What looks like birthday cake frosting, and is packed with nutrients that skin loves? Let’s learn how to make tallow balm!
How to make tallow balm
Whipped or solid, tallow balm is a skin healing miracle you won’t want to be without. It might seem kind of strange at first to use something like beef fat on your skin. The truth is, using tallow for a skin moisturizer is a practice that is thousands of years old. It’s truly a traditional skincare product that has been loved for centuries.
What makes tallow so amazing? Grass fed tallow contains a unique myriad of nutrients that heal, soothe, and moisturize skin. Let’s take a look. Grass fed tallow:
- Is deeply nourishing and moisturizing
- Contains Vitamins A, D, K, & E, & B12, all of which are extremely beneficial for skin
- Also helps to prevent skin’s loss of moisture
- Contains conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) with natural anti-inflammatory properties
- Has all of these nutrients that are found together only in animal products
- Contains oleic acid (omega 9) aids other components in penetrating deeply into skin
- Is antibacterial & antimicrobial
- Contains palmitic acid which helps improve the protective barrier function of skin
- Is rich in minerals
- Contains stearic acid which helps to repair damaged skin, and improves skin’s flexibility and suppleness
- Aids in skin regeneration for skin that appears healthier and more youthful
- Contains palmitoleic acid (omega 7) which is one of our skin’s basic building blocks
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What can tallow balm do?
After you’ve learned how to make tallow balm, you’ll have an extremely healing home remedy right at your fingertips. Grass fed tallow balm is so versatile.
Have dry skin? Nothing works better to moisturize! Eczema bothering you? Tallow balm calms and soothes and can even clear eczema up completely.
Struggling with acne? The unique nutrient blend and antimicrobial properties of tallow soothe and heal even deep, cystic acne.
Diaper rash? Tallow balm heals rashes in record time. Too much sun? Tallow balm to the rescue. Tallow balm is even amazing as an anti-aging face cream.
A perfect baby balm
When it comes to my babies, I’ve always been extra conscious of what I put on their skin. You can’t beat tallow balm for purity, gentleness, and awesome skin soothing properties. It works great for newborn skin creases and general moisturizing. Diaper rash heals very quickly with tallow balm. It’s a perfect all around skin treatment for a variety of baby needs.
The tallow balm ingredients
Tallow from cows eating only grass has the highest amount of skin loving nutrients. When looking for beef fat to make tallow balm, look for fat from 100% grass fed beef. You can render the tallow from beef fat yourself, or use already rendered tallow.
By itself, tallow at room temperature is rather stiff and hard to use on skin. Mixing a very small amount of a liquid oil, like olive oil, helps to make it more easily spreadable.
Tallow balm and essential oils
As incredible as tallow balm is on its own, it can be even more amazing when you add certain essential oils. The possibilities are really endless. You can go with single oils, or blends, depending on what you want to use the tallow balm for. Lavender is one of my favorite essential oils for its beautiful scent and the many things it can do for skin.
For soothing eczema or healing diaper rash, a blend of Lavender, Copaiba Oleoresin, Palmarosa, Lemon, Frankincense carteri, and Helichrysum italicum will work wonders. If you want an anti-aging tallow balm for your face, a blend of Lavender, Frankincense Serrata, Lemon, Petitgrain, Coriander, Turmeric, and Rose Absolute works beautifully. Many other essential oils can be used, depending on what you want your tallow balm to smell like.
What dilution to use
For general, daily, adult use, an essential oil dilution of 1 % is best. That’s what I go with when I make my tallow balm. For babies, I tend to avoid essential oils in most cases. However, if I need to help something like diaper rash heal, I will do a very gentle dilution. 0.25% is usually a good dilution for babies. I also make very sure to only use baby safe essential oils for those times.
Whipped or solid?
You can make tallow balm in a solid form, or you can whip it. The solid form lasts the longest, since no air incorporated. The whipped form is the easiest to use, since it is light and fluffy, a lot like whipped cream. The whipped form is my personal favorite. Get my tallow lotion bar recipe here.
How to make tallow balm instructions
Ingredients:
- 1 cup grass fed tallow
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 48 drops essential oils of choice (for a 1 % dilution)
Directions:
- Melt tallow over gentle heat until it is liquid.
- Remove tallow from heat. Add olive oil and stir to combine.
- Add essential oils and stir again.
- For solid tallow balm, pour balm into glass jar. Allow to harden in the refrigerator. When solid, let balm come to room temperature before using.
- For whipped tallow balm, pour liquid balm mixture into a large mixing bowl. Allow to solidify at room temperature. When solid, whip with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Store in glass jar.
- Store both forms of tallow balm at room temperature.
Helpful Amazon Links for Tools/Supplies:
How to make tallow balm video
More things you can make with tallow
Have you tried tallow balm?
How has tallow balm helped you? Have you ever made it yourself? Which essential oils do you think you’ll try?
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Tallow Balm
What looks like birthday cake frosting, and is packed with nutrients that skin loves? Let's learn how to make tallow balm!
Ingredients
- 1 cup Grass fed tallow
- 1/4 cup Olive oil
- 48 drops Essential oils
Instructions
- Melt tallow over gentle heat until it is liquid.
- Remove tallow from heat. Add olive oil and stir to combine.
- Add essential oils and stir again.
- For solid tallow balm, pour balm into glass jar. Allow to harden in the refrigerator. When solid, let balm come to room temperature before using.
- For whipped tallow balm, pour liquid balm mixture into a large mixing bowl. Allow to solidify at room temperature. When solid, whip with a hand or stand mixer until light and fluffy. Store in glass jar.
- Store both forms of tallow balm at room temperature.
I’m not sure what I did wrong but when I whipped up the tallow, it became gritty with little fat blobs. When I apply it to my skin, the fat particles melt and the grittiness goes away. But it does feel kind of funky to the touch and is not gift worthy. Do you think I can re-melt it and re-whip it? I have a lot! Thanks!
Hi Marisa,
Is it possible to add essential oils AFTER the Tallow has been whipped? Therefore you can then whip it again? Would that have an affect on the quality?
Thanks
Hi there!
I’m hoping to make tallow balm soon and was wondering how many jars this recipe will fill? I have 4 oz. jars.
Thanks!
5 or 6 2oz jars and i usually put 1.7 oz in mine
I love the simplicity of this recipe. Just a cup of tallow and a 1/4 cup of olive oil and you’re golden.
Made 1 pint after I whipped it up and I just put it all in a couple half pint mason jars for now. I think I’ll order some 1oz jars if I cannot find some at a thrift store.
Final product feels good on the hands and arms and my daughter loves it with her dry cheeks.
I’ve been rendering leaf fat ever since we started buying cow. We just keep all that fat and I can render quarts of it.
I would like to try this and after reading about potential mold with the whipped method I decided to try adding GSE. I’m thinking about adding 10-16 drops of grapefruit seed extract to the recipe which would prevent mold since it’s a wonderful anti-fungal and antibacterial. It can be used orally so I’m guessing it can be safe for topical.
I’m going to add honey to mine for that
I made this recipe tonight. Whipped up so nicely. I used 30 drops of Frankincense and 24 drops of lavender….Love the aroma!
Do you sell the Tallow products, already mixed and ready to use?
Check out my shop 🙂 https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/shop/
I need to try this out. I made the tallow and canned it. Just trying to figure out how to use it now.
Would i be able to add honey to this recipe? If so, how much would you recommend?
You can add 2 TBSP of raw unfiltered ho however, I like to use manuka honey instead. Its amazing!!!
Love the recipe! Would adding Aloe Vera (gel? juice? aloe in oil?) to the recipe make the tallow mold? Or would it work to add to mine?
pretty sure water and oil make mold.. ie juice/gel. i’ve never seen aloe oil!
Hello! I love this recipe!
I was wondering if there was a way to make a tallow magnesium balm/lotion?
Instead of using essential oils I want to use dried lavender in herb form. How would I go about doing this?
Can you please tell me why you use olive oil in this recipe? It’s hard to get quality olive oil at my place so please recommend me another oil, is coconut oil ok, can skin absorb it?
People use coconut oil, almond oil, jojoba oil as well
I would recommend Jojoba Oil
Hi there, I just made this and it turned out well. Though, I don’t think I used enough essential oils. Do you think it would work to either, add extra eo’s directly into the jars and mix? Or would it be better to pour the balm back out into a bowl and add eo’s and rewhip? Thanks for the great recipe
The eo’s lose fragrance if they get too hot. If you cool the oil and stir the eo’s in just before solidifying that will save the scent, or add the eo’s when whipping if doing the whipped tallow.
Hello,
I followed the recipe and my tallow balm turned out fabulous. However, it did get black mold along the bottom edge of the small jar I used to hold it. That happened with two jars. Do you have any suggestions or have you had this happen? Thank you so much!
There must have been moisture in your container or tallow. Mold will only occur if there is a water source.
Hello,
I made this recipe and it turned out well. I did the whipped version and I love the consistency. After a couple of months mine started to develop black mold in the bottom of the jar. Just a few spots and it was at the very bottom. The same thing happened on a second jar. Any thoughts? or suggestions?
Thanks so much!
Just got my cow. Can’t wait to make this. Definitely going to whip it.
Love this however my tallow is a little “gritty” is there any reason for this? How can I make it smooth?thanks
Yes! It sounds like you have soft trim fat tallow. Leaf fat (from around the internal organs) is much harder. To prevent the gritty texture, I make the tallow solidify very quickly, in my deep freezer. This prevents the fat molecules from separating out and making the gritty texture, which is what happens when the tallow cools slowly. Hope this helps!
My second batch came out really liquidity. What did I do wrong?
I have stored chunks of rendered tallow in a jar in my fridge for quite some time. It seems just fine. How do you get rid of that ‘tallow’ smell? I rendered it twice, and want to make tallow balm, but afraid it’s just going to smell, well, like tallow!
And I also don’t really like to add essential oils, as they seem to disagree with my face, where I want to use the balm.
Any suggestions/
Thank you!
I added vanilla to mine!
I cannot for the life of me get a soft whipped form- I’ve tried whipping it with my kitchen aid and also a hand mixer from the point it’s still soft (before it gets hard as rock) and the “whipped” version still hardens pretty hard and has hard little granules in it. I even tried adding some olive oil to soften it up. Is my tallow just extra hard? I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I used your wet purification process and it turned out great- pretty odorless and white.
Hi,
I have done the whipped version and absolute love it. Though, after a couple of days in the glass jar it’s a lot of liquid in the bottom of the jar, below the whipped tallow. Any idea of why? Could it be that I didn’t manage to get rid of all water?
Thank you very much in advance, BR Caroline
I am having this same problem. Did you figure it out?
Put this on the my to make homemade recipe list
Hi there,
Question about EO drop amounts for blends…above you mention “For soothing eczema or healing diaper rash, a blend of Lavender, Copaiba Oleoresin, Palmarosa, Lemon, Frankincense carteri, and Helichrysum italicum will work wonders. If you want an anti-aging tallow balm for your face, a blend of Lavender, Frankincense Serrata, Lemon, Petitgrain, Coriander, Turmeric, and Rose Absolute works beautifully.” And for adults it should be 48 drops for 1% – In each blend above, how many drops per EO you list to get to the 48 drops? Equal drops per EO? Or is there 1 or more EOs that require more drops than others?
Love all of your content, thank you!
Cyn
Hi! Would eucalyptus or tea tree oil work to use as a scent? I know tea tree can be drying so maybe that’s kind of counterproductive? And I found varying opinions on if eucalyptus should be used for skin care…
I did this recipe except I did not put into the fridge. The balm is very soft and oily. Can I put it in the fridge now and it will firm up? Or is there a way to save my balm and it not be a loss?
It’s not a loss! Just let it firm up in the fridge!
Hi! I just made the tallow whip recipe last night. While I love it, the smell is still tallowy although I used 48 drops of aura cacia French lavender essential oil. What do you think is causing the tallow smell to overpower the essential oil?
Thank you 🙂
I Tried this recipe and it works amazing! Lotion, face cream, and hand cream all in one!
Used deer tallow from our fall deer trimmings (more back fat than leaf fat so it was stiff to work with, lesson learned) but the finished product is still phenomenal! I was procrastinating doing this and I shouldn’t have. Once you’ve rendered tallow once and whipped this together with a hand mixer you feel like a lil pro!
Thanks Marisa! I’m very happy
Do you happen to know approx how many ounces this recipe for whipped makes?
The whipped version for one recipe gave me two 4oz glass jars.
Hello! I just discovered your page and it’s so great, thank you! I am wondering if you’ve ever used tallow in your magnesium lotion recipe or alternatively, used magnesium oil in this tallow balm recipe? Thanks again
I’m not much of an essential oil user, so i generally don’t have any on hand. Do you think rosewater or orange blossom water would work to give the balm a nice scent? Or do you think the “water” part would mess with the consistency/cause it to go bad faster?
You cannot add water as it would cause the fat to go rancid.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I was wondering if I can add magnesium brine to this recipe and if so, how much?
Hi! I loved making your recipe 8 months ago and it turned out great! I am not sure what I didn’t wrong when making it this time. I can’t get it to solidify at all! I don’t want to waste it but it’s just liquid! Any advice? I’d post a picture if I could!
Hello, so grateful for this recipe!!
I’ve made it twice now and the whipped balm works so well, but both times around the 3 month mark I start getting these brown spots throughout the jar. Can’t tell if it’s mold or something else.
Any thoughts? I rendered the high quality suet from a local grass fed farmer, but am wondering if I didn’t render it thoroughly enough. I’m going to try your wet crockpot method next time. Could this explain the brown spots?
Thank you! I’m not sure, I haven’t seen brown spots before. Usually it lasts without molding longer than 3 months for me, so I wonder if there is something left like water or some impurities. Yes, that method is great!
Hello so grateful for this recipe! Can we use jojoba oil instead of olive oil? Are the portions the same?
Do you have to render thr tallow down first for it to be clean prior to making this?
Hello Marisa!
I am so glad I found your website and all of your recipes! Thank you!
I just trying making a small portion of your whipped tallow balm and I had a question. Mine turned out kind of yellow-ish like the regular, solid balm. Is this normal? Yours looks more like a whipped cream color, so I was wondering where I might have gone wrong.
Thank you so much! You might have harder tallow, as it can vary. You might try adding more liquid oil to make it easier to whip 🙂
I have attempted to make this twice using the fat works
Beef tallow, but each time it feels grainy. It is whipped but has a little grainy residue.
Am I doing something wrong? Or is there a way to fix this issue?
Yes! It sounds like the FatWorks tallow is from trim fat. Trim fat is softer than leaf fat, and will develop the grainy texture when it cools slowly. To avoid this, make it solidify very quickly. I like to use my deep freezer. This prevents the fat molecules from separating out and making the grainy texture.
Great recipe! Thanks for sharing. I live in Florida and the organic, grass-fed tallow I ordered is already pretty melty on its own just from sitting in my cupboard. Should I melt it over heat anyway as the recipe indicates? Or should I allow it to harden in the fridge and go ahead and whip? Thanks!
I would let it harden in the fridge, then whip, and store in the fridge. I wouldn’t add any liquid oil if the tallow is already that soft 🙂
Hi! I tried making following your recipe and it’s almost perfect.. but I think I added a little too much oil. The consistency isn’t as spreadable/thick as I’d like it and it seems to sweat down a bit.. it’s still pretty hard but it def turns into an oily substance a little quicker than I’d like upon application.
I have both essential oil and jojoba mixed in. If I were to re heat and breaks this back down to liquid and add extra melted tallow.. would that ruin the essential oil mixture because of reheating? Also would adding extra tallow with no oils help the problem I caused? Trying not to add beeswax.
It sounds like you have softer tallow from trim fat. Yes! You can melt it down and add more tallow, and that should help! I would probably add a few more drops of essential oils again afterwards, just because the heat can make those dissipate.
Hello! I just made your lip balm and I’m looking to make this! Can I add non nano zinc oxide to this to make it more of a daily facial sunscreen and balm?
I haven’t tried that but it sounds like a nice idea!
hello marisa, I have several questions but first I want to thank you for all the dedication in what you do, your help and contribution are valuable, I would like to sell these balms but I have some doubts, (sorry I’m using the translator) do the jars have to be sterilized? Or just wash them or not wash them? When the bottle is 2 ounces, do you weigh the amount of balsam that goes inside or only if the bottle is 2 ounces, is it sold as 2 ounces? After 6 months, what happens with the balm, does its smell change, does it give it fungus, does it change its color, what is supposed to happen after 6 months have passed? should i put a warning on the jars to try not to get it wet? What is a reasonable price to sell them by the ounce? sorry for so many questions, thank you
Thank you! I use new, clean jars, and don’t sterilize them or anything beforehand. I measure these in liquid ounces, and just pour it in. After 6 months it’s always been fine, I’ve never had tallow go bad. I just put 6 – 12 months to have some sort of “expiration date” instead of nothing 🙂 I include in my directions to use clean, dry hands when using. Price will depend on your location and local market, and you’ll have to do some research on that.
Hi! I just made some of this whipped tallow butter from tallow I rendered last Fall, using your directions to render it.
It’s really nice to have a natural product and I like the idea of utilizing what I once considered byproduct waste. Now I know better!
I made a half batch, since I don’t know how long it will take me to use it up.
My tallow is a bit soft, so I decided to use just half the amount of oil in the recipe. I added 1/2 ounce jojoba oil to 4 oz tallow. I’m glad I read the comments so I knew to freeze the tallow/oil after mixing them.
After letting it come back to room temp, I whipped it and it’s a lovely consistency.
I don’t have many essential oils but I came up with an unusual (to me, anyway) mix of rose EO and peppermint EO. The peppermint gives the rose a little fresh zing. I like it!
Thank you so much for your videos and recipes! I am going to make tallow soap next.
Thank you for sharing!
Hello,
I’m looking for a seller that makes a solid tallow balm for the face, preferably with a little beeswax, and grass fed butter. Since it’s getting warm where I live, even a suggested recipe? I used to buy tallow face products from a seller on Etsy but I had an absolutely horrible customer service experience with this person and I’d rather find a way to make something similar myself, or find someone else with a similar product. If you have any suggestions, I’d be so grateful
You might be interested in this: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-make-herb-infused-tallow-salve/
Hello. I’m looking to make a homemade product for my hair. I have long knee length thick frizzy hair. I’ve been just washing my hair with water and wanted to try more of a natural animal based hair product to ease the frizz after washing for styling. Would your tallow balm work for my hair? Would you have any suggestions if not?
I would try this! https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/diy-heat-protectant-for-hair/
Can you substitute olive oil for coconut oil?
Yes!
Do you have a lotion bar recipe for lard…😬. I understand tallow is better with the wonderful vitamins and all the other extras. I have 7 1/2 quarts of lard in my freezer and I’d like to turn some into lotion bars. Can you substitute the tallow with lard?
Yes, you can substitute one for one 🙂
I have been making the whipped tallow balm for so long now.It is amazing for my face.Recently I developed eczema (I am due for allergy testing soon) and was wondering if I could add some colloidal oatmeal to it, and if possible,how much should I add.
Any ideas?
Thank you.
That’s an interesting idea! I haven’t tried adding anything like that yet, so I’m not sure. If you try it, let me know how it turns out!
Would like to let you know that it works great.I have friends asking me to keep making it for them.Everyone loves it.I plan on adding goat milk powder now, maybe about a tablespoon.If it works with oatmeal, I am sure goat milk will be fine too.I even added lanolin, but the smell was awful, so I stopped adding it.
I use infused camellia oil instead of olive oil.
Hi! I’ve been wanting to add colloidal oatmeal as well and just came across your post. Did you mix the colloidal oat with water and then add? Or just add the oats directly? I was hoping to add the oats directly without the water so I don’t need a preservative. Would love to hear what you did. Thanks!
Sounds wonderful but I would recommend adding some vitamin e so it doesn’t go bad with the oatmeal added in, since it’s a food ingredient.
Hi! How much does one batch make? Looking at getting some 1-2oz jars to keep this in and wondering how many I would need. Thank you for these great recipes!
This makes 8 fl. oz. 🙂
Hi Marisa! Thanks so much for all of your wonderful and informative posts, especially about tallow. I have been loving using your whipped tallow balm. This is my second batch and I haven’t been as lucky with it. I think I made the mistake of putting it in the refrigerator and whipping it directly when it came out when it was pretty cold. It whipped up nicely only to deflate and become liquefied within minutes. I let it set back to room temperature and have attempted to whip it again (now for nearly an hour) but it is not turning to a thick whipped butter, but rather a consistency more like milk lotion. I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong. I’m using Wagyu Tallow and know that it renders at a lower temperature so maybe I don’t need to use the olive oil mixture or maybe I need to add beeswax? I’d appreciate any input and advice. Thanks so much in advance!
I’m happy to help. Yes, for softer tallow, I don’t add any liquid oil at all. I would try that 🙂 If you want to save the first batch, you might try adding some melted beeswax to firm it up. Hope this helps!
Thank you, Marisa! Sorry for the double posting. 🙂 I’ve actually remelted my balm just this morning and added Shea butter in the place of the olive oil I didn’t use before. Would love your insight on that if you have a moment. Here’s hoping it helps! I was thinking the beeswax may be hard to incorporate and leave hard pellets in the finished product as it’s a much higher melting point. Thanks again and huge congratulations on your new addition!
I think adding shea butter is a great idea! I haven’t heard of that happening with beeswax; I think the key is to melt everything (tallow and beeswax) together and make sure they are well combined, and then let it solidify. Thank you so much 🙂
Hi! I’m actually using Wagyu Tallow. The first batch I made was such a lovely butter consistency. The second batch I used with olive oil and accidentally put it in the refrigerator to harden instead of leaving it to sit at room temperature. I whipped it straight out of the refrigerator and it made a lovely better only to deflate and liquefy within minutes. I’ve gotten it to room temperature again and have tried to beat it for nearly an hour although it is not turning back to butter – more like a lotion consistency. What have I done wrong? I know that Wagyu tallow has a lower melting point than other cattle so maybe I don’t need to use any olive oil at all? Thanks so much!! I love your posts and all of your recipes for Tallow!
Thank you! I’m happy to help. Yes, for softer tallow, I don’t add any liquid oil at all. I would try that 🙂 If you want to save the first batch, you might try adding some melted beeswax to firm it up. Hope this helps!
Hi Marisa!
Thanks for making such detailed videos! I made the tallow balm and I used jojoba oil and some EOs. In half my the jars I made there is a layer of liquid at the bottom. I saw you said in someone else’s comment that it just may be soft tallow and you don’t have to add any liquid oils. However I’d like to salvage the ones I made. Any ideas?
You’re welcome, thank you! Yes, some people melt it down and add melted beeswax to firm it up. Hope that helps!
how much beeswax?
Hi Marisa
Do you find this balm can leave skin greasy?
I seen a recipe for whipped shae butter that used arrowroot powder do make it less greasy.
Could the same be done with tallow balm?
Great questions! I only find it that way if I use too much. A little goes a very long way 🙂 I also find that this absorbs into skin much nicer than plant based butters and oils. If you do accidentally use too much, I recommend wiping the excess off on a dry towel. I’ve never tried arrowroot powder, I just make sure to not use too much balm and it’s always worked great for us 🙂
Hi Marisa! I wonder if you need any preservatives for this tallow balm recipes? If no, will it spoil easily?
No, tallow is very shelf stable, and since there is no water in this recipe, no preservative is needed 🙂
Hello Marisa. Have you ever remelted the whip? I’m also struggling with the scent of mine being a little beefy and wanted to try adding more eo’s and trying again. It’s one of those things that I’m like- it should work but no harm in asking a pro!
Yes, you can melt and rewhip if you need to, and more adding essential oils is a good thing to do. You might also want to check out my tallow rendering and purifying tutorial: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-render-and-purify-tallow-so-that-it-is-odorless-and-white/
Is it normal for a little bit of the liquid oil to rise to the top of the unwhipped balm after it solidifies? I tried making the tallow balm using some herb infused avocado oil instead of olive oil..just wanting to find out if this is normal or if I may need to adjust my oil ratios when using avocado oil instead of olive oil. I normally make the whipped balm but wanted to experiment with the unwhipped version. Thanks for any info!
I’m happy to help! I do see that sometimes on the solid version; I usually just wipe it off the top 🙂
I’ve made your balm a few times and shared it with family and friends with many acclaims. As many of us have many aches and pains, mostly from arthritis, I would like to make a batch with CBD oil. Would I have to reduce the amount of either one of the carrier oils (home rendered tallow and organic olive oil) or the essential oil by the amount of CBD that I want to add?
Thanks
I’m so glad! It depends on the consistency of tallow you’re using (harder or softer) but I think that in most cases, you could just add the CBD on top of the normal amounts of the other ingredients. Hope that helps!
Can you add raw honey to the tallow balm? If so, what amount? Thank you.
You can! I have a tallow honey lip balm recipe, so you might check that out for ideas: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/tallow-lip-balm-recipe-with-honey/ Hope that helps!
Hi!
I have a question, will the tallow work if I just use it as is? Or do I have to make the balm?
You might be able to use just tallow if you have soft tallow, but the nicest tallow (from the leaf fat) is too hard to use easily as a balm. It works better to mix in a little liquid oil to make it easy to spread and use 🙂
Hi, I have made your whipped tallow 2 times now and just love it!!!
The first batch stayed nice and creamy until it was gone. The second got “gritty” after a few weeks. What did I do differently the second time??? I’ve been trying to figure it out with no success. Any ideas?
Jan
I’m happy to help! Softer tallow from trim fat will get the gritty texture if it cools slowly. Hard tallow (from leaf fat) stays smoother. To prevent the grittiness when using soft tallow, let the balm solidify quickly in the freezer, then let it come to room temperature before whipping. This will prevent the fat molecules from separating out and causing the gritty texture. Hope that helps!
This may be a dumb question but here goes… I’ve made this once and love it but was wondering when measuring 1 cup of tallow, is that melted or solid? does it matter? because i found it hard to accurately measure 1 cup of the hard stuff.
Thanks for such and awesome website!
I always measure tallow when it is melted 🙂 Thanks!
Hi. I’m using tallow for my skin for 2 weeks now my skin feels a bit dry, is that normal wil this change the longer I use the tallow oil cleansing method as well as the tallow balm and moisturiser?
I’m happy to try and help! I’m guessing this is because of the skin adjusting to not needing to produce as much oil now. If you feel like your skin needs more moisture, you could try putting the tallow balm on twice a day instead of once a day (or more often than you already are). Hope that helps!
Hi! I have the opposite problem–using tallow makes my body/face feel greasy forever! If I put the tallow on, I can’t sit on my furniture for hours! For my face, I was using tallow as moisturizer, then switched to sea buckthorn which I love, but then read that they have a lot of PUFAs:( So I followed your whipped tallow recipe (lovely consistency, I hadn’t melted the tallow/oil before , so it was grainy, its very smooth now!), but i put it on my face an hour ago and I look so greasy! My skin is dry, but the tallow never soaks in. For my face I realize if I used it at night, it would have all night to soak in. Any thoughts? I’ll be trying your lip balm next! Thanks for your thoughtfulness in making your recipes available!
Hi! Curious if you find that your balm still has a beefy smell to it? I have grass fed/finished tallow that I’m using and I felt I smelled like hamburgers all day after applying! My skin felt amazing but not so sure what to do about the smell. I did use essential oils, perhaps not enough?? Thanks so much for any insight!!
I’m happy to help! That can definitely happen with some tallow, especially if it got too hot while rendering. I like to render my tallow myself with this special method that leaves it virtually odorless: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-render-and-purify-tallow-so-that-it-is-odorless-and-white/
Thank you for all of your valuable information! I make tallow balms and whips and I’m wondering if you have ever noticed the whipped consistency varying due to tallow being stored in the fridge before melting Cs not being refrigerated. I typically hear it on low in a double boiler, allow it to cool, add the carrier oil then leave it on counter overnight to form up into a balm like consistency then whip it up nicely. However I’ve found it only does this if the tallow was stored in the fridge first. And if it is mushy vs firm before I whip it, and try to harden it by then putting it in the fridge or freezer, it produces a softer whip that later turns grainy and causes major separation. Any tips on how to get that lovely thick whip everytime without later separation issues? I did my normal pre fridge method yesterday but it didn’t firm up like a balm. This stuff is so finicky!
I’m happy to try and help! I have found that leaf fat (the hard, smooth fat from around the internal organs) requires more liquid oil for a nice smooth whipped consistency, but that the softer trim fat tends to turn grainy. It is the softer trim fat that can separate, too. I try to use the leaf fat when I can since it makes for much nicer results. One thing that does seem to help is to have tallow made from the softer trim fat solidify quickly in the freezer, and then bring it to room temp before whipping. This keeps the fat molecules from separating out (which happens when it cools slowly) and avoids the grainy texture. I hope that helps!
Can you substitute the olive oil for organic coconut oil? Also is there a way to but this in a pump container. I want to make some for my sons, so no glass jars for them or would you recommend the bars for them?
Yes, if your tallow is softer, coconut oil would work. For harder tallow, you’ll need a liquid oil, like olive, jojoba, carrot seed, etc. Balm won’t work in a pump container, but this tallow lotion recipe will: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/tallow-lotion-recipe/
Do you need to use amber glass for storage? Does using clear glass decrease shelf life?
Great question! The amber glass will help protect the ingredients some, but I’ve used both kinds of glass with good success. I just store the jars away from direct sunlight either way. Hope that helps!
I love your recipe. What do you recommend which essential oils for acne in your tallow balm.
Thank you! For acne, I really like Plant Therapy’s Zit Zapper Synergy. Lavender or Frankincense are also wonderful. Hope that helps!
Hello I love your recipe. I wanted to know you have what is a good combination for acne when using essential oils. Would love your input. Thanks
Thank you! I like Plant Therapy’s Zit Zapper Synergy. Lavender and Frankincense are also wonderful. Hope that helps!
Excellent post. I absolutely love this site. Thanks!
Thank you!
Hi Marisa!
I am very satisfied with all your recipes and how well you explain it! I just applied my self made tallow balm for the first time and I already see a new era in my life; never buying body creams anymore! But i have a question regarding purification method. I poured the final mixed product to cool in the refrigerator but realized now that on the bottom of the jars there is still a little bit of “ impurities” “gelatin”to see. What to do? Can or shall i melt it again and do the process of scraping the bottom? Is it ok to do it with the oil that I already added?
( Rose hip Oil+rose scent) Thankyou
Thank you, and I’m happy to help! If you strain through cheesecloth after the purification step, you shouldn’t really see a layer of impurities. Yes, I would melt it down, strain it through cheesecloth, and let it solidify. Then scrape anything off of the bottom of the tallow, and then make it back into balm. You might lose a little scent from the heat of melting it, but you can always see how it smells and add more if you want. Hope that helps!
Hi! Sooo I used Hemp seed oil because that’s all I had but it won’t whip up. It’s more like a liquid lotion and definitely not as nourishing as other tallow balms I’ve tried. Is it because of the hemp oil vs olive oil? Any thoughts on how to make it better? TIA!
I’m happy to help! Hemp seed oil should work fine. Some tallow is softer than others. I find that the trim fat makes softer tallow than the leaf fat or suet. It sounds like you have soft tallow. It often works best to use less liquid oil or even none at all when you have soft tallow. I’d recommend trying that.
Hi, what can I use instead of tallow? Can I use coconut oil and beeswax?
Thank you
You could, but it wouldn’t be tallow balm 🙂
First, thank you so much for putting your time into this blog. I have found it very helpful. My husband is an avid deer hunter so I have been rendering venison fat into tallow. I have made your 100% tallow soap (and LOVE it) and both versions of this body butter. I prefer the whipped body butter but it is very grainy. I can rub these tiny pieces of fat in but it takes a bit of effort. My questions are: Does your whipped body butter have tiny flecks of fat? Is it just the type of tallow I am using? Am I doing something wrong? Any insight or suggestions are appreciated. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the kind words! Yes, fat from certain areas on the animal (usually the trim fat) can have a grainy texture when it’s made into balm. I did discover a trick that prevents this, though: When you solidify the balm before whipping, make sure it solidifies very quickly by putting it in the freezer. That will help the fat molecules solidify quickly and not separate into the grainy texture. Hope that helps!
Thanks for the tip to get the tallow to solidify quickly to prevent the grainy texture. I am still struggling with how to do this as the tallow next to the edge of the mixing solidifies much faster than the tallow in the middle of the mixing bowl. That area of the tallow gets so stiff or hard that it does not whip up nicely like the rest of the tallow and so I still have lumps that won’t incorporate into a nice whipped texture. Do you have a remedy for this? I purchased some camel tallow and it is probably more like beef tallow and so I am struggling to get a smooth, unlumpy face tallow. All help is much appreciated!
I’m happy to help! I solidify my tallow quickly in the freezer, and I’m able to get a large mixing bowl smooth this way. I put it in the “quick chill” section of my deep freezer. If you’re not able to get your smooth, I would try cooling it in smaller, flat containers. This might let you get an even, fast chill. Hope that helps!
Hi
What if i don’t know if the tallow is from grass feeding cows? Will the tallow still work?
Yes! Tallow from cattle fed grass and grain is still great. The best is from 100% grass fed, but if you can’t find that, the tallow you have will still work just fine.
Hello
How can I buy your bumblebee products in Australia? I can’t seem to find bumblebee tallow balm online.
Thank you
Hello, normally you could, but I am unable to get tallow to make and sell balm right now 🙁 Sorry about that!
I made your Tallow balm recipe my wife and I love it but it separated after sitting for a week or so seems like the olive oil settled to the bottom. Did I do something wrong or is it normal to separate? I followed you recipe to the tee. This last batch I used 2 cups of tallow to 1/4 cup of olive oil I am waiting to see how it turns out.
Thanks love our website and YouTube videos.
Thank you so much! I’m sorry to hear about the separation, I haven’t had that happen. It could be that you have very soft tallow that doesn’t need any olive oil added. You could try making a batch with no olive oil at all. I hope that helps!
Hello! I want to make this recipe but I was wondering if I can make it more like a lotion rather than a butter. If I add water and a preservative will that work? What would the recipe be for such? Thanks!
Yes! I actually have a recipe to do just that: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/tallow-lotion-recipe/ Enjoy!
Hello,
I used you recipe for whipped tallow balm and I used a frankincense & myrrh blend from revive oils. I also ordered the tallow your link sent me to, fat works. This tallow is yellow in color and has an awful smell. I have just made my first batch and it stinks like the tallow still. Will that ever go away? Is there a tallow that doesn’t have that smell?
Thank you for the recipe!
Sorry to hear about the tallow smell! I find that the smell of Fatworks tallow can vary from batch to batch. The best way to get tallow that doesn’t smell strong is to render it at home. I show how to do that and how to purify it to remove the smell here: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-render-and-purify-tallow-so-that-it-is-odorless-and-white/ You could try a purifying step with your Fatworks tallow to see if that will remove some of the smell. Hope that helps!
I apologize, I meant to submit as a comment rather than a review, so I hate to be redundant but do you mind sharing your exact ingredients and amounts for baby eczema? My 4 month old has just developed eczema and I want to be cautious in how I’m making the balm for him.
Also, when making a balm for adults, it says 48 drops of essential oils. Is that 48 drops total, or 48 drops of each? Thank you so much for sharing!
Great questions! For baby eczema, I love the Silky Soft essential oil blend from Plant Therapy: (affiliate link) https://www.pntra.com/t/Qz9LREZIP0NLR0RKQz9LREZI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.planttherapy.com%2Fsilky-soft-kidsafe-essential-oil%3Fv%3D602
I like to dilute to a 0.25% or 0.5% for babies. For an 8 oz. jar of balm, that would be 12-24 drops. For adults, it is 48 drops total for a 1% dilution. Hope that helps!
Hello Marisa,
How long do they last? Where should I keep them once it is ready?
Thanks
They are very shelf stable, and should last at room temp for around 6 months to a year 🙂
Although I’ve been making tallow face cream for years, I just recently came across your site. Thank you so much for all the information you share. Finding the perfect consistency for me has been the thing I struggle with the most. A year or so ago, my local supplier had lamb tallow and it whipped up perfectly with just essential oils added. (Lavender, frankincense, and copiaba are my favorite) Anyway, do you think that lamb tallow is as healthy as the beef? Thanks again for sharing your wisdom! I enjoy your site.
Thank you so much! Yes, lamb tallow is wonderful. Grass fed lamb tallow has the same benefits as grass fed beef tallow. Hope that helps!
Since it is antibacterial could it be used instead of neoporin?
I actually have an herb infused tallow salve recipe that works wonderfully as a natural version of Neosporin. You can see it here: https://bumblebeeapothecary.com/how-to-make-herb-infused-tallow-salve/
I want to try this. In trying to purchase tallow, the label (on one) says to keep refrigerated after opening and to use within 3 months. Their tallow is sold for culinary use and soap etc.
What are the storage requirements?
Great question! Properly rendered tallow is very shelf stable. Tallow balm made from properly rendered tallow should be good at room temp for a year or longer. The jar is probably labeled that way just to stay on the safe side, if that makes sense, especially since it is also for eating. Hope that helps!
I love this tallow balm!! Thank you! It’s soo helpful on my eczema! I have noticed that mine separates in the heat. Have you experienced this before? It still works wonders, but I am wondering if I’ve done something wrong, or if there is a way to prevent this. Thank you!
I’m so glad it’s been helpful! If the temperature gets very warm, it could soften or start to melt. Tallow from different areas on the animal is harder or softer than others. Usually the trim fat is softer, and the leaf fat is quite hard. If it happens, just chill and rewhip. You can store it in the refrigerator while the weather is hot. Hope that helps!
Hi Marisa!
Great recipe thank you for sharing!
I’ve rendered the tallow but it still has a lingering aroma. Any tips on how to get rid it?
Thanks!
Natalie
You can try doing another one or two purification steps and see if that helps. Some people also add baking soda to the water during the purification step, so that’s something you could try. Hope that helps!
Hi, I really would love to make the tallow cream but having difficulty to find the tallow in Germany, when I search amazon it brings up Collagen powder. I am not familiar at all with tallow… tia
I’ve heard of that happening with the links if it is a different country. If you search for tallow, hopefully you can find it! I think Amazon works a little differently depending on what country you’re in. Let me know if I can help further!
I would love to make the cream,but my skin says no to olive oil.I plan on infusing some camellia oil with some herbs at 100 degrees fahrenheit for 72 h and use that instead. Do you think that would be ok.I also can not use any essential oils,as my face will turn red and crack so bad.
Thank you.
Yes, that sounds like a great solution. Any liquid oil that your skin likes will work fine. That’s perfectly fine to leave essential oils out, too. The camellia oil sounds like a wonderful idea.
Hi,
Can you suggest a company that sells beef leaf tallow where I can render myself. I am not familiar with local butchers or ranches. I am in Southern Ca.
Thank you,
Kathy
Hello, I would recommend looking on Craigslist or getting in touch with your local Weston A. Price foundation chapter. They should have a list of local grass fed beef producers. You can find your local chapter here: https://www.westonaprice.org/category/get-involved/local-chapters/ Hope that helps!
Hi! thanks for much for the recipe! How long does the whipped version last, will it mold or go rancid?
You’re welcome! If it is rendered properly, it shouldn’t mold. It is very shelf stable and should last a year or so.
Hi Marisa, thank you so much for this wonderful content. How can you ensure the tallow is rendered properly? I bought a bag of tallow from a local butcher. I’m wondering if it will be self-stable if I follow your recipe. Also, would avocado oil work instead of olive oil? Thank you!
If you follow these steps to render it, it should be rendered properly 🙂 It should be shelf stable for short term storage once it is rendered, as long as it has air flow around it. For long term storage, I recommend keeping it in the fridge or freezer. Yes, you can absolutely use avocado oil! Hope that helps 🙂
I like your tallow balm recipe
Just wanted to say thank you for all your hard work and fantastic posts!! I always look forward to your new posts; you’re helping me and my family live healthier lives! In particular, I’ll be eternally grateful that you’ve introduced me to tallow and given such clear instructions on how to work with it. You could’ve just linked to your Etsy shop and I never would have been brave enough to render my own/make my own balm, but you shared all the details instead! It just blows my mind what a good moisturizer it is. My previous attempts at natural moisturizers, with many ingredients, never came close. My disturbingly cracked heels are finally smooth after 5+ years! I’ve got acne-prone skin and I use this on my face with no issue. I’m like a crazed tallow convert- I’m passing out tallow balm to everyone I know, haha. It’s just such a relief to get rid of all my additional ingredients and just have something pure and simple that works for my whole family, especially my little ones. You rock!!
This is such a sweet comment! Thank you so much, and thank you for being here! I love meeting fellow tallow fans 🙂 Isn’t it amazing stuff?
Can you do this without the olive oil? I know some of the essential oils can be used with out a carrier oil. How many drops would you put in with out the olive oil?
Yes! You can use another liquid oil. Or you can leave the oil out altogether, but will be stiffer and not as easy to spread. The essential oil drops would be the same. It’s just a 1% dilution of essential oils 🙂
Thank you so much for this recipe! I love the whipped tallow and use it as a facial moisturizer every night.
You’re very welcome! That’s wonderful!
I love this whipped tallow balm! Just curious as to using this recipe on your face as I’ve only been using it as a body cream. Would you dilute it more (i.e. use less essential oils)? Any other changes to make it a face cream instead of a body cream? Thanks!
I’m so glad! I like to use just a 1% dilution of essential oils, so that it is gentle enough for facial skin. I find that works well, but you could use even less if you want. Otherwise, it should be good to go! It is really amazing for your face 🙂
HI,
Could you use a combination of oils in the face cream or are you better off just using one
THANK YOU
You could definitely use a combo! Whatever you know your skin likes 😊
Your information is amazing! thank you for sharing!
Do you ever adapt your recipe in summer for the tallow whip, put in less oil? Mine does differ quite a bit winter to summer. Many thanks
Thank you so much! Yes, I do find that I have to adjust the amount of oil depending on how hard the tallow is, due to those seasonal changes. If the tallow is harder, I add about 2-4 more tbsp of oil per cup of tallow to keep it a nice, soft consistency. Hope that helps!
I’m really excited to try this at some point however would an oil substitute like coconut, kukui, sweet almond ECT. work or do they not combine correctly? I have never worked with tallow before so I think more research before I attempt this amazingness!!
Any skin friendly, liquid oil can be used! It’s just there to soften the consistency and make it easier to apply 🙂
Can you use tallow from pasture raised pigs?
Yes! Rendered fat from pigs is lard 😊 I’ve heard of it being used for skincare!