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Have you been interested in making your own tallow balm but aren’t quite sure where to start? Have you made your own but you are ready to take it to the next level and start adding the healing properties of herbs and flowers?
This post is all about a chamomile tallow balm recipe
If so, this post is going to be exactly what you need. We will cover:Â
How to pick a carrier oil
Why you should consider infusing chamomile into your tallow
How to infuse herbs into your tallow and much much more!
*Please note I am not a medical professional and this should not be taken as medical advice. Always consult a physician before using any new products and do a small patch test on your skin before use. To learn more click here.
**This blog is reader supported and there may be affiliate links where I earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! To learn more, click here.Â
Table of Contents
Why Infuse Chamomile?
Chamomile isnât just a calming teaâitâs a powerhouse herb for skin, too. When infused into oil or tallow, chamomile brings its soothing, anti-inflammatory benefits directly to your skin.
Infusing chamomile helps extract its active compoundsâlike azulene and bisabololâwhich are known for their ability to calm irritation, reduce redness, and support healing. This makes it a perfect match for sensitive skin, dry patches, eczema, or just everyday nourishment.
By infusing it yourself, you also skip synthetic additives and keep your balm as close to nature as possible. The result? A golden, herbally rich oil that smells subtly sweet and works wonders in your tallow blend. By infusing your tallow balm with camomile, you also skip the step of needing essential oils or other fragrances. You get all the healing properties with a fraction of the cost.Â
So if you’re looking to give your balm an extra boost of botanical goodness, infusing chamomile is one of the most skin-loving choices you can make.
Where do I Find Chamomile?
The best and cheapest way you can source chamomile is by growing your own! For a couple dollars, you can grow a chamomile bush, harvesting and preserving the flowers to dry for your skincare. I have found chamomile to grow fast and easy.
Which Carrier Oil is Best?
Whenever we are talking about “carrier oils” I mean the liquid oil you add to tallow to make it a little bit less firm and customize the benefits your tallow balm will give.Â
There is something called a “comedogenic scale” and that is a scale that rates how likely an oil is to clog your pores. The scale goes 0-5 with 5 being the most comedogenic and 0 being the least.Â
If you tend to have oily or acne prone skin, you may want to use an oil with a low comedogenic rating. If you have extremely dry skin or scarring, you may want to go with an oil higher on the scale.Â
Some examples of LOW comedogenic oils:
Some examples of MID comedogenic oils:
Some examples of HIGH comedogenic oils:
Please note that tallow falls somewhere around a 2 on the scale and can be combined with a high or low comedogenic oil to make it higher or lower.Â
How Do You Render Tallow?
As tallow is the basis of your tallow balm, it makes sense that you would be thinking about how to source it. I find the most cost effective way is to find a local butcher and ask them if they sell beef suet. Some do and others don’t. I had to call around to 3 or 4.Â
You are going to ask for suet as that is the leaf fat found around the kidneys of the animal and is a harder fat which leads to a more stable skin care product. You can use normal fat trimmings but your tallow will be soft- similar to lard.Â
Some butchers will grind up the suet for you which makes it render super fast and nice but not all butchers offer this. If they don’t you will have to chop your suet very fine before you render it.Â
Avoid Common Tallow Mistakes Before You Start
Before you dive into making your own chamomile tallow balm, letâs talk tallow basics. Tallow is an amazing ingredientâdeeply nourishing, skin-friendly, and incredibly versatile. But itâs easy to run into a few frustrating pitfalls if you’re new to working with it.
Maybe your balm ends up too greasy. Maybe the scent is… less than ideal. Or your texture just isn’t coming out smooth and creamy like you hoped.
Thatâs why I put together a free guide: [5 Tallow Mistakes and How to Fix Them]. It walks you through the most common issues beginners (and even seasoned DIYers!) face when working with tallowâplus simple, practical fixes to get it right every time.
Whether this is your first recipe or your fifteenth, this freebie will help you get the best results with your balmâso you can enjoy all the skin-soothing benefits of chamomile and tallow without the guesswork.
How Do You Infuse the Tallow With Chamomile?
Infusing tallow is relatively straightforward. One of the most important parts of any infusion is making sure your herbs are completely dry. If there is any moisture, it will cause your tallow to go rancid quicker. To infuse the tallow, all you have to do is warm it up until it melts and keep it warm for a few hours. There are a few ways to do this:Â
- A double boiler: This method is pretty quick but it is more hands on than the other 2 methods. Basically it involves placing a mason jar (or other heat proof container) inside a pot of water being very careful not to let any water get into it. Keep the heat low enough that the water doesn’t boil. Typically this method will take 2-3 hours.Â
- Using a dehydrator: This method is the most hands off but also requires the longest time. All you have to do is place your tallow in a heat proof jar such as a mason jar and then place it in the dehydrator at 125 F for 4-6 hours, checking on it every so often.
- In the crockpot: This method is nice to do if you are in the dead of summer and you don’t feel like heating up your house with the stove or dehydrator. Fill your crockpot with a couple inches of water and add your heat proof jar of tallow into it. Turn the crockpot onto low and allow it to simmer in there for 4-6 hours, checking on it every so often.Â
*Remember all of these methods will make your jars hot. Always use oven mitts to prevent burns!Â
The Chamomile Tallow Balm Recipe
Tools:
Double boiler (I use a pot on the stove)
Fine mesh strainer (to remove the flowers)
Mason jar (or other heat proof container)
Spatula (for mixing and scraping)
Kitchen scale or measuring cups (to weigh everything out)Â
Ingredients:
1/2 cup (125 grams) of tallow
2 tbsp (30 grams) carrier oil of choice
1-3 tbsp dried chamomile or a mixture of camomile and other herbs (I did camomile and lavender)
Directions:
Weigh out the tallow and carrier oil into your mason jar. Add the dried flowers and then allow them to infuse using whichever infusion method you prefer, for at least 2 hours.Â
Once the time is up and your tallow is infused, strain it through a fine mesh strainer to remove the flowers, gently pressing them to ensure all of the oils are out.Â
If you want to make tallow balm, strain it directly into your final container and allow it to solidify without touching or moving it.Â
If you want to make tallow whip, strain the tallow into a bowl and allow it to sit until hardened. When it is solid, use a hand mixer to whip it up until it is light and fluffy, around 1-2 minutes. Scoop or pipe it into your container.Â
Store airtight until you are ready to use!Â
What Other Herbs Work Well in Tallow Balm?
There are so many herbs that offer skin benefits. By learning which herbs contain which properties, you can mix and match to make your own personal skincare blend. I wrote a whole blog post on the top herbs to infuse into tallow so check that out as well but here are a few of my favourites:
Calendula: Anti inflammatory and healing- perfect for eczema, or dry cracked skin.Â
Lavender: Calming with natural antiseptic properties- perfect for calming use before bed.Â
But Wait... How Do I Clean up After?
One of the worst parts of working with oil is the clean up. If you don’t do it properly, you can very easily clog your drains or wreck your dishwasher. To avoid this you need to follow a few clean up steps.Â
- Wipe the container and tools out very well with paper towel. I know using single use products is the worst, but in this case you need to use them. If you use a cloth you will run into the same issues with your washing machine.
- Use hot soapy water and let your container and tools soak for a few minutes. After they soak, dump the water outside on the gravel or some place that can handle the soap without dying.Â
- Place the container and utensils in the dishwasher as usual and you are done!Â
Want More Tallow Recipes?
If youâre loving this chamomile tallow balm, youâre going to want whatâs coming nextâŚ
Iâm working on a full Tallow Skincare eBookâa beautiful, info-packed guide filled with my favourite tallow recipes, detailed how-tos, skin-supporting ingredients, and tips for getting consistently amazing results.
Whether youâre brand new to tallow or ready to level up your creations, this eBook will give you the confidence (and inspiration) to create nourishing, natural skincare right from your kitchen.
⨠From whipped body butters and face balms to cleansing creams and scalp support blendsâthis guide will have it all.
Want to be the first to know when it launches (and maybe even get early bird pricing or bonuses)?
đ Join the waitlist here and Iâll send you updates as soon as itâs ready!