Most conventional skincare products are made up of synthetic ingredients that didn't exist a hundred years ago. Before this, and as far back as in traditional cultures, animal fats like lard (rendered pork fat) and tallow (rendered ruminant fat) were a predominant ingredient in skincare. But when plant-based oils replaced these animal fats in most diets, they also took them out of most skincare where they were replaced by the products we know now.
Why are animal fats still one of the best options for skin products?
First, the fatty-acids found in saturated fats are the same as those found in cell membranes so they absorb into the skin well without leaving it feeling greasy or drying out again quickly.
Second, vitamins such as A, D, K, and E are naturally abundant in animal fat. They're necessary for skin health and uncommon or non-existent in plant-based products. Other fatty acids in animal fats have anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties.
Making your own tallow products will allow you to effortlessly avoid the synthetic chemicals that make up conventional skincare products, save money by making this recipe for as little as pennies, reuse excess animal fat that may be a waste product of your carnivore diet, and simplify your lifestyle because this recipe is versatile! It can be used for everything from lotion, to a healing balm, to chap stick.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup tallow or other rendered animal fat (lard, suet)
- 1 tablespoon jojoba oil or other natural liquid oil
- 15 drops of essential oils of your choice
Instructions
- Warm your tallow or other animal fat in a pan on medium heat until it is liquid and clear. This should happen very quickly.
- Stir in the jojoba or other liquid oil and remove from heat.
- Allow the mixture to cool in the pan until is begins to become opaque again, about an hour.
- Add your essential oils and stir or whip until you have a creamy, pleasant smelling mixture. Do not add the essential oils before the mixture has cooled because heat can destroy the therapeutic properties of oils.
- Transfer to a non-plastic container of your choice. Essential oils can eat through plastic.
See my instructions here for easily making your own tallow or other rendered animal fat from excess meat fat. I recommend tallow if you have it. It is the animal fat commonly used traditionally for skincare, it is nutrient dense and will not have any residual bacon smell like lard might. If you don't make your own, you can buy a clean, grass-fed tallow like this one from Fatworks.
The jojoba oil is used to make the lotion a lighter consistently that can easily be spread on your skin. Tallow is naturally very hard at room temperature and difficult to use as a lotion. If you wish to keep your lotion minimally plant based, you can skin this and have lotion the consistency of a balm or chap stick. I buy jojoba oil at Trader Joe's. It is natural, minimally processed, and has very little odor. Alternatives are olive oil and fractionated (liquid) coconut oil.
If you desire a harder product to use as a balm or chap stick, simply ommit or reduce the amount of the liquid oil.
The main job of the essential oils is to cover the meaty smell of the tallow. I make no guarantees than a dog may not still be particularly interested in your hands after using this lotion, but an ample amount of essential oils should keep you from smelling anything else. You can pick out essential oils based on how you'd like your lotion to smell or specific properties you'd like it to have. If the meaty smell persists, simply add a few more drops of oil but keep in mind that essential oils are very strong and concentrated. Not much should be needed. For any "hot" oils such as cinnamon or black pepper which can burn, test your lotion first on a less sensitive area to make sure it is diluted sufficiently.
There is a wealth of information online about the uses of different essential oils. I especially like Dr. Axe's information. You can find an essential oil for almost any ailment you can think of, and many of these uses include topical applications like this lotion.
Especially if you are using essential oils for therapeutic purposes not just smell, quality cannot be stressed enough. Quality and purity of oils is not regulated, and the majority on the market are synthetic, diluted with undeclared carrier oils, and/or come from low-quality sources that may be heavily contaminated. Dr. Robert Pappas investigates and exposes the poor quality of many essential oils, especially those sold in large stores, in his research through Essential Oil University. I recommend and use doTERRA oils.
Here are some quick recommendations on essential oils which may be useful or simply smell good in a lotion:
Therapeutic oils for lotions/balms:
- Calming: Lavender
- Recovering sore muscles: Lemongrass
- Antimicrobial: A protective blend such as doTERRA's On Guard
- Improving memory: Rosemary
- Healing body tissues: Helichrysum
- Healing burns: Lavender
- Itching/Allergies: Lavender/Lemon/Peppermint blend
Pleasant smelling oils for lotions:
- Lavender/Rosemary blend
- Lavender/doTERRA Balance blend
Pleasant smells men may enjoy:
- Cedarwood
- Myrrh
- Frankinscence
- Bergamot
- doTERRA Balance