DIY Tinted Moisturizer

DIY Tinted Tallow Face Balm: Luxury Skincare You Can Make at Home

When I started making my own skincare products, I never imagined I'd be able to recreate the kind of luxurious tinted moisturizer I used to buy for nearly $100. But with just a few simple ingredients and a bit of color matching, you can create a nourishing, buildable tinted balm that rivals any high-end brand, without the chemicals- or price tag!

Why Tallow?

If you're new to tallow-based skincare, you might be wondering why rendered beef fat belongs anywhere near your face. The answer lies in its remarkable compatibility with human skin.

Tallow is typically 50-55% saturated fat—just like our cell membranes. Animal oils will always be able to absorb better than plant oils- because we are more like animals than plants. Tallow is rich in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, plus conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) with anti-inflammatory properties. When sourced from grass-fed cattle, tallow contains substantially more vitamins, micronutrients, and omega-3 fatty acids than conventional versions. Tallow (and lard) is having a revival for a reason.

Many expensive high-end products are water-based, which give them a very light feel, but also means they require preservatives and synthetic ingredients to stay stable. Tallow-based balms are naturally shelf-stable and deeply nourishing.

Understanding Your Ingredients

To get the coloring in makeup, we need to get some oxides. These are not natural, but still the better version of what you would find in the store. They are lab made versions of natural minerals.

Iron Oxides provide the color. In their natural form, they're what we know as rust, ochre, sienna, and umber—the very pigments used in cave paintings 40,000 years ago and by artists throughout history. These minerals exist everywhere in soil and rock. They're ancient, natural, and have colored human skin, pottery, and clothing for thousands of years. But when iron oxides form in the earth over millions of years, they pick up whatever else is in the surrounding geology. These hare now made in the lab to be essentially the same thing—minus the heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury found in raw earth pigments. This is one case where "synthetic" is actually safer.

Scientists take iron, and add oxygen in a controlled environment, and combine in ways that bypass millions of years of formation naturally.

Non-Nano Zinc Oxide serves multiple purposes: it provides a white base for coverage, acts as a physical sunblock (SPF 4-20), and has anti-inflammatory properties. "Non-nano" means the particles are too large to penetrate your skin—they create a protective barrier on top instead.

• There is a rumor that tallow and zinc don't mix, but this stems from some practical issues.

  • The "Sink" Effect: Zinc Oxide is heavy. If you melt tallow, pour in zinc, and let it cool slowly, the zinc will sink to the bottom of the jar. You have to whip or stir it as it cools to keep the protection suspended evenly.

  • Pool Filters: Tallow is a waterproof fat that does not break down in water. If you wear tallow sunscreen into a swimming pool, it can clog the filters and does not mix with the chlorinated water.

  • Consistency: The biggest risk isn't that they react, but that homemade SPF is hard to verify. Tallow itself only has an SPF of about 4. Adding Zinc helps, but without a lab to test it, you can't guarantee it gives a consistent coverage of 30 SPF.

• Zinc is a white mineral powder derived from zincite ore. It’s been used medicinally for thousands of years (Roman physicians used it for wound healing) and is the active ingredient in diaper rash cream, calamine lotion, and mineral sunscreens.

  • Nano zinc oxide is used in "invisible" sunscreens because consumers hate the white ghost-face look. But this trades cosmetic aesthetic with potential biological consequences. They may enter bloodstream and accumulate in organs, and they're devastating to marine life since they penetrate coral cells.

Kaolin Clay absorbs excess oil and helps the pigment adhere to your skin longer, preventing that overly shiny look tallow can sometimes give. This is natural, and clays are great for their magnetic properties that “pull” impurities to the surface for gentle exfoliation. Clay acts like a microscopic sponge, absorbing excess oil without drying your skin. And it gives a beautiful brown tan color.

• Kaolin clay is a soft white clay that forms from weathered feldspar rock. Unlike iron oxides, kaolin deposits are generally clean and safe to use in their natural form. It even contains trace minerals that are actually beneficial for skin

The Recipe: 1 jar of Tinted Tallow Face Balm, 2 oz

Base Ingredients:

• 40g grass-fed tallow, nourishment and base

• 10g jojoba oil (or sweet almond oil), spreadability

• 9g non-nano zinc oxide: Zinc Oxide (Low Micron) (i bought the 4 oz of this one), coverage

• 1-2g kaolin clay (optional, for oil control)

• A tiny amount (0.5-1%) of vitamin E oil (tocopherol) - Acts as a natural preservative by preventing oxidation. Extends shelf life.

Pigments (start with sample sizes—$3 each from TKB trading goes a long way):

• Yellow iron oxide (your main color): Yellow Iron Oxide (77492) (1 oz purchased)

• Red iron oxide (for warmth): Red Iron Oxide (77491) (1 oz purchased)

• Blue ultramarine (to neutralize orange tones): Ultramarine Blue (sample 6g purchased)

• Chromium oxide green (optional, to neutralize pink tones): Chromium Oxide Green (sample 6g purchased)

Tools:

• Digital kitchen scale (I splurged on a good one so I can get precise for small batches, and i love that it stays on when plugged in!)

• Double boiler or microwave-safe bowl (instant pot with thin stainless steel bowl works great)

• Laser thermometer

• Small dish for pre-mixing

• Whisk or mini-spatula

• 2oz glass jar for storage

Instructions:

Step 1: Create Your Color Base

Mixing thoroughly prevents clumping. In a small dish, combine your jojoba oil with the zinc oxide and iron oxides. Start conservatively:

• For medium-golden skin: ¼ tsp yellow oxide, tiny pinch of red (about 1/16 tsp), and a speck of blue (literally the tip of a toothpick)

• For fair skin: increase the zinc oxide, reduce the yellow

• For deeper skin: increase both yellow and red oxides

Mix thoroughly until you have a smooth, liquid "paint" with no lumps.

Step 2: Test Your Color

Before committing to the full batch, swipe a tiny amount on your jawline in natural light. Adjust as needed:

• Too orange? Add a speck more blue

• Too pink? Add a tiny bit of green or more yellow

• Too dark? Add more zinc oxide

• Too light? Add more yellow and red

Blues and greens need literally one spec of a toothpick at a time, but really amp up the color profile.

Step 3: Melt and Combine

Gently melt your tallow using a double boiler or microwave in short bursts (around 150°F). Once melted, let it cool slightly but keep it liquid.

• Sometimes I start with the instant pot on saute, then put on the “keep warm” setting. You don’t want to burn anything, as you melt off the beneficial stuff, and turn it rancid.

Pour your pre-mixed oil and pigment blend into the melted tallow. Stir thoroughly.

Step 4: Cool and Set

As the mixture cools and begins to turn opaque, stir it again. This prevents the zinc oxide from sinking to the bottom. For a fluffier texture, you can refrigerate until semi-solid, then whip with a hand mixer.

• I love the whipping aspect, as it helps put on a little less at a time, and you need less of this than typical makeup.

Pour into your jar and let it set completely.

Tips for Success

Start small. Pigments are incredibly concentrated—a little goes a long way. You can always add more.

Don't add water. Once you introduce water to your jar, you'll need preservatives. Keep everything dry for maximum shelf life.

Invest in glass tools. Plastic and silicone absorb pigments and odors. Glass beakers and stainless steel spatulas clean perfectly every time.

• Glass stirrers

• Glass beakers

Track your formula. Once you create a shade you love, write down exactly how many pinches or toothpick-dips of each color you used so you can recreate it. I have had a REALLY hard time recreating recipes thinking I would just remember! First rule of herbalism is label EVERYTHING as soon as you make it, including dates made.

Cleaning Up

This can be tricky, but the key is to never rinse with water first. (it can splash and stain)

1. Wipe out the bulk of the product with paper towels while tools are still slightly warm

2. Use cheap vegetable or olive oil to dissolve any remaining tallow and pigment (oil dissolves oil!)

3. Wipe again with fresh paper towels

4. Now wash with hot water and Dawn dish soap

5. Finish with a spritz of isopropyl alcohol to remove any waxy film

Your Texture Will Be Different

If you're switching from a gel foundation like my favorite $100 Chantecaille's water-based formula, expect an adjustment period. Water-based foundations feel "wet and light"—they contain 60% water and silicones. Tallow balm feels "rich and protective"—it's pure nourishing fat.

• Do you have to worry about this makeup staining clothes? Short answer: It can, but it's manageable with the right precautions. When properly incorporated into a tallow base with zinc oxide, the pigments are "locked" into the fat matrix. They're less likely to transfer than loose powder makeup or heavily pigmented liquid foundations. Tallow is a fat. Like any oil or grease, it can leave an oily mark on fabric that attracts and holds dirt.

• Tips:

  • Let it fully absorb before getting dressed (10-15 minutes)

    • Warm it between your fingers first. This liquefies the tallow so it spreads thinner and absorbs faster.

  • Always wash your face before bed, if using any kind of pigments or lotion. But if all you are using is tallow skin care (unpigmented), you actually do NOT have to wash your face! Crazy right? Tallow helps naturally reset oil production, rather than stripping it and causing your skin to over react.

    • Remove anything pigmented before bed. Use an oil-based cleanser (or just plain oil) to dissolve the balm, then wipe clean. Your skin might prefer this anyway—skin does its repair work at night and might not need daytime coverage while you sleep.

  • Blot excess. If your face still looks shiny after 10 minutes, gently press (don't wipe) with a tissue or blotting paper.

  • Set it. Dust your face lightly with translucent powder or a bit of arrowroot/cornstarch. This creates a dry barrier that won't transfer.

  • Use a barrier. When trying on clothes in a dressing room, use the provided tissue or bring your own cloth to cover your face.

The upside? You'll use much less product. A little tallow goes a long way, and unlike water-based formulas that evaporate, tallow actually absorbs into and nourishes your skin.

How to Remove Stains If They Happen

Act fast—fresh stains come out easier than set stains.

For Iron Oxide (Color) Stains:

1. DON'T wash with hot water first. Heat sets protein and oil stains permanently.

2. Remove the oil first:

   • Sprinkle cornstarch or baking soda on the stain

   • Let it sit for 30 minutes to absorb oil

   • Brush off

   • Apply dish soap (Dawn works well) directly to the stain

   • Work it in gently with an old toothbrush

   • Let sit for 15 minutes

3. Tackle the iron oxide:

   • Make a paste of lemon juice and cream of tartar (or white vinegar and baking soda)

   • Apply to the stain

   • Let sit for 30 minutes (the acid helps break down iron oxide)

   • Gently scrub with a soft brush

4. Wash in cold water with regular detergent

5. Check before drying. If the stain is still visible, repeat. NEVER put it in the dryer—heat sets stains permanently.

For Stubborn Iron Oxide Stains:

Oxalic acid (sold as "Iron Out" or wood bleach):

• This is the nuclear option for iron-based stains

• Follow product directions carefully

• Test on an inconspicuous area first

• Rinse thoroughly

• Only for white or colorfast fabrics

For Tallow (Oil) Stains:

1. Absorb excess immediately with cornstarch or talcum powder

2. Dish soap (designed to cut grease) applied directly to the stain

3. Hot water (after the oil is broken down by soap—hot water helps remove oils but sets pigment stains)

4. Add white vinegar or baking soda to the wash for extra degreasing power

Building Your Shade Library

Once you master the basic recipe, you can customize endlessly:

• Add more pigment for buildable coverage

• Create a lighter version for highlighting

• Mix in red mica for a matching blush

• Adjust the tallow-to-oil ratio for different consistencies

Where to Source Ingredients

For pigments, TKB Trading is the gold standard. They test for heavy metals and sell sample sizes perfect for DIY projects. For tallow, look for grass-fed sources—the quality truly matters for both skin benefits and final color.

The total cost for all your pigments? Around $20 to $40 (with shipping) for supplies that will last you years, and make about 50 tinted balms! Compare that to the $90-100 price tag on luxury tinted moisturizers, and you'll never look back. You can even sell them and give them as gifts! You can have a skin coloring party to match shades.

Making your own tinted face balm is about more than just saving money—it's about knowing exactly what you're putting on your skin. No mystery preservatives, no synthetic fragrances, no questionable filler ingredients. Just pure, nourishing fats and minerals that have been used for skincare for thousands of years.

Give yourself an afternoon to experiment with color mixing. Put on some music, pour yourself a cup of tea (or wine), and enjoy the process. You might be surprised at how therapeutic—and empowering—it is to become your own cosmetics chemist.

Some people add mica powder for some pretty shimmer or special occasions, but I have not played with these much, as they are just more synthetics. But still WAY better than anything store bought. They really are gorgeous though!

Tallow vs. Lard: Understanding the Difference in the Fat Revival

You're right—both tallow and lard are having a major comeback, and it's no accident. As people question what's actually in their food and skincare products, they're rediscovering what our great-grandparents knew all along: these traditional fats are nutritional powerhouses that were replaced not because they were inferior, but because they weren't profitable enough for the industrial food system.

The Basic Difference

Tallow is rendered beef or lamb fat, specifically from around the kidneys and loins (called suet before rendering).

Lard is rendered pork fat, typically from the back and belly of the pig.

Both are solid at room temperature, both have been used for thousands of years, and both are making their way back into kitchens and medicine cabinets across the country.

Nutritional Profile: They're Not Identical

While similar, these fats have distinct nutritional makeups:

Tallow (especially from grass-fed beef):

• Roughly 50-55% saturated fat

• Rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K

• High in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - anti-inflammatory and potentially anti-cancer

• Contains palmitoleic acid (antimicrobial)

• Higher smoke point: ~400°F

• More stable for high-heat cooking

Lard (especially from pasture-raised pork):

• About 40% saturated fat, 50% monounsaturated

• Also contains vitamins D and E, though typically less vitamin A than tallow

• Particularly high in oleic acid (the same heart-healthy fat in olive oil)

• Lower smoke point: ~370°F

• Slightly more delicate flavor

The key takeaway? Lard is actually more monounsaturated than it is saturated—meaning it's closer in profile to olive oil than to butter. This fact alone destroys the decades-long narrative that animal fats are "artery-clogging."

For Skincare: Why Tallow Wins

Both can be used topically, but tallow has become the darling of the natural skincare world for good reason:

Tallow's advantages:

• Fatty acid profile is nearly identical to human skin sebum (that 50-55% saturation matches our cell membranes)

• Higher in fat-soluble vitamins

• More antimicrobial properties

• Firmer texture makes it better for balms and salves

• Less prone to rancidity

Lard's characteristics:

• Softer, more spreadable consistency

• Lighter feel on skin

• Can work well in body butters

• May go rancid faster due to higher unsaturated fat content

For facial products specifically, tallow's compatibility with human skin biology makes it the superior choice. It doesn't just sit on top of your skin—it actually integrates with your skin barrier.

For Cooking: Choose Based on the Job

Use Tallow for:

• High-heat cooking (searing, frying, roasting)

• Long-lasting shelf stability

• Beef-friendly dishes (roasted potatoes, Yorkshire pudding)

• Traditional British and American recipes

Use Lard for:

• Baking (pie crusts, biscuits, pastries—lard makes them incredibly flaky)

• Medium-heat cooking

• Latin American and Asian cuisines (tamales, flour tortillas, dumplings)

• When you want a neutral-to-slightly-sweet flavor

Many bakers swear by lard for the flakiest pie crusts you've ever tasted. The science backs them up—lard's crystal structure creates distinct layers in pastry that butter simply can't match.

Why Were They Demonized?

Here's where it gets interesting. Both tallow and lard were kitchen staples until the early 1900s, when Procter & Gamble patented a process to hydrogenate cottonseed oil into a solid fat. They called it Crisco and marketed it as "modern" and "clean"—implying that traditional animal fats were dirty and old-fashioned.

The campaign worked. Within decades:

• Animal fats were replaced by industrially-processed vegetable oils

• The lipid hypothesis blamed saturated fat for heart disease (despite weak evidence)

• Seed oils became ubiquitous in processed foods

• Traditional fats were relegated to "backwards" or "unhealthy"

But here's what they didn't tell you: those replacement oils required heavy chemical processing, high heat, and often contain hexane residues. Meanwhile, rendering tallow or lard is simply heating fat and straining it—something you can literally do in your kitchen.

The Source Matters—Dramatically

This is crucial: not all tallow and lard are created equal.

Grass-fed/Grass-finished Tallow:

• Up to 5x more vitamins and micronutrients

• Higher omega-3 content

• More CLA

• Better omega-6 to omega-3 ratio

• Animals lived closer to their natural diet

Conventional (grain-fed) Tallow:

• Lower nutrient density

• Higher omega-6 content (pro-inflammatory)

• May contain residues from antibiotics, hormones

• Animals fed an unnatural diet of corn and soy

The same principle applies to lard—pastured pigs eating their natural diet (roots, acorns, kitchen scraps) produce nutritionally superior fat compared to factory-farmed pigs fed GMO corn and soy.

The Revival: Why Now?

People are waking up to several realities:

1. The seed oil disaster: Rates of inflammation, obesity, and metabolic disease skyrocketed as we replaced animal fats with industrial oils high in omega-6 fatty acids.

2. Nutrient density matters: These traditional fats contain fat-soluble vitamins that our bodies desperately need and can't get from plant oils.

3. Chemical exposure concerns: Parents especially are questioning why they'd put petroleum-derived ingredients on their children's skin when rendered animal fat has been used safely for millennia.

4. Sustainability: Using the whole animal, including fat that would otherwise be wasted, is more ethical and environmentally sound than industrial monocrop agriculture for seed oils.

5. It works: People trying tallow-based skincare or cooking with lard are experiencing real results—clearer skin, better digestion, more satiety.

Which Should You Choose?

For skincare: Tallow, hands down. The nutritional profile and skin compatibility are unmatched.

For cooking: Keep both on hand. Use tallow for high-heat cooking and savory dishes. Use lard for baking and medium-heat applications where you want that incredible flaky texture.

For health: Both are vastly superior to industrially-processed seed oils. The enemy isn't saturated fat—it's the chemical manipulation of supposedly "healthy" vegetable oils.

The Bottom Line

Tallow and lard aren't just having a revival—they're reclaiming their rightful place as traditional, nutrient-dense fats that nourished our ancestors for thousands of years. They were replaced not because science proved them harmful, but because they couldn't be patented, mass-produced cheaply, or given an infinite shelf life like industrial seed oils.

The difference between them matters for specific applications, but the bigger picture is this: both represent a return to real food, real ingredients, and a rejection of the industrial food system that prioritized profit over health.

Your great-grandmother wasn't wrong. The food industry just convinced us she was.