Step-by-Step Guide: How to Make Soap Using Rendered Tallow.

Written By Kelley

Making homemade soap using rendered tallow is a rewarding and healthy way to care for your skin naturally. Tallow, rendered from beef or other animal fats, is packed with nutrients, making it an excellent ingredient for moisturizing and nourishing soaps. This guide will walk you through the process step by step, ensuring you end up with beautiful, healthy soap you can be proud of.

What You Need to Know About Tallow

Tallow is a traditional soap-making ingredient used for centuries. It’s a sustainable, natural fat that creates a hard bar with a creamy lather. Tallow contains vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which are beneficial for your skin. When combined with lye and other natural oils, you get a rich, moisturizing soap that’s free of synthetic additives.

If you don’t have tallow on hand, you can render beef fat yourself or purchase pre-rendered tallow online or from a local farm.

Tools and Ingredients

Here’s everything you’ll need:

Tools:

  • Digital scale (for precise measurements)

  • Stainless steel pot or slow cooker (for melting tallow)

  • Heat-resistant mixing bowl (glass or stainless steel)

  • Stick blender (to blend oils and lye)

  • Digital thermometer

  • Rubber gloves and safety goggles

  • Silicone soap mold or lined loaf pan

  • Spatula and measuring spoons

  • Soap cutter or sharp knife

  • Kitchen scale

Ingredients:

  • Rendered Tallow: 16 oz (by weight)

  • Olive Oil: 8 oz (for added moisture)

  • Coconut Oil: 8 oz (for lather and hardness)

  • Distilled Water: 10 oz (never use tap water)

  • Lye (Sodium Hydroxide): 4.4 oz (measured precisely)

  • Essential Oils (optional): For scent (e.g., lavender, peppermint, or tea tree)

Safety First!

  • Lye (sodium hydroxide) is caustic and can burn your skin or eyes. Always wear rubber gloves, safety goggles, and work in a well-ventilated area.

  • Add lye to water, never the other way around, to prevent a dangerous reaction.

  • You can get premade soap bases that already have the Lye processed if you choose. Here is a great one I have used.

Step 1: Prepare Your Work Area

Clear a clean workspace and gather all your tools and ingredients. Ensure children and pets are away from the area for safety.

Step 2: Weigh Your Ingredients

Using your digital scale, carefully measure out all your ingredients by weight, not volume. Accurate measurements are essential for a successful soap recipe.

  • Tallow: 16 oz

  • Olive Oil: 8 oz

  • Coconut Oil: 8 oz

  • Distilled Water: 10 oz

  • Lye: 4.4 oz

Step 3: Melt the Tallow and Oils

  1. In a stainless steel pot or slow cooker, gently melt the tallow over low heat.

  2. Add the coconut oil and olive oil to the melted tallow.

  3. Stir occasionally until all the oils are fully melted and combined.

  4. Remove the pot from heat and allow the oil mixture to cool to around 90-110°F.

Step 4: Mix the Lye Solution

  1. While the oils are cooling, put on your gloves and goggles.

  2. Slowly and carefully pour the lye into the distilled water (never the reverse) while stirring with a heat-resistant spoon.

  3. The solution will heat up and release fumes; avoid breathing them in. Stir until the lye is fully dissolved.

  4. Let the lye solution cool to 90-110°F, similar to the oil temperature.

Step 5: Combine Lye Solution and Oils

  1. Once both the lye solution and the oils are at similar temperatures, slowly pour the lye solution into the oils.

  2. Use a stick blender to blend the mixture. Alternate between pulsing and stirring to avoid overheating your stick blender.

  3. Continue blending until the mixture reaches "trace." Trace is when the soap mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, and you can see light trails on the surface.

Step 6: Add Essential Oils (Optional)

If you want scented soap, now is the time to add 10-20 drops of your favorite essential oil. Stir gently to evenly distribute the scent.

Step 7: Pour Into Mold

  1. Carefully pour the soap mixture into a silicone soap mold or a lined loaf pan.

  2. Use a spatula to smooth the top of the soap.

  3. Lightly tap the mold on the countertop to remove any air bubbles.

  4. Cover the mold with a towel to insulate it, and let it sit in a safe, undisturbed spot for 24-48 hours.

Step 8: Unmold and Cut

  1. After 24-48 hours, check the soap. If it feels firm, gently remove it from the mold.

  2. Use a soap cutter or sharp knife to slice the soap into bars of your desired size.

Step 9: Cure the Soap

Place the soap bars on a drying rack or parchment paper, ensuring airflow around each bar. Let the soap cure for 4-6 weeks. This curing process allows excess water to evaporate and the soap to harden.

Step 10: Enjoy!

After curing, your healthy, homemade tallow soap is ready to use! Enjoy its creamy lather and nourishing benefits. Store any extra bars in a cool, dry place.

Final Tips

  • Customization: Add natural exfoliants like oatmeal, activated charcoal, or clay for added benefits.

  • Storage: Keep soap dry between uses to extend its life.

  • Experiment: Try different essential oils or oils (like shea butter) to customize your soap’s properties.

By making your soap with rendered tallow, you’re embracing a time-honored tradition that’s great for your skin, cost-effective, and free of synthetic chemicals. Enjoy the process and the satisfaction of crafting something truly natural and nourishing!

Happy soap-making! Let me know in the comments how your soap turned out or if you have any questions about the process!

Kelley
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