Black Tallow Salve Recipe
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Healing Black Tallow Skin Salve
This herbal salve can be handcrafted at home using tallow, dried herbs, and beeswax. The ingredients have been used for generations to soothe, draw, protect, and support the skin's natural healing process. Try making this salve for cuts, scrapes, bites, dry patches, minor burns, and stubborn skin conditions.
Key Ingredients and Benefits
Tallow
Rendered from animal fat, tallow is incredibly rich in skin-nourishing fats, as well as vitamins A, D, E, and K. Its structure closely resembles human skin's natural sebum, making it highly absorbable and effective as a base for delivering herbs deep into the skin.
Calendula
Calendula flowers are known for their gentle yet powerful healing qualities. Calendula supports tissue repair, reduces redness, and promotes quick healing. Its anti-microbial and anti-fungal qualities help to keep compromised skin clean, healthy, and calm.
Chickweed
Chickweed is often used for soothing skin itching, inflammation, and irritation. It's cooling and gentle, and provides soothing mucilage for irritated tissues. You can often find chickweed included in herbal remedies for rashes, eczema, and minor burns.
Comfrey Root
Also known as "knitbone", comfrey is used to support cell regeneration and tissue repair. It contains allantoin, which promotes healing and soothes damaged and inflamed skin.
Marshmallow Root
A potent source of mucilage, marshmallow root can be applied topically to help create a soothing and protective barrier over the skin. It helps to lock in moisture, calm irritation, and support the healing of dry, cracked, or inflamed areas.
Plantain Leaf
Plantain leaves are a classic herb for drawing out irritants and soothing insect bites, stings, and splinters. Similar to comfrey, plantain is also rich in allantoin and other anti-inflammatory compounds, making it a favourite herb for wound care.
Beeswax
Beeswax helps to create a protective layer on the skin. It locks in moisture and helps give this salve a stable and spreadable consistency.
Jojoba Oil
Jojoba oil closely mimics the skins own oils. It penetrates easily, softens dry skin, and helps to enhance the salve's spreadability without making it too greasy.
Pine Tar
Pine tar has a long history of use in salve and soap making circles. It has anti-fungal and anti-microbial qualities. It is commonly used to support skin healing in stubborn or chronic skin issues like eczema, psoriasis, or rashes.
Steps to Make Black Tallow Salve
- Render the Tallow
- Infuse the Herbs
- Strain and Add Beeswax
- Add Jojoba and Pine Tar
- Mix and Pour Into Jars
How to Use
Apply a small amount of salve directly to the affected area. Use clean fingers or a spatula to avoid contamination. We recommend storing this salve in the refrigerator. This salve can be used on:
- Dry or cracked skin
- Minor cuts and abrasions
- Bug bites and stings
- Rashes and eczema patches
- Splinters
- Skin irritations
- Chapped lips and rough hands
Healing Black Tallow Salve Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1.91kg rendered tallow
- 30g dried calendula flowers
- 50g dried chickweed
- 40g dried comfrey root
- 60g dried marshmallow root
- 50g dried plantain leaf
- 600g beeswax
- 150ml jojoba oil
- 500ml pine tar
Instructions:
- Render the Tallow: Chop the tallow into smaller pieces and place it in a stainless steel pot. Cover and render it slowly in the oven at 170°F. As it melts, pour off and set aside the liquid fat. Continue rendering until all the fat is extracted. Press out any remaining fat and discard the cracklings.
- Infuse the Herbs: Return the liquid tallow to the pot. Add the dried calendula, chickweed, comfrey root, marshmallow root, and plantain leaf. Place the mixture back in the oven at 170°F and allow it to infuse for 4 to 8 hours. The warm fat will act as a carrier, drawing out the healing properties of the herbs.
- Strain and Add Beeswax: After infusing, strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer to remove the herbs. Add the beeswax to the strained herbal tallow and return it to the oven just long enough to fully melt the wax into the blend.
- Finish with Jojoba Oil and Pine Tar: Once the beeswax has melted, remove the pan from the oven. Stir in the jojoba oil and pine tar.
- Mix and Pour: While the mixture is still hot, use a hand or electric beater to blend thoroughly until smooth and uniform. Pour immediately into tins or wide mouth mason jars. Leave the containers undisturbed until the salve has cooled and fully solidified.