Okay I had to try this one out…
A few weeks ago I saw a post on Instagram about tallow cream working miracles on someone’s skin. I didn’t even know what tallow was, so after a quick google deep dive, I left my research knowing these two things.
1) Tallow is rendered beef fat
2) It’s amazing for your skin
I personally wasn’t scared off by the beef fat part because, hey, I’m pretty much game for anything if it promises good skin. Also, I do find it weirdly satisfying to use unassuming natural ingredients to benefit the body, even those that most people wouldn’t look twice at.
So what exactly did I learn from my research that made me decide to try my hand at making my own moisturizer?
Your skin LIKES the right kind of fat!
Grass fed tallow is a very healthy fat and it works really well with our own skin’s oils because it shares a similar biology. It not only helps our skin to repair itself but also helps prevent further damage. All of it’s lovely antioxidants help to slow skin aging process too.
Your skin does well with certain vitamins, specifically A, B12, D, E, and K and this nourishing group is only found together in animal productsOmega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids help to maintain the barrier workings of skin. Here, in tallow, they are in a perfect 1:1 ratio.
Tallow contains a variety of important fatty acids including: Stearic and Oleic which work to soften and moisturize; Conjugated Linoleic acid which is anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial; Palmitic acid which improves smoothness; Palmitoleic acid which is one of the basic building blocks of our skin.
Do you see why I had to try it? To Kate’s horror, I decided to make my own tallow cream moisturizer and test it out (Kate is vegetarian and think’s putting beef tallow on my skin is “very gross”). I decided I wanted to mix the tallow with a couple of essential oils I already had around the house that happen to also be super skin aids. This part is completely optional but I will say they made the smell much more…enticing.
These are the oils I chose to incorporate…
Blue Tansy
Blue Tansy is my newest essential oil discovery and I love it so much. It has the richest blue color, smells incredible, and is amazing for your skin! It has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, it’s great for acne prone skin skin, reduces redness, repairs damaged skin… the list goes on. Have you ever noticed certain high end skin care products that have a nice blue color? Blue Tansy is why.
Frankincense
A powerhouse of an essential oil. Frankincense does many amazing things but in regards to your skin, this rejuvenating oil is said to tighten, even tone, and reduce age spots, scars and wrinkles. It’s also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial.
Melaleuca (Tee Tree)
Tee Tree is something I always had around even before I really developed my love of essential oils. I used to buy it at Trader Joe’s because my mom always told me it was great at preventing acne and to reduce a break out – she was right!
So if you want to try your hand at making your own completely natural and completely healing, nutritious, and good for you moisturizer, look no further.
What you’ll need:
- 1 cup of grass fed beef tallow (I used this one)
- A hand mixer
- A glass jar to store
- Essential oils (optional)
Directions:
- Melt 1 cup of tallow in the microwave until it is liquid, then place in the freezer until it solidifies. Don’t let it freeze all the way – aim for a little firm to the touch, but still malleable.
- Whip up liquified tallow with a hand mixer until it turns white and fluffy, this should take about a minute.
- Then add in your mixture of essential oils if wanted, I used about 30 drops total (10 drops of each type).
- Spoon it into a glass jar and that’s it!
The cream turned a nice pale blue color because of the Blue Tansy and for those wondering, it does not smell like beef AT ALL, especially with the added oils.
I have only used it once because I literally just experimented with making it for the first time but I’m honestly more impressed than I thought I’d be so far. The tallow cream melted into my skin leaving it soft and hydrated feeling but not greasy. I have a fairly mixed complexion and tend to break out easily when I try a new product or makeup – I will report back but so far I’m into it!
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