Tallow + Rose Hip Lotion Bars
In recent years, tallow has become my go-to product for skincare. Tallow balm is made with the rendered fat of ruminant animals and closely matches our skin’s natural oils. It is a nutrient-rich, zero-waste alternative to many oil-based skincare products, and one that many of our ancestors have used for generations. Tallow is deeply soothing and nourishing for symptoms of eczema, dryness, cracked skin, and even acne.
I tend to make my tallow balm with wild elk fat as my father gifts me with an abundance each year after his hunt. However, grass-fed beef fat is most common, and much easier to acquire. You can source it from most local beef farmers, and if not, your grocery store should have it (although perhaps not as great quality). As fat stores toxins in the body, I make sure that the fat I am using if not from wild animals, is from well-cared for cows that are grass-fed. I prefer to wet-render my tallow by adding sea salt and a bit of water to draw out the impurities and neutralize the smell, so this is the method for that. There are also dry-render techniques which you can experiment with.
Ingredients
Grass-fed Beef Fat
Good quality Olive, Avocado, or Coconut oil
Beeswax
Shea butter (optional)
Rosehip Seed Oil (optional)
Silicon molds if you wish to make lotion bars, or wide-mouthed containers if you prefer to make a salve
Essential oils (optional)
* If I intend to use the tallow on my face, I keep it simple and don’t tend to add essential oils, but rather infuse dried botanicals into the tallow.
Instructions
Step 1: Heat the fat in a pot on low temperature and make sure it does not burn or smoke. Add a small amount of water and a tsp of sea salt. Use your intuition and add more if you’re working with a higher quantity of fat. The water and salt will draw out the grit and impurities, and will not remain in the finished product, so you don’t have to be too precious with measurements.
Step 2: After about 20ish minutes, on a slow simmer (not a boil), take it off the heat and pour it into a glass bowl. Allow it to cool and as it solidifies, the grit and water will settle at the bottom of the bowl.
Step 3: Remove the hardened tallow from the bowl, pour off the water, and turn the tallow over on a cutting board. It will feel similar to butter. You might notice a thin, gritty layer of impurities on the top. Scrape off this layer with a knife, and add to your compost. Repeat steps 1 and 2 once or twice more until the fat looks and feels purified, and no more grit remains. The scent will have become more mild throughout the rendering process.
Step 4: Now gently heat the purified fat again, this time without water and salt. If you wish to infuse dried botanicals into your tallow balm, you can add them now. Rose petals, lavender, yarrow, plantain and calendula are good herbs to start with. Keep in mind that excess moisture from fresh herbs in your tallow balm can lead to spoilage.
Step 5: If you’ve infused botanicals into your tallow, you will need to strain it before adding the other ingredients. After straining, you will then add beeswax, your oil of choice, and shea butter (also optional). The beeswax functions to harden and preserve the salve or bar, so the amount is up to your intuition and preference of texture. Solid bars will use more beeswax than salves, so play with your ratios depending on what you’re aiming for. You can always re-heat and rework it if need be.
Step 6: Once everything is blended together, take off the heat. Now you can stir in a few drops of rose hip seed oil (my preference), castor oil, or any other nourishing cold-pressed oils. If you wish to add essential oils, you can add them now too.
Step 7: Pour the warm balm into your containers or molds and let set for several hours in the fridge. If you’ve ended up with a larger batch than expected, keep them in your fridge freezer for long-term storage.
To use, warm the bar between your palms for a moment, and then rub your hands, or the bar directly on your skin and massage into on your body. I love to use these straight after a shower.