Common pomatum is the absolute first thing you need in your toilette. It is the first product used in dressing your hair, and it is also a great all-around deep conditioner. Our version is gently modified from its original recipe. [5]
We cut the recipe in half (who needs that much pomatum?), wash the tallow for longer to get rid of the gamey smell and add more scent.
NOTE: Some people are sensitive to clove oil. Please check your sensitivity before going full hog (ha!) into this project. Instead of clove or lemon, try other essential oils such as lavender, rose, orange blossom, bergamot and rosemary.
• 2 lbs (1 kg) rendered mutton tallow
• 1 lb (0.5 kg) rendered pig lard
• 1½ tbsp (25 ml) lemon essential oil
• 30+ drops clove oil
• Set of 12 “jelly” Mason jars (4 oz [113 g])
1. In a very large bowl or bucket filled with water, break the rendered mutton tallow into chunks. Let the tallow soak in the water for 7 to 10 days, changing the water out every 2 to 3 days to remove all traces of the “gamey” scent. Do not skip this step—trust us. You don’t want to smell like a sheep pen, do you?
2. After the tallow has been washed, drain the water, towel dry the tallow and allow it to air dry for a half to full day, allowing all the water to evaporate.
3. On your stove top, set up a double boiler. If you don’t have a double boiler, you can use a large pot filled with water and set a heatproof bowl (such as Pyrex) on top of it, not touching the bottom. Add the mutton tallow and pig lard to the boiler, allowing it to slowly melt over the boiling water.
4. Once the tallow and lard are melted and mixed together, remove the fats from the heat. Using a mixer on a low setting, mix the liquid pomatum to hasten the cooling until it has a smooth, creamy consistency.
5. After about 30 to 40 minutes, once the pomatum has cooled off a bit, but before it turns opaque, add the lemon oil and 30+ drops of clove oil to scent. Mix well.
6. Now the pomatum is ready to be jarred. Make sure your jars are free of dust, dirt and debris. Pour the liquid pomatum into the jars. When the pomatum turns opaque, add the lids, and allow the mixture to harden overnight. You should have enough pomatum to fill twelve 4-ounce (113-g) jars.
7. Pomatum has a long shelf life (1+ years) if kept at room temperature. You can always put your jars in the fridge or freezer if you plan on having this batch for a long time.