Prep time: 20 mins Melt time: 10 mins Rest time: 1 hr+ Total time: 1 hr 30 mins
This DIY beef tallow lotion is animal-based, easy to make, and free of chemicals, synthetic ingredients, and harmful additives.
What you need to make Easy DIY Beef Tallow Lotion
Ingredients:
- Beef tallow (you can use this tallow to cook/eat if you want, too!)
- Essential oils (optional)
Equipment:
- Cooking pot (for melting tallow)
- Mixing bowl
- Hand mixer
- Amber glass jars (or containers to store lotion in)
- Bamboo mixing sticks (optional)
Substitutions
No noted substitutions.
How to make Easy DIY Beef Tallow Lotion
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Portion out the amount you want to use.
I would start with at least one cup of tallow. I usually make this in batches and measure out a few cups when making a new batch.
Melt the tallow.
Using your cooking pot, melt the tallow to room temperature. It will turn into a transparent golden liquid. No need to heat it, just melt it.
Let it rest to thicken.
Once the tallow is melted, remove it from heat and pour it into your mixing bowl.
Let it sit on the counter for 1+ hour until it begins to firm up. You are looking for it to be whiter, thicker, and goopier, but not fully solidified…similar to the consistency of applesauce.
Whip the tallow.
With your hand mixer, whip the tallow using the high setting until you reach a “lotion” texture.
Add essential oils to the lotion.
If using just one scent, you can add essential oils to the whole batch. If doing this, add 50 drops of essential oils for every 1/2 cup of lotion. Mix well.
If you want to make individual batches with different scents, pour the lotion (without the essential oils) into your amber glass jars. In each jar, add up to 100 drops of essential oils, and use your bamboo sticks to mix and fully incorporate the oils. For a visual, see the Instagram Reel.
Scent ideas:
“Everyday” full-body/face lotion: lavender + orange + lemon + bergamot (this is my favorite!)
Muscle rub: eucalyptus + peppermint + lemon
Store your lotion.
The lotion will firm up over time. Store in glass jars and consider using an amber jar if you added essential oils to your lotion. This stuff lasts a long time (years). I use the expiration date on my bulk lotion tub as the expiration date for the lotion.
Note: When you apply the lotion, it may feel a little oily on top of your skin at first. This is normal. It absorbs quickly and well.
Tips to make the best Easy DIY Beef Tallow Lotion
- When you apply the lotion, it may feel a little oily on top of your skin at first. This is normal. It absorbs quickly and well.
Easy DIY Beef Tallow Lotion
Easy DIY Beef Tallow Lotion
Equipment
Materials
- beef tallow (you can use this tallow to cook/eat if you want, too!)
- essential oils (if using)
Instructions
- If you’re interested solely in the recipe, skip this bullet point and keep on reading. For those interested in sourcing nutrient-dense food, low-toxic household products, and discounts on brands that may support your AB journey, you may find value in my product guides. Head over to this page if you’d like to check them out. All are free (and always will be).
If a visual will help, watch the Instagram Reel for this recipe.
Portion out the amount you want to use.
- I would start with at least one cup of tallow. I usually make this in batches and measure out a few cups when making a new batch.
Melt the tallow.
- Using your cooking pot, melt the tallow to room temperature. It will turn into a transparent golden liquid. No need to heat it, just melt it.
Let it rest to thicken.
- Once the tallow is melted, remove it from heat and pour it into your mixing bowl.
- Let it sit on the counter for 1+ hour until it begins to firm up. You are looking for it to be whiter, thicker, and goopier, but not fully solidified…similar to the consistency of applesauce.
Whip the tallow.
- With your hand mixer, whip the tallow using the high setting until you reach a "lotion" texture.
Add essential oils to the lotion.
- If using just one scent, you can add essential oils to the whole batch. If doing this, add 50 drops of essential oils for every 1/2 cup of lotion. Mix well.
- If you want to make individual batches with different scents, pour the lotion (without the essential oils) into your amber glass jars. In each jar, add up to 100 drops of essential oils, and use your bamboo sticks to mix and fully incorporate the oils. For a visual, see the Instagram Reel.
Scent ideas:
- "Everyday" full-body/face lotion: lavender + orange + lemon + bergamot (this is my favorite!)
- Muscle rub: eucalyptus + peppermint + lemon
Store your lotion.
- The lotion will firm up over time. Store in glass jars and consider using an amber jar if you added essential oils to your lotion. This stuff lasts a long time (years). I use the expiration date on my bulk lotion tub as the expiration date for the lotion.
- Note: When you apply the lotion, it may feel a little oily on top of your skin at first. This is normal. It absorbs quickly and well.
Looking for some animal-based sweet eats? Try one of these recipes:
Jumbo Chocolate Cups with Salted Chunky Date Filling
Flourless Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Note: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. This means that if you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting me!
Ashley Rothstein develops tasty, whole food, animal-based recipes that include a moderate amount of “minimally toxic” plant foods. To fix her own health issues, she bounced around between the carnivore, keto, and paleo diets for a few years. After experiencing and studying each diet philosophy, she learned she feels her best by merging the three and following an animal-based diet. As a glut at heart, she likes to channel her creativity and create meals that are healthy but also satisfy her inner gluttonous spirits.
Hi Ashley,
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I bought some grass finished tallow, but only ordered a 1 oz jar so I could try it without committing if it’s not for me. Do you have any suggestions on how to mix that small an amount?
Also, you said the lotion will firm up over time. Does that mean it will get hard and not spreadable? I’ve found other recipes that call for other oils to keep it soft, but it seems counterintuitive to add vegetable oils to a near perfect (sounding) moisturizer. That’s why I’d like to try making your recipe.
Plus, the essential oil combinations you recommend sound fantastic!
Author
Not sure how to whip such a small amount. You could try with a hand mixer, but not sure if the blades will pick up such a small amount. The lotion firms up, but not to the consistency where it is too hard to be spreadable. It’s just thicker than OTC lotion most people may be used to. Consistency is somewhere in between standard lotion and a salve.
Thanks so much! I have a hand mixer with a whisk attachment. I put the tallow in a small bowl and whipped it with some essential oils. It firmed up to the consistency you said.
After 3 days of only using this balm my skin is moisturized all day. I’ve always had to reapply lotion throughout the day, but now my skin is even, smooth and soft!
I’m so grateful to you for sharing this recipe!
Hi there! I tried this but it still hardened up and is a little grainy in texture. I purified my tallow 4 times! I don’t know what I’m doing wrong 🙁
Author
You may not be doing anything wrong. Mine firms up too and some batches are a bit grainy. I think it all depends on the source of tallow. It still functions well as lotion.
Sometimes the grainy texture will come if it doesn’t cool down fast enough. You can try letting it cool in your fridge until it becomes solid enough to whip.
The tallow link doesn’t work, which tallow do you use? I’m afraid to use the wrong one!
Author
I just updated it! This one: https://amzn.to/3YIIwLn
How many drops of each oil do you use in each recipe?
Thank you!
Author
Hey there, not sure I understand your question. Did you read the “Add essential oils to the lotion” section in the recipe card? Let me know if that section does not answer your question.
It’s hard to find a recipe for ‘just’ tallow. I’m glad that I came across yours.
I just made a batch, and after I put it in the jar and let it sit, it got hard.
I must have done something wrong, but I’m not sure what.
I whipped it until it looked like whipped cream, but maybe that was too much.
Should I whip for a shorter time?
Thanks much.
Anna B
Author
Whatever consistency you prefer is fine! You can’t go wrong there. It will firm up a bit after it sits, but it should still be usable.
Is there a way to keep it whipped? Mine turned more like a salve
Author
You can experiment with adding other oils like olive oil. I’ve heard that can give it more of a “lotiony” consistency, although tallow lotion usually does come out more like a salve.