oil, avocado oil or sweet almond oil for olive oil if needed. You can also leave the extra oil out completely! It's in there because since it's liquid oil at room temperature it makes the balm more easily spreadable. But plain ol' tallow works fine as well.

Is Tallow Balm Good for SKin?

Animal fat is the closest in chemical composition to our skin's natural oils, so it is the absolute best thing to use on your skin.

Because it mimics the skin's naturally occurring oils and has anti-inflammatory properties, there's less chance of breakouts or skin irritation.

It's been used for centuries to moisturize skin, so that's evidence in itself!

As we age, we produce less fat and oils in our skin, causing dryness and wrinkles. Using tallow can help keep skin moisturized and prevent wrinkles as time goes on. Obviously, nothing can totally prevent wrinkles, but tallow is your best shot for healthy, youthful skin as you age.

Beef fat is naturally high in the fat soluble Vitamins K, A, E and D, which help maintain glowing skin. It's also high in omega 3's and 6's and they are in an optimal ratio to support skin health.

What Do YOu Use Tallow Balm For?

Use it on your face, cracked heels and elbows or on dry hands. You can really use it on your entire body!

I love to use this tallow lotion as my nighttime moisturizer so my skin can soak in all the goodness while I'm asleep. I use tallow in my morning moisturizer as well (I have not updated that recipe, but I now use tallow instead of coconut oil), but it is combined with some different ingredients so it's lighter and faster absorbing. That way I can head straight into priming and applying my makeup.

HOW DO YOU APPLY Tallow Balm

After cleansing your face, gently pat your face and neck with a towel to dry, leaving a little bit of water on the skin. Take the amount about the size of a nickel (a little goes a long way!) and rub it between your hands to warm and ensure the ingredients are evenly distributed. Very gently apply to the face and neck, working upward in a circular motion.

birds eye view of open jar of tallow balm

CAN TALLOW BALM EXPIRE?

This recipe is made from ingredients with fairly long shelf lives. I wouldn't recommend keeping the tallow balm longer than 1 year after making it, just to be safe, but if it's used every day, you'll use it up long before then. To extend the shelf life be sure not to get any water in the tallow balm and keep the majority of it in the fridge (I keep a small jar in my bathroom for easy access).

Where to Buy Tallow Balm

If you'd rather purchase tallow balm than make it yourself, there are some great options out there and they are quite easy to find online. Sometimes you can find it locally made on Facebook marketplace as well!

Toups and Co. Organics is my favorite for natural skincare and beauty products. Their tallow balm is fantastic and I'm also a huge fan of the tinted lip balm, charcoal soap bar, deodorant and foundation. Check them out if you want ultra clean and effective personal care and makeup products! You can use my code THEHOMEINTENT10 to get 10% off of your order.

Tallow Balm Variations

Substitute the extra virgin olive oil for another that is nourishing to the skin and liquid at room temperature. Some examples are jojoba and sweet almond oil. You can leave this extra oil out as well, it just makes the balm easier to spread onto your skin.
In theory, you could replace some of the tallow with shea butter or cocoa butter, although I have not tried it in this recipe.
If you have very dry skin, add 1 teaspoon Vitamin E oil to the tallow when melting it.
Add essential oils for a better smell. Tallow has a distinct smell, although it's not very strong. If this is off-putting to you, or you'd just like to give your skin balm a beautiful scent, you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the mixture before allowing it to harden, then whip. (I have decided to ditch essential oils after learning a lot from Arielle DeMartinez. She has an Instagram page that's very informative.)
If you find your skin reacting in any way, or seeing no improvement in acne or inflammation, try applying pure tallow to the skin. It may be the plant-based oil you've added that continues to cause that problem. I have not found that to be the case, but everyone's skin is different!

finger scooping tallow balm out of a jar

Tools You May Need

Small pot

Hand mixer

Mixing bowl