Learn how to make your own tallow soap with this easy melt and pour soap recipe. Melt and pour soap is perfect for beginners or those who don't want to buy a lot of equipment or supplies to make their own soap. This makes several bars that are perfect for body soap for yourself or giving as gifts.
Tallow Soap Recipe With Melt and Pour Soap
Soap making is both a science and an art, blending ancient traditions with modern creativity. Cold process soap requires a lot of equipment and supplies, but melt and pour soap makes it easy to make your own soap at home.
Whether you're a curious beginner or a seasoned crafter, this method offers a rewarding way to create luxurious, skin-loving soap without the complexity of handling lye.
What Is Tallow Melt and Pour Soap?
Tallow melt and pour soap is a hybrid approach that combines rendered animal fat (tallow) with a pre-made soap base.
Unlike traditional cold or hot process methods, melt and pour allows you to skip saponification—the chemical process that turns fats into soap—since it's already done.
All that’s left is to melt the base, customize it, and pour it into molds. The result is a creamy, firm bar with excellent moisturizing qualities.
Why Use Tallow in Soap Making?
Tallow, a rendered form of beef fat, has been used in soap for centuries. It’s rich in stearic and oleic acids, which give soap its creamy lather and hardness.
Tallow is also sustainable when sourced responsibly, making use of an otherwise discarded by-product of meat production.
Its molecular structure is similar to human sebum, which makes it uniquely compatible with our skin’s natural barrier.
The Benefits of Tallow for Skin and Soap Structure
Tallow is high in fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all of which contribute to healthy, resilient skin. In soap, it produces a hard, long-lasting bar with a stable lather and a silky feel.
Coconut oil is often used to increase lather in melt and pour soap. Unlike coconut oil, which can sometimes strip the skin, tallow gently cleanses while preserving moisture.
Its high palmitic acid content enhances the structural integrity of the soap, making it less prone to cracking or becoming mushy in the shower.
What Kind of Tallow Is Best for Soap?
The highest quality tallow for soap is leaf fat, which comes from around the kidneys. It’s purer and less odorous than other fats.
Look for grass-fed or organically raised sources if possible. Avoid pre-processed tallow with additives or preservatives, as these can interfere with soap consistency and skin-friendliness.
Choosing a Soap Base for Your Recipe
Pre-made glycerin bases (especially white or goat milk variants) pair well with small additions of tallow. However, you can also use a shea butter soap base or your preferred melt and pour soap base.
Be cautious with clear bases, as tallow can cloud the transparency.
I buy my soap base from Crafty Bubbles. I also like the Nature's Oils soap base or Stephenson's soap bases.
Alternately, you can buy a tallow melt and pour soap base. You would not need to add any additional tallow to it, but you could add a carrier oil or other additives.
Natural Additives to Blend with Tallow Soap Base
Tallow works beautifully with colloidal oatmeal, activated charcoal, and clays. These not only enhance the soap’s visual appeal but also offer therapeutic benefits for various skin types.
It's important to keep in mind that too many additives will result in a softer bar. Try to keep it at one tablespoon of liquid or soft additive per pound of melt and pour soap base.
Learn more about melt and pour soap additives.
Ingredients
- Melt and Pour Soap Base. You can use your favorite soap base. I buy mine from Crafty Bubbles or a the Nature's Oils.
- Beef Tallow. Look for organic or grass fed beef tallow.
- Essential Oils. I get mine from Crafty Bubbles or Simply Earth.
Must-Have Tools for Melt and Pour Soap Making
- Double boiler or microwave safe bowl. I prefer to use a double boiler so I don't overheat the soap, but you can microwave it. Just watch it carefully.
- Silicone mold. This is the mold that I used, but you can use your own design.
- Digital scale. It's important to weigh the soap with a digital scale so you can add the right amount of additives.
Step-by-Step Instructions for a Foolproof Batch
Step #1
Cut the soap into 1 inch cubes. Melt in a double boiler or in the microwave until melted. Stir frequently.
Step #2
Once the soap is melted, removed from heat and add the tallow. Stir until it is melted.
Step #3
Let the soap cool slightly and add the essential oils. Stir well.
Step #4
Pour the soap into molds. Let cool for a few hours or overnight.
Your tallow soap is ready to use right away.
Troubleshooting and Tips
- If the base overheats, it can scorch or form unsightly bubbles. Keep temperatures under 140°F. Use a thermometer and stir gently. Cloudiness or separation is often a sign of overheating.
- No cure time is required—once hardened, the soap is ready to use. However, allowing it to rest 24–48 hours improves texture and hardness.
- Wrap bars in parchment, wax paper, or shrink wrap. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Avoid airtight containers, which can trap moisture and lead to sweating.
- Soft bars usually mean too much tallow or moisture-rich additives. Hard bars may indicate excessive cooling time or not enough emollient ingredients.
- Grainy or separated soap may stem from improper mixing. Always blend tallow thoroughly and pour while the base is fluid, not thickening.
If your soap didn't turn out perfect, you can try to remelt the batch, add a bit of extra base or a binding ingredient like stearic acid, and pour again. Use failed batches as embeds in new creations—mistakes become opportunities.
For more melt and pour soap recipes, try these posts:
- Charcoal Melt and Pour Soap Recipe
- Green Tea Melt and Pour Soap Recipe
- Melt and Pour Coffee Soap
- Pink Himalayan Salt Soap
- Turmeric Melt and Pour Soap
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Tallow Melt and Pour Soap Recipe
materials:
- 1 pound melt and pour soap base
- 20 drops essential oils
- 1 tablespoons beef rendered tallow
tools:
- Soap mold
- Digital scale
- Thermometer
- Double boiler
steps:
- Cut the soap into 1 inch cubes. Heat in a double boiler over medium heat or in the microwave in 30 second intervals. Stir often.
- Once the soap is melted, removed from heat and add the tallow. Stir until it is melted.
- Let the soap cool slightly and add the essential oils. Stir well.
- Pour the soap into molds. Let cool for a few hours or overnight.
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