The best natural moisturizer I have found to keep a homemaker and homesteader’s hands soft and deeply nourished is tallow.
Why I love this recipe?
Tallow is a homemaker and homesteader’s miracle skincare essential. It is 100% natural. This recipe for homemade whipped tallow body butter is made with just one ingredient (unless adding essential oils for scent and/or natural benefit). This is my go to for dry, cracked skin in the colder seasons and to soothe sunburns or bug bites in the warmer seasons.
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What is Tallow?
Tallow is just fancy name for rendered animal fat. In this case, beef fat or suet. (Suet is the pure crumbly fat found around the kidneys.) Tallow is made by cooking down fat scraps to remove any impurities. As a result, what you’re left with is pure fat. It is liquid gold when heated and a solid when cool. It’s a homemaker and homesteader’s essential fat.
Tallow for Skincare
Tallow is perfect for nourishing skin.
- Rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, K and E. (Here is a great explanation on function, benefits of these fat-soluble vitamins).
- Rich in healthy fats
- Good for all types of skin
- Mimics skin’s natural oils
- Soothes and helps repair damaged and irritated skin
- Great source of antioxidants
- Won’t clog your pours
- Soothes skin inflammation
- Reduces signs of aging
- Has natural antimicrobial properties (helps acne and diaper rashes)
Where To Get Beef Fat for Making Homemade Whipped Tallow Body Butter?
If you raise your own beef cattle or not, the best place to check is your local butcher. If you’re taking your cattle to be processed make sure to ask your butcher to keep the suet and fat trimmings to render your own tallow. Here is my step-by-step recipe to easily render your own tallow right at home. If you prefer, you can also get pure tallow here.
How to Make Whipped Tallow Body Butter
You can make this in batches of any size. You could whip up all of your rendered tallow and separate into jars to make each jar the specific scent or natural benefit you choose. Or you could whip one cup of tallow at a time.
- Use a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, no worries, you can use a glass bowl over a pot of water and bring it to a boil.
- Melt down over medium-low heat
- Carefully remove from heat and allow to cool down slightly (10-15 mins.)
- Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment if available.
- Mix until tallow is whipping into light fluffy goodness. (Time dependent on how fast the tallow cools down.)
- Once whipped you can transfer into clear mason jars or amber jars if adding essential oils.
- If adding essential oils, 1% dilution is recommended for adult use, which is approximately 50 drops per cup of whipped tallow body butter. Likewise, 0.25% is recommended for children so approximately 12 drops per cup of whipped tallow body butter.
- You should keep your whipped tallow body butter in air-tight glass jars. Storing at constant cool room temperature to prevent melting and reversing the tallow being whipped. It will last up to a year at room temperature or longer if stored in refrigerator.
How to Use Whipped Tallow Body Butter
A little goes a long way! This stuff is so rich and nutritious you only need a small amount. Massage into skin as you would any other lotion. It only takes a few minutes to absorb into skin. It is safe to use everyday and as needed. Additionally, it’s protective properties will last on your skin way longer than regular creams or lotions. No need to continuously reapply during the day. Perfect for use topically from head to toe! I love using this on my hands before washing dishes to prevent my hands drying out to begin with.
Easy Homemade Whipped Tallow Body Butter
Equipment
- Broiler Pan
- Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer With Whisk Attachment
- Glass Mason Jars or Amber Jars
Materials
- 1 cup Tallow
- Essential Oils (if desired for scent or natural benefit)
Instructions
- Use a double boiler. If you do not have a double boiler, no worries, you can use a glass bowl over a pot of water and bring it to a boil.
- Melt down over medium-low heat
- Carefully remove from heat and allow to cool down slightly (10-15 mins.)
- Use a stand mixer or a hand mixer with a whisk attachment if available.
- Mix until tallow is whipping into light fluffy goodness. (Time dependent on how fast the tallow cools down.)
- Once whipped you can transfer into clear mason jars or amber jars if adding essential oils.
- If adding essential oils, 1% dilution is recommended for adult use, which is approximately 50 drops per cup of whipped tallow body butter. Likewise, 0.25% is recommended for children so approximately 12 drops per cup of whipped tallow body butter.
- You should keep your whipped tallow body butter in air-tight glass jars. Storing at constant cool room temperature to prevent melting and reversing the tallow being whipped. It will last up to a year at room temperature or longer if stored in refrigerator.