Calendula Tallow Baby Balm Recipe | For Newborns and Nursing Moms
This Calendula Tallow Baby Balm Recipe combines the calming properties of organic calendula-infused coconut oil with the nourishing benefits of grass-fed tallow to create a gentle, all-natural balm.
This unscented balm moisturizes and protects, making it ideal for dry or sensitive skin. Its versatile formula is great for daily use, including as a soothing option for diaper rash areas on babies and as a nourishing balm for moms during breastfeeding.
Learn everything you need to know to make this balm, including drying the calendula flowers, rendering the tallow, infusing the coconut oil, and combining all your ingredients!
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Tallow, calendula, and coconut oil work together to gently nourish and protect your baby’s delicate skin, offering safe and effective relief from dryness, irritation, and diaper rash. This calming, nutrient-rich blend is free from harsh additives, making it perfect for even the most sensitive newborn skin.
What You’ll Need to Make This Balm
- Grass Fed Tallow – You can buy this or render it yourself! I prefer to render my own tallow because then I know exactly where it’s coming from and how it was rendered. There won’t be any hidden ingredients or surprises.
- Organic Calendula-Infused Coconut Oil – I linked to the instructions on how to make the calendula-infused oil. Check the FAQs for a quicker way to infuse the oil if you’re in a hurry.
- Small Silicone Spatulas – I love these silicone spatulas for mixing and scraping. These mini spatulas come in handy sometimes, too, when I need to get into a small jar.
- Bowl for melting and mixing
- Hand mixer for whipping the calendula tallow balm
- Containers for Storage– I love these containers with the cork tops & cute labels. These make a great gift too.
- Wooden Spatulas– This is optional, but it’s great to have on hand so you don’t get wet hands in your balm. When I give these balms away as gifts, I always tie a wooden spoon to the jar.
Benefits of Calendula and Tallow for Baby’s Skin
Soothes Baby Diaper Rash: Calendula gently nourishes delicate baby skin, helping to maintain skin hydration and comfort that may be disturbed by a diaper rash.
Safe for Breastfeeding Nipple Care: This balm is baby-food safe, making it a natural, soothing option for breastfeeding mothers to apply to sore or cracked nipples, without needing to wipe off before nursing.
Calms Skin Irritations and Supports Hydration: Calendula-infused coconut oil helps soothe redness, dryness, and irritation. Combined with nutrient-rich tallow, it delivers lasting moisture and supports the skin’s natural barrier.
Gentle on Sensitive Skin: Ideal for those with all skin types, including sensitive skin and precious babies, as it is mild and nourishing.
Nutrient-Dense Moisturizer for Delicate Skin: Tallow is rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, plus essential fatty acids that closely resemble the skin’s natural oils. This makes it incredibly effective at protecting and restoring a baby’s delicate skin without clogging pores.
Gentle on Sensitive and Eczema-Prone Skin: Ideal for all skin types, especially sensitive or eczema-prone skin. The calming blend of tallow and calendula helps reduce flakiness and soothe itching without synthetic additives.
Natural Relief for Dry, Cracked Skin: Perfect for dry climates or winter skin woes, this balm deeply hydrates and softens chapped cheeks, hands, or heels. Calendula’s healing properties enhance the coconut oil’s ability to smooth and comfort rough areas.
Calendula Tallow Baby Balm Recipe
Melt and measure the tallow. You can use the double-boiler method or the oven to melt the tallow. I try to avoid the microwave when melting oils and butters.
Add calendula-infused coconut oil to the bowl and stir until combined. Put the bowl in the refrigerator so it will solidify quickly. After 30-60 minutes, the mixture should be solid enough to start whipping. Sometimes the tallow will have a grainy texture if it cools too slowly.
Using a hand mixer or stand mixer (if you’re making a larger quantity), start on low and whip the tallow balm. It may be pretty thick at first, but it will change texture once you get started. If needed, use a spoon to scrape the balm off the bottom and sides of the bowl before mixing. As it softens, you can speed up the mixer.
Add the whipped balm to glass jars for storage. Store in a cool, dry place.
Substituting Different Oils in this Recipe
I often get asked if you can substitute different oils for this recipe. The short answer is yes, but you have to be careful with which oils you substitute and make sure they are still safe for sensitive baby skin.
Another consideration is if you plan to use this balm for breastfeeding, you want to make sure you’re choosing food-safe oils, so if a baby nurses after you apply it, they are safe to ingest it.
Safe Oils to Substitute for Coconut Oil:
✅ Olive Oil
✅ Avocado Oil
✅ Sunflower Oil
✅ Sweet Almond Oil (with allergy considerations)
✅ Grapeseed Oil
Oils NOT to Substitute:
❌ Jojoba Oil – Safe for skin, NOT food-safe
❌ Castor Oil – Heavy, NOT food-safe
❌ Mineral/Baby Oil – Derived from petroleum, not breathable, and lacks nutrients. NOT food-safe
❌ Soybean/Canola Oil – Highly processed, not skin-friendly, common allergen.
Calendula Tallow Balm FAQs
Yes! This balm is made with gentle, natural ingredients like tallow, calendula-infused coconut oil, and is free from synthetic fragrances or preservatives, making it safe for even the most sensitive newborn skin.
Absolutely. The soothing properties of calendula and coconut oil, combined with the skin-repairing nutrients in tallow, make this balm ideal for calming and protecting diaper rash.
Yes. All ingredients are food-grade and baby-safe, making it perfectly safe if a small amount is ingested, including during breastfeeding or if the baby puts their hands in their mouth after application.
Yes! It’s great for dry cheeks, flaky skin, chapped lips, baby eczema, and even behind the ears — anywhere that needs a little extra moisture and care.
Yes, it’s safe and soothing for cracked nipples, and you don’t need to wipe it off before nursing.
It has a very mild, natural scent from the calendula and coconut oil. No essential oils or artificial fragrances are added, keeping it gentle for the baby.
You can use it as often as needed — after diaper changes, bath time, or whenever the baby’s skin needs some soothing moisture.
Store in a cool, dry place in a glass jar. If it softens in warm weather, simply place it in the fridge to firm it up again — this won’t affect the quality.
More Tallow & Calendula Skincare Recipes
- Calendula Salve by Homestead and Chill
- Dandelion Tallow Sugar Scrub
- Lemon Balm Lip Balm with Tallow
- Calendula Bath Melts by Nerdy Farm Wife
Calendula Tallow Baby Balm Recipe
Equipment
- Mixer
- Bowl
Materials
- 1 cup grass-fed tallow
- 1/4 cup calendula-infused coconut oil
Instructions
- Measure & melt the tallow. Add tallow and calendula-infused coconut oil to a bowl and stir until fully combined. See Notes for tallow rendering instructions & how to make calendula-infused coconut oil.
- Put the bowl in the refrigerator so it will solidify quickly.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, start on low and whip the tallow balm. As it softens you can speed up the mixer. Scrape down the sides as needed.
- Add the whipped balm to glass jars for storage.
Notes
- Buy grass-fed tallow or render your own using these instructions.
- Learn how to infuse coconut oil with calendula using these instructions.
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