If you are looking for a tallow lip balm recipe that is silky smooth and glides on, this is the ultimate recipe. I have spent months formulating the perfect ratios to ensure that this tallow lip balm is not too hard and not too soft and I finally cracked the code!
When I was first looking to make a tallow lip balm, I used some of the other recipes I had found. Some contained honey (which I was so excited to try!) but ended up being sticky and hard. I experimented with different carrier oils and ratios of beeswax and now I have the perfect recipe.
This post is all about the absolute best tallow lip balm recipe
👉 Learn What Most Tallow Recipes Leave Out
Why tallow?
I am so excited to finally be able to share this recipe as it is one of my best selling tallow items.
Let’s briefly talk about why I choose to use a tallow base for this recipe versus another hard oil or butter such as shea.
Tallow is very similar in structure to our skins own natural sebum so it is incredibly hydrating. Beyond that though, tallow is the only product that never burns on mine or my kiddos skin, even when there is a horrible open rash. Thanks to tallow, we have been able to get rid of their eczema and all of the itching/ burning that goes with that.
Tallow is also very reasonably priced. If you want to render it yourself, a few dollars can stretch a long way when you’re making lip balms and other skin care products.
The final reason I like using tallow is that it is solid at room temperature but melts quite nicely on your skin/ lips.
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What ingredients do you need for this lip balm?
Of course you can’t make a tallow lip balm without tallow so that is the first ingredient. If you are interested in making your own, I do have another post outlining how to do it. You can find that post here.
The second ingredient you need is a liquid (or carrier) oil. I use olive oil the most but I have also had success with sunflower oil, castor oil and jojoba oil. The final product will have a slightly different texture depending which oil you choose so experiment with which one you like the best!
The third ingredient you need is beeswax. I buy mine locally but here is a link to some pellets that are very handy as well. I have used both and they each turn out well!
The final optional ingredient is essential oils. These add a pop of brightness and make your lip balm customizable! If you do not want to use essential oils, you can play around with infusing your tallow with different herbs or spices.
Materials needed for this tallow lip butter
A container to store the balm. There are a few options and here are 2 of my favourite ones.
Lip balm tubes (these ones come with an easy fill option)
Kitchen scale as this recipe is best in grams for an accurate product. If you are making big batches, you will need to weigh out your essential oils to make sure it is safe for skin care.
Both options have their place so it is a matter of which method you prefer. I personally like the tubes and I really like that I can reuse the tube each time I use it up.
The best lip balm recipe
This recipe will fill one of the 15 ml lip chap containers, or 3 of the 5 ml lip chap tubes.
The proportions of this recipe are super small so do not be alarmed when it looks like there is hardly any product in your bowl! Here it is!
10 g Tallow
5 g Olive Oil
2.5 g beeswax
No more than 1% of the total weight in essential oils of your choice. 1-2 drop should be enough.
How to make this lip balm
This recipe is very straightforward! Find a small but tall, heat safe container and place it on your scale. I will use a mug for these tiny amounts! Zero it out in between each oil and add them all together.
Place the mug into a shallow pan of water (you can also use the microwave in 10 second intervals) and turn the heat onto low. Melt all of the oils together until they are combined.
Take it off the heat and then let it cool for 2-3 minutes. Place the container back on the scale and add essential oils if you desire. Stir to combine.
Carefully pour the balm into your container (I would use a funnel for the tubes if you don’t have a fill station.) If you are using tubes, make sure you over fill them as they can cave in slightly when they solidify.
Allow it to harden and they are ready to use!
How long will this lip balm last?
I have found mine to last around a year, but there are a few variables to this. First off, if you store it in a cool dry place, it will last longer than in a warm area. If you store it in the fridge it will last even longer!
Finally, one of the most important rules of skin care creation is to make sure you do not add any water in your product. If you get water in it, it will mold and go bad a lot faster than without. When companies add water to products, they use an emulsifier and preservative.
Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this post, you might also enjoy…
Easy tallow soap that works for everything!
How many tubes of lip balm does this recipe make?
Approximately 5 of the small ones (0.5 ounces I believe!) Thanks for the comment!