Tallow Lotion Bar Recipe
These tallow lotion bars are one of my favorite skincare recipes to make for my family. This tallow lotion bar recipe is even easier than making homemade lotion because there’s no whipping involved. The bars are portable, hold up well in warm weather, and last a long time since they don’t contain any water.
I love using tallow on my skin because it’s such a rich, natural moisturizer. These lotion bars are especially helpful for dry hands, cracked heels, and protecting skin from the harsh winter weather. Even if you’re new to DIY skincare, you can make this tallow lotion bar recipe in just three simple steps.
Why You’ll Love This Tallow Lotion Bar Recipe
- Made with just 3 essential ingredients – Vitamin E and essential oils are completely optional.
- Perfect for beginners – This tallow lotion bar recipe comes together in just three simple steps.
- Deeply moisturizing – Leaves dry skin feeling soft, smooth, and well nourished.
- Easy to customize – Infuse the oil with your favorite herbs or add essential oils to create your own scent blend.
What Is a Lotion Bar?
A lotion bar is a solid moisturizer that looks similar to a bar of soap. It’s typically made with natural oils, plant butters, or animal fats, and a wax such as beeswax.
I love using lotion bars because they stay solid even in a warm room (a huge bonus during our hot summers!) but melt slightly when rubbed against your skin, leaving behind a soft, nourishing layer of moisture. They’re especially helpful for dry skin.
Since lotion bars don’t contain water, they have a naturally long shelf life and don’t need to be refrigerated. I usually keep mine on the pantry shelf, where they stay fresh for months.
Is Beef Tallow Good for Skin?
Tallow is a rich, nourishing fat that makes an excellent moisturizer, especially for dry, mature, or sensitive skin. It also contains modest amounts of fat-soluble vitamins, making it a popular ingredient in traditional skincare.
However, tallow may not be the best choice if you have oily, combination, or acne-prone skin, as it can be comedogenic for some people and may contribute to clogged pores. I have dry skin, so tallow works wonderfully for me. I also love using it on my kids, especially in my homemade baby balm.
Ingredients
- Beef Tallow: The star ingredient in this tallow lotion bar recipe. It deeply moisturizes the skin and gives the bars their rich, nourishing feel. If you’d like to make your own, check out my tutorial on rendering beef tallow.
- Beeswax: Helps lock in moisture, adds hardness to the lotion bars, and prevents them from melting too easily in warm weather.
- Jojoba or Almond Oil: Both work well in this recipe but give slightly different results. Jojoba oil is lighter, absorbs quickly, and leaves less of a greasy feeling. Almond oil is richer and especially well suited to dry skin. Choose whichever you prefer. For a more budget-friendly option, you can also use olive oil, keeping in mind that it’s quite rich and best for very dry skin.
- Vitamin E Oil (Optional): Acts as an antioxidant, which can help extend the shelf life of your lotion bars. The recipe works perfectly well without it.
- Essential Oils (Optional): Use a single essential oil or a blend, adding 30–40 drops in total. Gentle options include lavender, sweet orange, chamomile, frankincense, and sandalwood. I used 20 drops of sweet orange, 10 drops of frankincense, and 10 drops of sandalwood in my lotion bars. If you’re making them for babies or those with very sensitive skin, it’s best to leave them unscented.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Digital kitchen scale: I recommend weighing the ingredients rather than using cup measurements. It’s more accurate and makes this tallow lotion bar recipe much more reliable, especially if you’re new to DIY skincare.
- Double boiler (bain-marie): To make a simple double boiler, fill a saucepan halfway with water and place a folded cotton cloth or napkin on the bottom. Set a heatproof jar containing the tallow and beeswax on the cloth, making sure the water comes partway up the sides of the jar. Alternatively, place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water.
- Silicone soap molds: These are my favorite because they’re flexible, reusable, and make it easy to pop out the lotion bars once they’ve hardened. I’ve been using the same molds for years. They’re also handy for making homemade soap or freezing small portions of tomato paste or pumpkin puree, so they get plenty of use in my kitchen.
How to Make Tallow Lotion Bars
Step 1: Add the tallow and beeswax to a clean, dry heatproof jar. Place the jar on a folded cloth or napkin in a saucepan half filled with water, then heat gently over low heat until the tallow and beeswax have completely melted. Stir occasionally to help everything melt evenly.
Step 2: Remove the melted tallow and beeswax from the heat, then stir in the almond oil (or jojoba oil). Let the mixture cool for 2–3 minutes before stirring in the vitamin E oil and essential oils, if using.
Step 3: Pour the mixture into silicone molds and let the lotion bars harden completely at room temperature. Depending on how warm your kitchen is, this usually takes 1–2 hours.
Step 4: Once the lotion bars are completely firm, pop them out of the molds and store them in tins or a cardboard box at room temperature.
Tips for The Best Lotion Bars
- Melt over low heat. Don’t overheat the tallow and beeswax—gentle heat is all you need to melt them together.
- Stir before pouring. Give the mixture a final stir to ensure the beeswax is evenly distributed throughout.
- Keep everything dry. Use clean, completely dry molds, as even a small amount of moisture can shorten the shelf life of your lotion bars.
- Let them harden fully. Wait until the lotion bars are completely firm before removing them from the molds, otherwise they may lose their shape.
How to Use a Tallow Lotion Bar
Warm the bar in your hands for a few seconds, then glide it over your skin like you would a bar of soap, paying special attention to dry areas such as your hands, feet, elbows, and knees. Massage in any remaining lotion with your hands until it’s absorbed.
These tallow lotion bars are gentle enough for daily use. For best results, apply them after a shower or bath while your skin is still slightly damp to help lock in moisture. Since they’re so rich and concentrated, a little goes a long way, and one bar should last quite a while.
Variations
- Instead of jojoba or sweet almond oil, you can use apricot kernel oil (light, absorbs quickly), olive oil (rich and more suited to very dry skin), calendula-infused oil (excellent for soothing sensitive skin), or avocado oil (great for mature skin).
- For a richer winter version, you can also replace half of almond or jojoba oil with unrefined shea butter. This will make the lotion bar creamier and great for cracked hands and feet.
The chart below will help you adapt this recipe to your climate and preferences.
| If you want… | Increase | Decrease |
|---|---|---|
| Firmer lotion bars | Beeswax | Almond or jojoba oil |
| Softer lotion bars | Almond or jojoba oil | Beeswax |
| Better heat resistance | Beeswax | Liquid oil |
| Faster absorption | Jojoba oil | Almond oil |
| Richer, longer-lasting moisture | Almond oil | Jojoba oil |
How to Store Lotion Bars
These tallow lotion bars contain no moisture so they’ll keep for a very long time if stored properly. Keep them in a dry, cool place in an airtight container like a glass jar with lid or a metal tin to protect them from dust. Always use clean, dry hands when using your lotion bars to keep them fresh. These bars will keep for 6–12 months when made with fresh tallow, beeswax, and sweet almond oil. If you use jojoba oil instead of sweet almond, they should be good for 12 months or longer.
Troubleshooting
These tallow lotion bars are simple to make, but if something doesn’t turn out quite right, here are a few common problems and how to fix them.
Lotion bar is too soft
If your lotion bar feels too soft, you likely added too much oil or not enough beeswax. Re-melt your bars and add an extra 1-2 teaspoons beeswax.
Lotion bar is too hard
If your lotion bar is difficult to glide over the skin, it likely contains too much beeswax. Re-melt it and add a little more jojoba or sweet almond oil. Also remember to always warm the lotion bar in your hands for a few seconds before using it – it will soften slightly and glide more easily over your skin.
Feels greasy
Lotion bars are rich by nature and may not be suitable for you if you have oily or combination skin. Also remember that a little goes a long way so don’t use too much in a single application. For a bar with a slightly lighter (less rich) feel, use jojoba oil or apricot kernel oil.
Grainy texture
Graininess can be caused by the fats cooling too slowly or unevenly. Re-melt your lotion bars until completely smooth, then pour into molds and refrigerate for an hour or so until completely solid.
Melting in hot weather
Lotion bars will soften when the weather is hot because they’re designed to melt with body heat. To prevent this, either keep your lotion bars refrigerated during hot weather or increase the beeswax by 2 grams to make the bars more resistant to heat.
Tallow Lotion Bars FAQ
Why I’m Passionate About DIY Skincare
When I started making my own skincare products years ago, my main goal was to avoid synthetic and questionable ingredients. But once I began making my own lip balm, lotion, and soap, I quickly discovered what a rewarding hobby it is. It’s simple, budget-friendly, makes beautiful handmade gifts, and many of the recipes I use are gentle enough for my whole family, including babies.
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More Tallow Recipes You’ll Love
Calendula Baby Balm with Tallow
Tallow Lotion Bars
Equipment
- Kitchen scale
- Large glass jar
- Silicone soap molds
Ingredients
- 150 grams beef tallow
- 75 grams finely grated beeswax OR beeswax pellets
- 75 grams sweet almond oil OR jojoba oil
- 1 tsp vitamin E oil (optional)
- 30-40 drops essential oils (see recipe notes)
Instructions
- Add the tallow and beeswax to a clean, dry heatproof jar. Place the jar on a folded cloth in a saucepan half filled with water and heat gently over low heat until melted, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the almond oil (or jojoba oil). Let the mixture cool for 2–3 minutes, then stir in the vitamin E oil and essential oils, if using.
- Pour into silicone molds and let the lotion bars harden completely at room temperature (about 1–2 hours). Once firm, remove from the molds and store in tins or a cardboard box at room temperature.
Notes
- Woodland: 20 drops cedarwood, and 15 drops lavender
- Floral: 16 drops lavender, 12 drops geranium, and 8 drops chamomile
- Citrus: 20 drops sweet orange, 10 drops frankincanse, and 10 drops sandalwood
