This easy DIY whipped tallow beard balm is a great gift for your hairy loved one. Made with only simple ingredients, this tallow beard balm will soothe irritated, dry, and inflamed skin naturally. It’s an all-natural solution that hydrates and protects the skin beneath the beard, leaving it feeling smooth and refreshed. This tallow beard balm is perfect for daily use and keeps your beard looking sharp.

When you click on an affiliate link to Amazon from our website and make a purchase, we receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. See full disclosure here.

I’m obsessed with tallow for skin care. It’s natural, local, and incredibly hydrating, making it perfect for nourishing the skin. For this balm, I decided to whip it, as the whipped texture gives a more lotion-like finish that has structure—ideal for maintaining healthy skin under a thick beard or soothing skin after a shave.

Although I don’t have a beard myself, my bearded loved ones absolutely love it! The balm has a refreshing and cooling quality from the eucalyptus, combined with a calming, masculine scent of cedar wood—an absolutely perfect pairing for any beard care routine.

Why You’ll Love This Beard Balm

Either for yourself or your bearded loved one.

Uses only natural and nourishing ingredients
Hydrates the skin
Has a refreshing and woody scent
Beeswax adds structure for shaping a beard or moustache
So easy to bring together

What is Tallow?

Tallow is cooked down beef fat. Also defined as rendered beef fat.

Learn more here about tallow and how to make tallow for cooking and beauty products.

What is the Difference Between Tallow and Lard?

Tallow is rendered beef fat and lard is rendered pork fat.

The Benefits of Tallow

Tallow is rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, which are essential for maintaining healthy and nourished skin.

These vitamins help to promote skin regeneration, reduce inflammation, and improve overall skin health. Tallow is also deeply moisturizing and can help soothe dry, irritated skin.

Where To Source Tallow

There are two options for sourcing tallow. You can buy beef fat from a local butcher for cheap and render it yourself, or you can usually buy a jar of tallow locally or online which is easier but can be more expensive.

How To Make Beef Tallow

Making tallow is not as intimidating as it seems. First thing to do is source beef fat, you can buy the fat itself or by saving the fatty pieces off steak (though I wouldn’t use this fat for skin care).

Once you have a couple pounds of beef fat, throw it in a pot on the stove on low heat and let it cook down for a couple hours.

There are some different ways to do it and some nuances you’ll learn along the way but it is simple.

The differences between cooking tallow and skin care tallow is the time spent purifying, straining, and using the right kind of fat.

Learn How To Make Tallow At Home Here

Beeswax For Tallow Beard Balm

Beeswax is a natural animal by-product that adds structure and stability to this beard balm, making it possible to shape a beard or tuck in any loose ends.

While thick and waxy, beeswax will not clog your pores if used in moderation. The tiny amount used in this beard balm will only lock in moisture and support hydration and protection of the skin.

However, as with any ingredient, individual skin reactions can vary. People with very sensitive or acne-prone skin may want to test products containing beeswax on a small patch of skin first to ensure they don’t experience any irritation or breakouts.

Cedarwood Essential Oil

Cedarwood oil not only has a pleasant, woody aroma, but it also offers several benefits for the skin.

Its anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce redness and irritation, making it especially useful for soothing skin conditions like acne and eczema. Additionally, cedarwood oil’s antiseptic and antibacterial qualities help cleanse acne-prone skin and prevent bacterial build-up.

What sets cedarwood oil apart are its oil-regulating and astringent properties. These work together to control excess oil production, keeping the skin’s pores tight and minimizing their appearance. As a result, the skin looks firmer, smoother, and more youthful.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus oil is another one of my favourite essential oils. It smells clean, refreshing, and has a cooling effect.

It has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties which make it an excellent choice for treating acne and skin infections by helping to cleanse and protect the skin. Eucalyptus oil also has anti-inflammatory effects, which can soothe redness, irritation, and swelling, making it beneficial for conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

In addition to its cleansing abilities, eucalyptus oil is known for its cooling and soothing properties. It can help refresh tired, inflamed skin and provide relief from itchiness or discomfort. Its natural astringent qualities also help tighten the skin, promoting a clearer, smoother complexion.

Ingredient Substitutions

Tallow – If you don’t want to use tallow, though I highly recommend it, you can use coconut oil. It has very similar textural behaviour and is also very beneficial for skin.

Beeswax – Nothing quite like beeswax but if you really don’t want to use it, you can omit it completely or substitute with cocoa butter for a thicker consistency.

Coconut Oil – Instead of coconut oil, you can just use all tallow! Or use another oil like sweet almond oil, jojoba oil, or olive oil.

Essential Oils – If you don’t want to do cedarwood eucalyptus, you can substitute one or both for lavender, tea tree, pine, rosemary, sage, or lemon.

What You’ll Need

You don’t need much for this project, you’ll likely already have everything on hand. If not, there are links to follow to purchase kitchen staples.

Materials

Small Saucepan: With water in it to make the bottom part of a double boiler.

Medium-size Stainless Steel Bowl: To place over your small saucepan for the top half of a double boiler.

Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment: For whipping the butter.

4oz Glass Jar with a Lid (two 2oz): For storing the whipped butter. I used a couple mini mason jar type things like these. They’re so cute and make for a great gifts!

Mini Silicone Spatula: For filling the jar.

Ingredients

Tallow: Made at home, bought locally or online.

Coconut Oil: For moisture and to offset the smell of the tallow a lil’.

Beeswax: Just a little for stability and structure.

Cedarwood Essential Oil: Bought online here or at your local health food store.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil: Bought online here or at your local health food store.

How To Make Whipped Tallow Beard Balm

Start by measuring your tallow, coconut oil, and beeswax into a metal bowl.

Fill a saucepan with about 1 cup of water and heat it on medium-high. Place your bowl with the fats and wax on top of the saucepan, ensuring it sits above the simmering water, to create a double boiler. This will gently melt the tallow without direct heat.

Allow the fat and wax to melt completely, stirring occasionally to ensure even melting.

Once fully melted, remove the bowl from the heat and let it cool on the counter slightly. Add cedarwood and eucalyptus essential oils to the melted mix and stir it in.

Let cool at room temperature until it reaches a semi-hardened state.

Once semi-hardened, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, begin whipping the mixture. Continue to whip until the balm reaches a whipped consistency. It will be heavier than other whipped tallows because of the beeswax but should still have an aerated consistency. This process should take a couple of minutes.

Once whipped, transfer the balm into a clean jar or container for storage.

Apply the whipped tallow beard balm to a beard and face for moisturizing, cooling, and pore tightening benefits.

Notes

Using the tallow beard balm consistently will result in a softer beard and healthier skin underneath.

For best results, apply the tallow beard balm while your beard is still slightly damp from washing, allowing the balm to penetrate the hair and skin more effectively.

After applying the tallow beard balm, comb through your beard to distribute the product evenly and maximize its benefits.

How To Make Whipped Tallow Beard Balm

Bronwyn Case

This easy DIY tallow beard balm is a great gift for your hairy loved one. Made with only simple ingredients, this tallow beard balm will soothe irritated, dry, and inflamed skin naturally. It's an all-natural solution that hydrates and protects the skin beneath the beard, leaving it feeling smooth and refreshed. This tallow beard balm is perfect for daily use and keeps your beard looking sharp.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 1 20

Servings 4 oz

Equipment

Small Saucepan
Medium-size Stainless Steel Bowl
Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer with Whisk Attachment
4oz Glass Jar with a Lid (or two 2oz)
Mini Silicone Spatula