Tactics/Knowledge

Four Ingredient Bear Grease Balm

By Joleen Morehead

There’s something so satisfying to me about the multiple uses bear grease provides. It’s a bear hunter’s liquid gold. It’s great in pastries, in soap, and is very moisturizing.  Bear fat will make even the toughest of hands, smooth as a baby’s bottom.  It also doesn’t hold any strong smells associated with other animal fats when rendered.
 
Bear grease has been used for topical skin care for generations and some believe it is good for joint pain. Essential oils like eucalyptus or menthol would be good additions to this recipe to make it more like an icy hot or vapor rub (Caution: don’t use too much as it could irritate your skin).
 
Sold? Let’s make some Balm!

 

Ingredients:

1 cup of Bear Grease

¼ cup of Jojoba Oil

¼ cup of Stearic Acid - (See notes)

50 drops of Essential Oils

 

Tools Needed:

Glass Jars

Normal Kitchen Tools

 

Instructions:

1. Measure out 1 cup of bear grease and put it in a glass jar set inside your pot of water. Measure out ¼ cup of the stearic acid and put it in the second mason jar and put into the pot of water. 

2. Turn on the burner to low-medium heat. Be patient with the warming up process. Be careful to not splash yourself when heating or melting any sort of solid/ liquids and make sure you wear proper protection.

3. The Stearic Acid will melt quickly but just keep double boiling until the Bear Grease is melted and warm.

4. Once both the Stearic Acid and Bear Grease are melted, Pour the Bear Grease into a medium sized bowl. Then pour the Stearic Acid in the same bowl and whisk vigorously. WHISK, WHISK, WHISK! Stearic Acid cools down very quickly and you will want to combine as much as you can before it cools.

5. Whisk in ¼ cup of Jojoba Oil into the Bear Grease and Stearic Acid mixture.

6. Mix your essential oils in- I used Lavender and Peppermint because I like the soothing nature of Lavender and the minty feeling of Peppermint. (You could add more drops of essential oils if you would like a stronger scented balm)

7. Cover your bowl and place into the refrigerator until the balm hardens.

8. Once the balm is completely hardened, take a hand mixer and break up the balm for about 1-2 minutes, until the balm becomes the texture of soft whipped butter.

9. Scoop up the Bear Grease Balm and store it in 4oz glass jars. You can keep it at room tempture or in the refrigerator.

 

Notes:

Stearic acid is a safe additive derived from vegetable fat. It's used to thicken, emulsify, and stabilize formulations in the personal care, cosmetic, and candle making industries.  It is food grade and safe for use.  We use stearic acid for projects that require bear fat to be solid at room temperature for balms, waxes, lotions, candles, etc.

If you want a stronger scented balm, you'll want to use more than 50 drops. My balm had a very soft scent.

This recipe made about four, 4oz jars of Bear Grease Balm.

 

 

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