Turn over the nearest tub of moisturiser and start reading. Water comes first, then glycerin, then something cetearyl, then something caprylic, and somewhere around ingredient fourteen you’ll meet a preservative with more syllables than your toddler’s vocabulary. Now pick up a tub of tallow. The ingredient list is one word long.
That gap is most of the story.
Mostly water versus mostly not
A standard cream is largely water, which is why it needs emulsifiers to hold it together and preservatives to help maintain product quality. Tallow is rendered beef fat. Our tallow-based products contain little or no added water, giving them a rich, concentrated texture. Like any skincare product, they should be stored appropriately, kept clean and used within their recommended shelf life.
A rich, buttery texture
Tallow has a rich, buttery texture that softens with the warmth of your hands and spreads easily across the skin. It melts at around body temperature, so a pea-sized scoop softens between your fingers and can be spread over areas such as the face, hands, elbows or knees.
A rich balm, doing what rich balms do
Heavy balms can help reduce moisture loss, which is useful in winter, after a bath, or on cheeks that have met the southerly. Tallow has a rich, balm-like texture that can help reduce moisture loss and leave skin feeling soft and moisturised. Shea and cocoa butter can also be used in rich moisturising products, and the research comparing tallow directly with other balms is thin. People tend to choose tallow for how it feels and how little is in it, rather than because it has been proven to outperform everything else. It won’t cure eczema, and if you’re dealing with a persistent skin condition, your GP is the better first stop.
Sourcing is the whole product
When one ingredient is the entire list, its quality is the quality of the balm. Look for grass-fed, pasture-raised beef, a gentle rendering process, and a maker who can tell you where it all came from. If they can’t, that’s your answer.
Who it suits
Tallow can be a good choice for people who enjoy a richer moisturiser and prefer a short ingredient list. Because the texture is rich, some people with oily or breakout-prone skin may prefer to use a smaller amount. It isn’t an option if you avoid animal products. Patch test on your inner wrist first, as you would with anything new.
The short version
Tallow isn’t a miracle. It’s a simple ingredient used in a rich moisturising balm, and it offers a texture and feel that many people enjoy. Read the label on your current cream, read the label on a tub of tallow, and see which one suits you better.