Tallow balm is all the rage right now, and for good reason! It's rich in fat soluble vitamins like A, D, E + K and can help encourage collagen production in the skin. Not only that, it's great for eczema or sensitive skin.
If you've been following along for a bit you'll know that Ellie has some pretty bad flare ups on eczema around her eyes. When she was born it covered her whole face. Thankfully it's condensed to this tiny patch, but still...it's red, itchy and uncomfortable. Wes + I both have eczema, so our poor kids didn't stand a chance.
Thankfully there are natural (and effective) ways to treat it. A huge trigger for people with eczema is diet (although it will be individualized to you specifically so I highly recommend doing a test like this one from Everlywell) the other is what we put on our skin.
Tallow in its self is great for the skin, but in this recipe I also added some other supportive oils.
Castor Oil
Although there isn't much clinical research on castor oil, it has been used for centuries to treat various skin conditions. One study did suggest that it may have anti-inflammatory + antibacterial properties which may contribute to its effectiveness in treating skin ailments.
Jojoba Oil
Just like tallow, jojoba oil acts similarly to sebum. It has powerful anti-inflammatory properties. One study stated that jojoba oil has proven to be a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that could help with wound healing, skin aging, and skin infections.
Vitamin E Oil
Vitamin E is another powerful anti-inflammatory oil. It can alleviate dryness and add a soothing feel to dry, chapped skin. A study recent study suggested that taking vitamin E internally improved the quality of life and symptoms for patients.
I also chose to use the following essential oil blend: Frankincense, Lavender + Copaiba. There are other essential oils that are helpful in treating eczema but these are just what I chose. Here are a few other ideas of essential oils for skin:
- Peppermint
- Sandalwood
- Geranium
- Wintergreen
- Patchouli
- Eucalyptus
- Thyme
- Myrrh
- Chamomile
Depending on your skin condition or goals, you can pick and choose which oils best support you. Here is where I get my oils! I added all of them to a personalized cart for you, just take off what you don't want!
So let's get started making some tallow balm!
Ingredients
1 cup grass fed organic beef tallow
2 tbsp jojoba oil
2 tbsp castor oil
4 drops vitamin E oil
6 drops Frankincense
3 drops Lavender
3 drops Copaiba
*you can up the amount of essential oils if you want, I have It so diluted because this was going on my daughters face.
Directions
- measure out your tallow.
- melt tallow down until liquid (do not boil).
- pour melted tallow into glass bowl.
- add in supportive oils + essential oils.
- mix well.
- let sit at room temperature. (you can skip this step if you aren't wanting to make whipped balm. you would just pour your mixture into your glass jar and let harden at room temperature)
- once it's hardened whip for a few minutes until light and fluffy.
- spoon into a glass jar.
*please keep in mind that the whipped tallow balm is not going to last as long as the solid tallow balm because of the incorporated air.
Let me know if you try this recipe! Don't forget to grab your free tallow labels!
Please note that the label designs have changed since I re-branded!
References:
1. Cherney, Kristeen. “23 Essential Oils for Skin Conditions and Types, and How to Use Them.” Healthline, Healthline Media, 8 July 2019, https://www.healthline.com/health/essential-oils-for-skin#dry-skin.
2. Jaffary, Fariba et al. “Effects of oral vitamin E on treatment of atopic dermatitis: A randomized controlled trial.” Journal of research in medical sciences : the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences vol. 20,11 (2015): 1053-7. doi:10.4103/1735-1995.172815
3. Leonard, Jayne. “Castor Oil for Psoriasis: Does It Work and Is It Safe?” Edited by Alan Carter, Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 15 Jan. 2019, https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/324183#research.
4. Lin, Tzu-Kai et al. “Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils.” International journal of molecular sciences vol. 19,1 70. 27 Dec. 2017, doi:10.3390/ijms19010070
