A few years ago I discovered the skin health benefits of tallow. These DIY tallow lotion bars were my favorite, but I wanted something with a softer consistency. The result is a whipped tallow balm that provides perfect nourishment to even sensitive skin.
I love the way it makes my skin so smooth and soft. Plus, since it contains natural ingredients, I think it would be good to use with children. I saw a huge difference in my son’s eczema scars after using tallow. Here’s why suji balm is so good, how to use it, and how to make it yourself!
Benefits of tallow balm
Unlike other moisturizers and lotions containing vegetable oils, tallow balm is a unique creature. It all starts with animal fat (usually beef fat, but lamb works well too), which is then rendered and refined. It is similar to lard that comes from pigs.
The best fat to use for beef tallow comes from grass-fed sheep or leaf fat. This leaf fat is found around the kidneys. Tallow balm benefits your skin in many ways.
Because tallow is an animal source, it nourishes and penetrates beautifully into our skin. Can be used in lip balms, soaps, moisturizers, and salves. When used as a balm, it helps combat dry skin, eczema, and anti-aging.
Many people use tallow balm on their skin. That’s because tallow balm is rich in naturally occurring fatty acids that are very similar to the oils in our skin. Suitable for all ages, from babies to toddlers. I have used the tallow ointment for my son’s eczema and it is also good for diaper rash.
resin balm ingredients
You can use regular resin on your skin, but it is very hard and difficult to spread. An easier method is to make a tallow moisturizer made by mixing tallow and liquid oil. This makes it much easier to apply and gives you the best of both worlds. The result is a deeply nourishing tallow moisturizer that is effective for both face and body care.
Some recipes add shea butter, coconut oil, or jojoba oil. I like to keep things simple and use mainly extra virgin olive oil. I also added a little rosehip seed oil. Because rosehips have astringent properties, they help the resin penetrate better and have amazing skin-restoring properties. This anti-aging rosehip facial moisturizer is a reader favorite!
You don’t even need beeswax to thicken this. You can also add your favorite essential oil, although it’s completely optional. Consider frankincense, chamomile, and lavender essential oils.
How to make suji balm
This recipe feels like whipped body butter, or even like a salve if you skip the whipping step. Either way will work, but I prefer the feel of the whipped cream version. If you’ve been looking for a simple tallow balm recipe, this one is super effective because it’s customizable and gentle for sensitive skin.
Another question I often hear is how to make tallow balm less greasy. Adding a lightweight oil, such as rosehip seed oil, and whipping the finished balm helps create a lighter texture that is more easily absorbed into the skin. Olive oil is a heavy oil, so if you need a less moisturizing oil, you can replace it with a lighter oil (such as grapeseed oil).
Where to get tallow
Okay, so I guess I told you just how good tallow is for your skin… But where can I get it? You can also find high-quality, grass-fed beef tallow from farmers in your area. If not, I also like to get my resin online here.
The rendered resin is off-white in color and may or may not have a beefy odor. Further purification helps remove the resinous smell and achieves a pure white color.
How to Purify Resin
If you use tallow for cooking (or soap making), the smell is not strong enough to make a difference. For skin care products, you will need purified resin. You can find a tutorial on how to render resin here, but here’s how to further refine it:
- Add 2 cups of beef tallow, 5 cups of water, and 3 tablespoons of salt to a pot and boil. If you have more resin, you can even double your usage.
- Set the heat to low and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Strain the hot liquid through a fine-mesh strainer lined with paper towels or a very clean tea towel or t-shirt cloth into a large bowl.
- Chill the bowl in the refrigerator until it hardens.
- Remove the hardened resin block from the brine and turn it over. You may see some brown bits on the underside, so scrape them all off.
- You can repeat this process one more time if you wish.
- Allow the resin to air dry at room temperature to evaporate all the water (otherwise mold may form).
Once the tallow has been purified, you are ready to make your own whipped tallow balm at home!
Whipped Suji Balm Recipe
This gentle resin balm is great for dry skin and all types of skin irritation. Great for all ages!
produce: 6 oz.
Add the tallow to the top of a double boiler and heat over low heat to melt.
Once completely liquid, add olive oil and stir.
Remove from heat and add essential oils and rosehip seed oil, if using.
Pour the resin chestnuts into a glass bottle and place in the refrigerator to harden.
whipped tallow balm
For the whipped tallow chestnut version, pour the chestnuts into a mixing bowl before placing in the refrigerator. You want it to harden to a firm consistency, but this isn’t actually difficult.
Whip the tallow bombs using the whisk attachment on a stand mixer or hand mixer. If it’s too hard to whip, leave it at room temperature until it’s soft enough to whip.
Transfer to a glass jar for storage.
- Shelf life and storage: Store tallow bomb at room temperature, away from direct sunlight and heat. If stored properly, it will last for several months.
- This recipe uses a 1% essential oil dilution. When using on children 6 months to 3 years old, reduce the essential oil to a total of 7 drops (0.25%) or omit it.
Selective herbal infusion
You can include even more herbal skincare benefits in your tallow balm. Use herbal infused oil instead of regular olive oil (or liquid carrier oil). Herbs calendula, lavender, chamomile, or plantain are good options for your skin. Here’s how to make herbal infused oil: I used leftover dandelion infused oil from one batch.
Don’t you want to make it? Toups & Co Organics makes great tallow balms that our family loves.
Suji Balm Recipe FAQ
1. My resin balm is too hard or soft.
Some tallow is harder than others, and some people like their tallow ointment harder or softer. If you want a softer version, add a little more oil. If you want a sturdier version, reduce the oil or add a little beeswax.
2. Can I use Suji Balm on my face?
yes! I always do. Apply whipped tallow balm to your face to make it soft and smooth.
3. The beef tallow smells like beef. Can I use it?
Yes, but cleanse first. See instructions above. Mine had a slight beef smell even after cleansing, but it wasn’t strong.
4. I bought tallow from a store/farm, do I still need to purify it?
Yes, that is very likely. Unless it has already been refined several times and has a strong beef smell.
5. Can I use lamb or pork fat?
Pork fat is lard and is too soft to use in this recipe (but it makes great fries!). I think lamb fat from lamb might work, but I haven’t tried it yet.
Have you ever used tallow on your skin before? What is your favorite way to use it? Let us know by leaving a comment!
