How to Make Tallow Sunscreen
Making an effective and natural sunscreen is easier than you might think. Here is a simple recipe for a mineral sunscreen that actually works. With the topical application of powdered titanium dioxide in a tallow balm base, you can simultaneously nourish your skin and protect it from sunburn and damage.
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Tallow is my go-to moisturizer. I love how easily it rubs in, how it makes my skin feel, and how natural it is.
I use my homemade, three-ingredient tallow balm year-round, but during the summer, I started to worry about its lack of Sun Protection Factor (SPF).
It was this concern that led to the investigation and trialing of my own whipped tallow mineral sunscreen.
Here’s what I learned about sunscreen and how I make mine.
Tallow Basics
You get tallow by rendering (purifying) the fat from a ruminant animal. I have been making tallow balm for years with suet from goats that I raise on my farm.
You can get suet from a butcher and render your own, or purchase tallow that has already been rendered. For step-by-step suet rendering instructions, click here to read my other article.
While tallow on its own doesn’t have SPF, it offers a host of other benefits for skin. Tallow is gentle and extremely moisturizing and that’s why I chose to use it as my sunscreen base. To learn even more reasons to use tallow on your skin, click here! For more on the many ways that I use tallow in my home, click here!
Tallow is a solid at room temperature. To make it easier to apply, I created a whipped version of my tallow balm. By adding liquid oil, like olive or avocado, and whipping it with a stand or electric hand mixer, I end with a balm with soft, fluffy texture. Click here for the full tutorial on making whipped tallow balm.
I add titanium dioxide to my regular whipped tallow balm to make mineral sunscreen.
Mineral Sunscreens
There are two main types of sunscreens: mineral and chemical. Mineral sunscreens work by creating a physical barrier on the skin surface that reflects the sun’s rays. In contrast, chemical sunscreens contain ingredients that absorb ultraviolet radiation.
Mineral sunscreens contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which are similar looking white pigments. Chemical sunscreens usually contain several different synthetic organic compounds.
Each type of sunscreen has its pros and cons. Mineral sunscreens are gentle and effective, but they do leave a white residue on your skin and have to be reapplied frequently. Since they provide a physical barrier, sun damage protection stops when they are sweated or washed off the skin. Meanwhile, chemical sunscreens are widely used because they are often clear and work very well, but they contain ingredients that are potentially harmful. Some chemical ingredients cause skin irritation, while others may have negative effects if they build up in the human body or natural water systems.
Even though both mineral and chemical sunscreens are commercially available online and in stores, I prefer to make my own skincare products whenever possible. If you’re a rebel like me, feel free to give this homemade sunscreen a try. It is made with just three simple, non-irritating ingredients: tallow, olive oil, and titanium dioxide.
Please note that this sunscreen has not been tested in a laboratory for safety or efficacy. Produce and use at your own risk.
Titanium Dioxide
Titanium dioxide is a white mineral that is available in powdered form. I use titanium dioxide as a colorant in cold process soapmaking because it is shelf-stable, skin safe, eye safe, and lip safe. Further, it is ranked “generally recognized as safe and effective” (GRASE) for daily use on the skin by the Food and Drug Administration.
I chose titanium dioxide because it is what I already had on hand, but zinc oxide is an alternative that could be used instead.
The concentration of titanium dioxide in manufactured sunscreens ranges from 2.5 percent to 25 percent. According to the Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS), titanium dioxide nanoparticles, used at a concentration up to 25% can be considered safe for humans on healthy, intact skin.
I decided to make my mineral sunscreen at a 20% concentration by adding 20% titanium dioxide based on the weight of the other ingredients, tallow and olive oil.
There is an inhalation concern risk when working with powdered titanium dioxide. Therefore, it is recommended that you wear a mask when creating your homemade sunscreen.
Let’s get started!
Materials Needed for Making Tallow Sunscreen
- Mask
- Stove
- Saucepan
- Rubber spatula
- Measuring spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer with bowl and flex-edge beater attachment
- Jars with lids
I prefer to melt my tallow on the stovetop so that I can heat it slowly while stirring with the rubber spatula. You could use a microwave, but it is easy to overheat it. You don’t want to cook the tallow, just warm it until it changes from a solid to a liquid.
I prefer to measure weight in grams, so I use a kitchen scale. My classic KitchenAid stand mixer works great for whipping tallow balm, I have used an electric hand mixer as well though too.
The sunscreen can be stored in glass or plastic jars, whichever you prefer.
Ingredients for Making Tallow Sunscreen
- 200 grams tallow
- 67 grams olive oil
- 52 grams titanium dioxide
Tallow is the main ingredient in the whipped balm, the olive oil is added to make it creamy and easy to rub into the skin. The ratio that I use for sunscreen is one part olive oil to three parts tallow. The titanium dioxide is added to the balm at the end of whipping, at a concentration of 20% of the weight of the other ingredients.
Directions for Making Tallow Sunscreen
- Using a kitchen scale, measure out 200 grams of tallow by weight into a saucepan
- Adjust the burner to the lowest setting and warm the tallow on the stovetop, stirring occasionally with a rubber spatula
- Once the tallow has liquified, transfer it to the stand mixer bowl
- Put the stand mixer bowl with the melted tallow on your kitchen scale, tare it out, and add 67 grams of olive oil
- Stir until combined
- Allow the mixture to cool until it is hardening, but not completely firm. It should be soft enough for you to dent it with your finger easily when it is ready to whip. You can put the bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the process if you want.
- When it’s ready, put the flex-edge beater attachment on your stand mixer and secure the bowl in place. Whip the hardened tallow balm until it is fluffy. This takes several minutes on the low-speed setting.
- Don your mask and open your titanium dioxide powder.
- Put the stand mixer bowl with the whipped tallow balm on your kitchen scale, tare it out, and add 52 grams of titanium dioxide to it
- Whip again with the stand mixer with the flex-edge beater attachment until well combined
- Transfer the tallow sunscreen into storage jars with your rubber spatula
- Use your tallow sunscreen!
Using your Tallow Sunscreen
- Homemade tallow sunscreen can be used on your face and body
- Apply a generous layer to your skin before going out in the sun
- You will notice a white film on your skin
- Reapply every two hours or as needed for protection against sunburn and ultraviolet radiation
