Homemade Whipped Dandelion Tallow Face Balm Recipe
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Sometimes, for me, a plain whipped tallow balm, maybe with some essential oils, isn’t quite enough for my skin. Or usually that’s the case. As I have aged I have went from being a grease ball to a….. dry ball? Dry skin, ok. Tallow is amazing on my skin and I really enjoy the feel and benefits it gives, but tallow alone doesn’t seem to be enough. If that makes sense. My skin is thirsstayyyyy and it needs some extra extra oompffff. In comes my tallow balm concoction. I wanted the fluffy feel of whipped tallow but with the moisture locking and barrier a little beeswax provides. And then I also wanted to whip in some good quality olive oil slow infused with herbs I enjoy for my skin, like dandelion flowers, plantain, and calendula to give me that radiant complexion. For the sake of this recipe, I am using only dandelion, but you can use a mixture of all three or even your own herbs to your liking. This recipe seems to make a small amount but you should have enough balm for yourself for upwards of a year, or enough for you and some friends for several months!
I especially love this recipe for the winter months when that cold wind be whippin’ because tallow AND beeswax really protect the skin from the cold. Ever had wind burn when it’s subzero outside cause the cows gotta eat and the goats still need milked? Because that’s my life. I usually put on a layer of this balm before going outside and not only does it protect my skin, but it keeps the stinging cold at bay. Fat slows down heat loss from the skin for an added layer of thermoregulation. Let’s also not forget that tallow is most like our skin barrier, which means greasing up with it is going to give us some heckin’ healthy skin. Doesn’t matter if it’s dry face or dry hands or cracked feet; it’s amazing for everything! My kids even get a little dip when they have boo boo’s because they KNOW what’s good.
Benefits of Dandelions
You know, that cute little yellow yard weed is actually AMAZING. It’s the goodness of nature, often overlooked, seen as a nuisance, and even sprayed?! What on earth is wrong with people?! This gorgeous little yellow flower is packed with nutrients that are so beneficial to us, and lucky it be it grows like mad in your yard! Dandelions contain beta-carotene, vitamin C, and flavonoids which all soak into our skin to help protect it, reduce inflammation, and reduce free radical damage. And that’s not all. Dandelions even contain antibacterial and antifungal properties and also detox our skin. And let’s not mention it provides hydration! I do notice when I don’t use dandelion in my tallow balm. It doesn’t hydrate my skin nearly as well. Stop overlooking this beautiful yellow flower and see it for what it really is: a superfood for our skin, not a disposable yard nuisance weed.
How to Make Slow Infused Oil
I use a very high quality olive oil for my skin care. One I would also consume. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t be putting it on the largest organ of your body. OK?! Harvest the herbs you want to use in the early morning before the dew is off and the sun is hot if at all possible; dandelion flowers and roots, calendula flowers, and plantain leaves. Wash herbs under cool running water and allow to dry on a towel. If it is a sunny day, feel free to place your herbs on a tray and dry them in the sun just as God intended. If now, I recommend using a low temperature dehydrator for a few hours and your oven can be preheated to 200F, shut off with the door cracked and the herbs placed inside with the light left on. That should dry them okay without burning them to a crisp. Flowers and leaves are pretty sensitive and easy to dry. You HAVE to dry your herbs and make sure they’re dry because you do not want to be adding moisture to you olive oil. It will mold.
​Once your herbs are dry, add them to a glass jar and then fill with that good quality olive oil just to cover. I then add a lid and sit this jar in a sunny window for 6-8 weeks to slow infuse. I find this is the absolute best way to do it. You can do a quick infuse with heat, but I don’t prefer it unless I’m using fresh herbs that are not dried. If you are in a hurry, simply fill the jar as above and then place in a pot with a couple inches of water, or even a slow cooker set on warm, kinda like a double boiler type deal, and heat on very low heat for 24-48 hours to speed up the infusion process with added heat.
Once infused, strain the flowers out through cheesecloth, pressing and squeezing to remove alllllll the oil from them. Store with a lid, I like to vacuum seal since I have one, and it’ll keep for a very long time. Then make this balm!
IF you don’t want to use olive oil, use WHATEVER oil you want to infuse. Avocado oil, jojoba oil, fractionated coconut oil, tamanu oil, and organic castor oil (cold pressed only) are other great options!
​Selecting Beeswax
I am NOT a beeswax expert but I’ll tell you what I prefer. If I can find a local beekeeper, I will see if they have some raw beeswax and I will use that. It’s pretty easy to render and purify or whatever you call it with a quick youtube search. IF I can’t locate any locally, I will try to find a good high quality unrefined unpurified beeswax to use because I am rubbing it on my skin. If it’s white, it’s not in its rawest form. Past that, do some research and find what you’re okay with, because again, I’m not an expert and am just sharing an opinion here that could very well be wrong (don’t care) and I’m not going to google it and regurgitate something on here for you. Chances are, if you’re reading this, you have access to the internet too!!! LOL
My Favorite Essential Oils for Tallow Balm
- Skin Love by Eden’s Garden
- Frankincense
- Lavender
- Bergamot Rose by Eden’s Garden
- Geranium
Equipment You Might Want:
- Glass mixing bowl
- Large pot
- Kitchen scale
- 4 ounce glass jars with lids
- Hand mixer
Ingredients:
- 10 ounces Grass fed beef tallow
- 2 ounces beeswax
- 2 ounces infused Olive Oil
- 10-14 drops essential oil(s)
Step 1: Measure
Into a glass bowl, measure out beef tallow and beeswax using a kitchen scale.
Step 2: Heat
Using a large pot with some water, heat to a simmer and place bowl over top as a makeshift double boiler. Heat, stirring occasionally, until beeswax is completely melted. Set aside to cool slightly and then add in 2 ounces of infused olive oil. I like to hold off on adding the olive oil just so I don’t heat it too much and denature to integrity of the herbal infusion. It may not even harm it, but this is my balm!
​Let the balm cool until it begins to solidify. It should stay soft but solid. I bet that makes sense!
Step 3: Whip
Using a hand mixer, whip the balm until it is fluffy. You want need to scrape the sides of the bowl to get everything mixed together. If the balm is a little runny, let it sit for a bit to cool and then whip again. I have waited up to 48 hours to whip my balm because I got busy, so it’s forgiving and fine!
While you whip, add in up to 14 drops of essential oil. If you would like to know exactly how much essential oil you can add by weight, simply find a calculator online that gives you the amounts you can use based on the weight of your oils. I live by guessing and erring on the side of too little because I don’t want overly strong schmellz on my face. Yes, I spelled that right.
Step 4: Store
Transfer the whipped tallow gently to 4 ounce glass jars with lids. Or giant glass jars. Or a bucket. I don’t care! I like 4 ounce canning jars because they’re wide and easy to dip into, but small enough to give some away to friends, too without it being a gigantic tub of beef fat. This recipe will make around 4-5 of these 4 ounce jars, depending on how whipped and airy it gets.
Step 5: To Use
Slather liberally all over face, entire body, and even lips. If you have never used grass-fed beef tallow in skin care before, I recommend putting a dab on the back of your hand and waiting a day to make sure you aren’t sensitive to it or will have an allergic reaction prior to covering your entire face and lips with it and being miserably covered in irritated skin. Same with the oil you use for infusion. Please make sure you’re not allergic to it. For the love of the Lord Almighty.
Notes:
With the ratio of oil to beeswax, this is likely considered a dandelion salve/diy salve instead of a balm, but this is MY recipe and I will name it how I want. :D
Homemade Whipped Dandelion Tallow Face Balm Recipe
Equipment
- Glass mixing bowl
- Large pot
- Kitchen scale
- 4 ounce glass jars with lids
- Hand mixer
Materials
- 10 ounces Grass fed beef tallow
- 2 ounces beeswax
- 2 ounces infused Olive Oil
- 10-14 drops essential oil s
Instructions
- Into a glass bowl, measure out beef tallow and beeswax using a kitchen scale.
- Using a large pot with some water, heat to a simmer and place bowl over top as a makeshift double boiler. Â Heat, stirring occasionally, until beeswax is completely melted.
- Â Set aside to cool slightly and then add in 2 ounces of infused olive oil, stirring to incorporate.
- Let the balm cool until it begins to solidify.
- Using a hand mixer, whip the balm until it is fluffy. Â You want need to scrape the sides of the bowl to get everything mixed together. Â If the balm is a little runny, let it sit for a bit to cool and then whip again.
- While you whip, add in up to 14 drops of essential oil.Â
- Transfer the whipped tallow gently to 4 ounce glass jars with lids.
- Slather liberally all over face, entire body, and even lips.
