Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

Read on to see the steps I use for making the simplest homemade moisturizer using tallow.

First Off, Your Skincare SHOULD NOT:

  1. have more than a handful ingredients
  2. cost as much as a new pair of designer jeans
  3. contain artificial colorants, parabens, silicones, mineral oil, polysorbates, or anything you CANNOT pronounce
  4. consist of seed oils that oxidize in light and heat leaving your skin susceptible to free radical damage and aging.
  5. be complicated

Why Making My Own Products Is Important

Ok, now that we got that out of the way, let’s take it a step further. First, I want to address that I try my hardest to make as much as I can from scratch and that includes my skincare products. After all, it doesn’t have to be complicated.

The skincare industry is well known for using harmful chemicals to preserve their product and make it gorgeous, using ingredients like formaldehyde, fragrance, PEGs, BHT/BHA, Siloxanes, and Benzophenone.

I’ll give you a second to look up any of those ingredients for yourself.

To save your time, let me just tell you that those are man made and are considered endocrine disruptors. I speak all about that in this post.

I’m Addressing PUFA’s Again

I am going to be a broken record here and I probably should dedicate a whole post to what I look for in skincare, but alas here I am talking about PUFA’s again.

In an earlier post, I explained the harmful effects of including PUFA’s in your daily diet. I went further into the harmful effects of PUFA’s on the skin on my tips for keeping bugs away. (In case you’re wondering, it was included there because most bug sprays are full of PUFA’s.)

The reason I explain all of this is because many people use moisturizers both store-bought and homemade that still use these unhealthier oils.

But if you’re wanting to look into it here, I’ll give a quick summary.

The Harmful Effects of PUFA’s On The Skin

A Life Adjacent wrote up a great article on this very topic.

She writes:

Not only will the sun oxidize the lipids in the oil, but it can also extend this damage to the lipids in your skin. PUFAs have been identified as one of the main culprits that cause cellular damage in the presence of radiation. And as we know, the sun emits radiation in the form of ultraviolet (UV) light.

In one study, two groups of shaved rabbits were fed diets containing either corn oil or coconut oil. After exposure to sunlight, the rabbits fed corn oil developed wrinkled, aged skin. Conversely, the rabbits fed coconut oil showed no such damage from the sun exposure.

Some Oils I Stay Clear Of In My Skincare Recipes

  • argan oil
  • black cumin seed oil
  • camelina oil
  • corn oil
  • cottonseed oil
  • evening primrose oil
  • flax/linseed oil
  • grapeseed oil
  • hemp oil
  • maracuja oil
  • peanut oil
  • pumpkin seed oil
  • red raspberry seed oil
  • rosehip oil
  • safflower oil
  • sesame oil
  • soybean oil
  • sunflower oil
  • walnut oil

Ways PUFA’s Can Age Your Cells

Oxidation –> unhealthy skin cell –> aged, wrinkled skin

GMO toxicity: Most PUFA oils are derived from GMO corn, soy, cotton, etc. which can result in skin issues as a detoxification pathway

Weak digestion: PUFAs decrease stomach acid –> poor protein absorption –> skin and hair take a hit

Low Progesterone –> PUFAs increase estrogen and decrease progesterone (youth hormone)

Suppressed thyroid –> lack of biological energy –> dull complexion

Age Spots: Because PUFA’s are so light sensitive and go rancid and oxidize when exposed to light and heat (the sun), age spots may appear. If your body is overburdened with an accumulation of them, it could be trying to detox them through your skin.

And let’s not forget that your skin is your body’s largest organ. It truly does matter what you put on you skin!

Try Products With Monounsaturated Fats

  • avocado oil
  • baobab oil
  • buriti oil
  • camellia oil
  • carrot seed oil
  • castor oil
  • crambe oil
  • jojoba oil
  • macadamia oil
  • marula oil
  • moringa oil
  • olive oil

The reason these are considered to be a safe option is that monounsaturated fats have only one double bond at which oxygen reacts, so a reaction is FAR LESS likely to happen.

My Favorite Safe Fats

  • tallow and other animal fats
  • grass fed butter
  • ghee
  • raw cacao butter
  • jojoba (topical)
  • shea butter
  • raw olive oil

What is Tallow?

Tallow is a saturated animal fat that you will find mostly rendered from cows. It is 50% saturated, 42% monosaturated, and 4% polyunsaturated.

It’s a very traditional cooking fat. In its original form, it is hard, waxy, dry, and crumbly.

Why I Use Tallow

Tallow is a nutrient packed, natural substance that not only is free of harmful oxidizing oils but it deeply nourishes us both inside and out.

Keep in mind it is considered mostly saturated so the form varies depending on temperature. It’s melting point is around 100-118 degrees so if you do use this and keep it at room temperature, it should stay.

Benefits of Tallow

  • Rich in Vitamins A, B12, D, E, & K
  • It holds a nearly perfect ratio of omega 3 & 6 fatty acids
  • It’s abundant in alpha linoleic, stearin, oleic, conjugated linoleic, palmoleic and palmitic acids. All which decrease inflammation and protect the barrier of your skin.
  • Versatile. You can use this as a moisturizer or a face cleaners (think oil cleansing).’
  • The closest oil to our skin’s sebum you can find.
  • Noncomedogenic (non-pore clogging)
  • Sustainable

Why I Use Jojoba Oil

Contrary to its name, jojoba oil is not an oil. It’s chemical structure classified it as a wax ester, setting it apart from the vast majority of seed oils.

This wax is product on Jojoba for protection, moisture control, and emmoliency making it higher quality and close to our natural skin sebum.

Jojoba’s chemical structure as well as its high antioxidant content gives it a long shelf life, so it doesn’t need any preservatives added to it unlike most oils you find in commercial skincare product. It also makes it protective against free radicals which can cause aging, wrinkles, thinness of skin, and even cancer.

It has a high melting point of 158 degrees. Because of its durability to heat, you do not need to worry about any negative consequences when wearing jojoba in the sun.

Jojoba does contain 3% PUFA content, but if you purchase organic, they’ll contain far lower than that. Also, when you add it to tallow, you get virtually no PUFAs.

Benefits of Jojoba Oil

  • Rich in Vitamins A, D, & E.
  • Rich in minerals like Zinc, Selenium, Copper, Iodine, and Chromium
  • Non comedogenic (pore clogging)
  • Non-irritant
  • Not greasy
  • Anti-aging properties: Helps smooth fine lines and wrinkles and even out skin tone.
  • Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory: Can use it to treat sunburns, acne, psoriasis, eczema, and dermatitis.

Uses For Tallow Whip

  • All over body hydration
  • Can be used as a facial cleanser: Rub tallow whip on your face. While you’re doing that, let a washcloth soak in hot water. Then place the washcloth on your face and steam for up to a minute. This is a great way to take off any makeup.
  • Use as a deep hair conditioner once a week. Massage into scalp, wrap a towel on your head, and let sit. The longer the better.

Many people use essential oils to help with the smell of the whip. But the addition of essential oils can also help with a skin issue you may have. You can find essential oils that help target diaper rash, scars, sunburn, eczema, acne and add that to your tallow whip as well. But please do your own research before adding any essential oils

Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

Equipment Needed For Your Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

Kitchen Aid Mixer
Jar
Tallow
Jojoba Oil

Ingredients For Your Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

  • 1 cup rendered beef tallow, grass-fed
  • 1/4 cup jojoba oil
  • essential oils of choice

Instructions For Your Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

  1. In your kitchen aid mixer (it’s the easiest way) take your tallow and whip it until are the lumps are gone and it’s fluffy.
  2. Add in your jojoba oil and essential oils and whip again.
  3. Store in a glass jar with a lid. Should last up to a year.

Print It For Later

Simple Homemade Moisturizer Using Tallow

Ingredients

  • 1 cup rendered grass-fed tallow
  • 1/4 cup organic jojoba oil
  • essential oils (optional)

Instructions

    1. In your kitchen aid mixer (it's the easiest way) take your tallow and whip it until are the lumps are gone and it's fluffy.
    2. Add in your jojoba oil and essential oils and whip again.
    3. Store in a glass jar with a lid. Should last up to a year.

Pin It For Later

This moisturizer uses tallow that is high in Vitamins A, B12, D, E, & K. It's also been known to decrease inflammation and protect the barrier of the skin. Better yet, it's non-pore clogging. Try this moisturizer with its main ingredient tallow!

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