Care · Autumn and winter
Firm Tallow Balm
Beeswax makes a balm that stays put. Hands, heels, and cuticles, especially when the house is dry.
This is how our household cooks, washes, and thinks. It is not medical advice, and it is not a substitute for a midwife or a doctor.
25 minutes · One small tin, about ½ cup
“She is not afraid for her household when it snows, for all in her household are doubly clothed.”
Ingredients
- ½ cup rendered beef tallow
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp beeswax, pastilles or grated
Method
- 1
Melt the tallow, olive oil, and beeswax together over the lowest heat. The wax is done when no grain remains. Take it off before it simmers.
- 2
Pour it into a clean tin. Leave it uncovered until it is firm, then put the lid on. Do not whip this one. The wax is what makes it a balm instead of a butter.
- 3
Warm a small amount between your fingers and press it into dry hands or heels. It feels stiff in the tin and softens on skin.
From the kitchen
- More beeswax makes a harder balm. Less makes a softer one. One tablespoon in this amount is the winter tin.
- No essential oil. The plain balm can be used by the whole household.
My note
Kept on this device, beside the recipe, for the next time you cook it.
Alongside this
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Plain Tallow
Rendered beef tallow, whipped and nothing else. This is the fat for faces and for children. No scent.
20 minutes, plus rendering if the tallow is not already clean
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Whipped Tallow Butter
The softer body butter. Tallow loosened with olive oil, still unscented, for arms, legs, and winter shins.
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Lavender Tallow Butter
The same whipped tallow and olive oil, with a small amount of lavender essential oil. An adult jar. Not the family one.
20 minutes