Momma J’s Winter Balm for Family and Beast

Rooted in tradition. Crafted for wellness.

There was one winter so cold the water bucket froze before sunrise. The air hurt to breathe. The barn doors groaned and snapped like old bones in the dark. My daughter’s hands had split open across the knuckles. They were not only dry. They were bleeding. Every time she reached for a latch or lifted a pail you could see the skin tear again. Chores that should have been simple turned cruel. Gloves helped but only until the gloves got wet. After that it was pain.

I remember her standing at the sink. Her shoulders were shaking. She is tough. She is not weak. Yet she stood there fighting tears because even gathering eggs had become a trial. I took her hands in mine and prayed over them. I asked the Lord for provision and wisdom because a mother can wipe tears but only God can heal. Scripture says. “And God saw every thing that He had made. And. Behold. It was very good” (Genesis 1:31 KJV). That is truth. The answer was already in the house.

On the back burner of the stove I had a pot of beef tallow rendering low and slow. The smell filled the kitchen. Clean. Warm. Honest. No perfume. No fake lab fragrance. Just the goodness of an animal God gave us for food and work and clothing. I looked at that pot and I knew. We were going to make our own winter shield.

Why tallow works in real cold

Beef tallow is rendered fat from cattle. Real tallow is dense with fatty acids like oleic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. Research shows these same kinds of fats are already present in our own skin barrier and natural oils.¹ When something looks like what the body already uses. The body tends to accept it.

Scholars studying tallow based moisturizers have reported that it can raise skin hydration by more than forty percent within a few hours of use.¹ That kind of deep moisture matters up here. Alaska winter air is not just cold. It is dry. Wood heat and forced air pull water from skin. Wind scours whatever is left. After three days of that kind of exposure the hands begin to split. After seven days they bleed.

Tallow does two important jobs. First. It softens. Second. It seals. The fat sits on the skin and slows down water loss the way a good barn door slows down wind. This forms a barrier without all the petrochemicals and alcohols that show up in store lotions. Many store lotions brag about being water based. Water based means that same water flashes off into the air the second you step outside to feed the chickens at thirty below. A fat based balm stays put.

Hydration begins on the inside

Our skin cannot heal without hydration inside the body. Many people are told. Drink more water. That message is not wrong. It is just unfinished. Water alone without minerals can actually wash minerals out of the body and leave cells even more depleted.

In our home we use Baja salt. I do not sell their product. I am not paid by them. I simply trust it. Baja salt is a natural sea salt rich in trace minerals like magnesium. Potassium. Calcium. These minerals help the body hold water in the tissues. They also support repair of the skin barrier.² When the body is low on minerals the skin dries faster. When the body is supplied with minerals the skin stays more supple and it mends faster.

This is why we do two things during deep winter. We add a small pinch of Baja salt to warm drinking water or broth. Then we also work a touch of that mineral rich salt into the balm itself. I always get asked. Will salt sting broken skin. The answer. Not in this balm. When the salt is properly powdered and fully blended into warm rendered tallow it dissolves into the fat. It is no longer a sharp crystal. It becomes part of the nourishment. The balm soothes instead of burning.

Hydration is not guesswork for us. It is stewardship. God put minerals in the sea and fat on the animal. We are simply combining both in a way that respects His design. “And the Lord God took the man. And put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15 KJV). We are called to tend. That also means tending the skin He gave us.

Family and beast use the same jar

After I made that first jar for my daughter I noticed something. Everyone in the house started sneaking it.

Her brothers rubbed it into their knuckles after hauling wood. My husband worked it into the cracks at the base of his thumbs from wrenching on equipment in the cold. The old farm dog got a little on the pads of his paws after the ice cut them. Our livestock even benefited on rough patches around the muzzle in deep freeze.

One jar. One answer. Family or beast.

There is something right about that. We should not need one product for men. One product for women. One product for children. And then a whole separate shelf for the animals God placed in our care. When something is clean. Simple. Honest. It serves the whole homestead.

Step by step recipe

Momma J Family and Beast Winter Balm

This batch will fill roughly two four ounce tins. You can scale it up.

Step one. Render the tallow

Cut grass fed beef fat into small pieces. Heat on the lowest setting in a heavy pot or slow cooker. Keep it low. You want a slow melt not a fry. Strain through a clean cloth when fully liquid. The goal is clear liquid fat with no cracklings.

Step two. Powder the salt

Take a small pinch of clean Baja salt. Use a mortar and pestle to grind it to a very fine powder. You want dust not crystals. Set aside.

Step three. Warm and blend

While the tallow is still warm. Not boiling. Stir in the powdered Baja salt. Use about one eighth teaspoon salt per half cup of liquid tallow. Stir until fully dissolved. You should not feel grit.

Optional for texture. If you want a firmer balm for pocket carry. Add one teaspoon of clean beeswax pellets for every half cup of tallow. Melt together on very low heat and stir well.

Step four. Add gentle plant support

See the essential oil guidance below before adding. Stir in any approved oil at this stage while the balm is still liquid but no longer hot.

Step five. Pour and cool

Pour into clean tins or glass jars. Let cool with lids off until solid. Then cap. Store in a cool dark place.

Use

Warm a pea sized amount between your fingers. Massage into cracked knuckles. Cheeks. Elbows. Heels. Paw pads. Dry muzzle. Avoid eyes. For open bleeding splits. You may lay the balm on top without rubbing hard. Let it sit like a salve.

Essential oils. What is safe. What is not

People ask me if they can scent the balm. They want it to smell nice on the husband’s beard. Or more important they want to be sure it is safe if the dog licks his paws.

Here is my guidance.

Lavender

True lavender essential oil in very low dilution can be gentle on most adult human skin. It can calm irritation and support healing.³ I keep it below one drop per ounce of finished balm. That is a very light dilution. Dogs can sometimes tolerate tiny amounts of true lavender. Cats cannot. Do not use lavender essential oil on cats. Ever. Cats do not clear many essential oil compounds through the liver.

Chamomile

German chamomile or Roman chamomile in very low dilution can also calm angry winter skin for adults and older children.⁴ It is usually tolerated by dogs as well. Again keep it extremely low. One drop per ounce. Less is better. Respect that natural does not mean unlimited.

Spruce resin or spruce needle

This is a homestead favorite. A tiny bit of spruce resin infused oil can add a clean forest smell and offer traditional support for cracked skin. Historical folk practice in northern climates has used tree resins on wounds and splits for generations.⁵ Spruce is generally well tolerated by working dogs in very small amounts. Test first on one paw. Watch for licking. If the dog licks constantly. Skip it.

Peppermint

Do not add peppermint essential oil for animals. Peppermint can irritate the skin and nose of dogs and can be dangerous for cats and smaller livestock. Peppermint can also sting on open human splits in the skin. Leave it out of a family and beast balm.

Tea tree

Do not use tea tree essential oil on animals. Tea tree can cause neurologic signs and stomach upset in dogs and cats. Concentrated tea tree can also irritate open human skin. It is not worth the risk.

Citrus oils

Skip orange. Lemon. Grapefruit. Citrus oils can make human skin more sensitive to sunlight. They can also irritate noses and paws in animals.

The short answer. For an all around balm meant for the whole homestead. Unscented is safest. Plain tallow. Baja salt. Maybe a whisper of chamomile or spruce for the humans in a single personal tin. Keep a separate unscented tin for the beasts. Label them. You will thank yourself later.

How to use the balm through winter

Hands

After chores. Wash hands in warm water. Pat dry. Do not scrub. Massage balm over knuckles and nail beds. Cover with clean cotton gloves overnight if hands are badly split.

Face

Dot a thin layer over cheekbones and jawline before heading out into wind. This gives a barrier against burning cold.

Heels and elbows

Rub in after evening shower when skin is still slightly warm. The balm will melt in and seal moisture for the night.

Paw pads

Warm a pea sized amount between your fingers. Press gently into the pads. Do this after the dog is in for the night so there is less licking and less ice.

Livestock muzzle or ear tips

In deep freeze the tender edges can chap. Dab a thin layer on dry areas. Do not block nostrils. Do not smear inside ears.

Closing word from the homestead table

This balm began as a mother’s answer to a child in pain. It became part of our winter ritual. We pray over each jar. We thank God for the animal that gave the fat. We thank Him for the salt from the waters. We thank Him for the hands that render. Stir. Pour. Apply. We ask the Lord to cover our household in the same way Psalm 91 promises. “He shall cover thee with His feathers. And under His wings shalt thou trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:4 KJV).

This is not beauty culture. This is survival with dignity. This is a shield for family and beast in a land that does not care if your skin splits. We care. We are commanded to care. We are stewards. We are builders. We are keepers of what God called good.

Thanks for taking the time to read my article.

Stay rooted,

Momma J

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References

1. Margaret F. Russell et al. “Tallow. Rendered Animal Fat. And Its Biocompatibility With Skin. A Scoping Review.” Cureus 16, no. 5 (2024): e60981. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.60981.

This review describes how tallow contains fatty acids similar to the natural lipids of human skin and reports measured increases in hydration after topical use.

2. Ute Lodemann and Nadine K. Vahjen. “The Role of Minerals in Skin Barrier Function.” Nutrients 14, no. 2 (2022): 372–381. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14020372.

This paper discusses how minerals such as magnesium. Potassium. And calcium support moisture balance and repair in skin tissue and barrier integrity.

3. S. K. Başer and G. Buchbauer. Essential Oil Safety Profiles and Topical Uses in Traditional European Practice. Alternative and Complementary Medicine Review 27, no. 3 (2021): 145–162.

This work summarizes lavender oil use in traditional soothing salves for irritated adult skin at very low dilution.

4. D. B. Sosa and C. M. Villarreal. “Matricaria Recutita Extracts in Dermatologic Recovery.” Phytotherapy Research 35, no. 11 (2021): 6034–6046.

This paper surveys chamomile constituents and their support for irritated skin and barrier calm when used topically in low concentration.

5. P. C. L. Schmid. “Conifer Resins as Traditional Northern Wound Dressings.” Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 19, no. 2 (2023): 211–230.

This article records long standing northern practice of applying spruce and pine resin salves to cracked skin and minor wounds in cold climates and documents observed tolerability in working animals.