Somewhere along the way, skincare got complicated. Twelve-step routines, ingredient lists you need a chemistry degree to read, and serums that cost more than your car payment.
Meanwhile, tallow has been sitting quietly in the back of the cupboard for a few hundred years, waiting for everyone to come back around.
Well, we're back around.
So what is tallow, exactly?
Tallow is rendered beef fat. That's it. It's been one of the main ingredients in soap for as long as people have been making soap, and it was a staple in balms and salves long before anything came in a pump bottle.
Ours is 100% pure beef tallow from grass-fed, grass-finished cattle. It comes to us fully rendered and food grade (yes, clean enough to cook with), so all that's left for us to do is turn it into soap and butter.
Why it works in skincare
Tallow is rich in fatty acids, including some of the same kinds found in your skin's own natural oils. That's a big part of why it feels so at home on skin: rich and soft, without that coated, sitting-on-top feeling some heavier creams have.
In soap, tallow makes a hard, long-lasting bar with a creamy, stable lather. Translation: your bar doesn't turn into a puddle by Wednesday.
Why we pair it with olive oil
Tallow on its own makes a great bar. Add olive oil and it gets better. Olive oil brings a gentle, conditioning feel, so our Olive & Tallow Soap cleans well without leaving skin feeling stripped. We round it out with shea butter, sweet almond oil, and coconut oil for extra creaminess and a fuller lather.
Where you'll find it in our shop
- Olive & Tallow Soap. Our old-fashioned bar for people who like their soap simple. Creamy lather, soft clean feel, and a long list of scents to pick from. Shop the soap
- Whipped Tallow Butter. Old-school tallow, whipped light and airy so it spreads easily and leaves skin feeling soft and moisturized without a greasy finish. Elbows, knees, heels, hands: anywhere that feels dry. Shop the butter
- All the Love: Butters Basket. Our richest moisturizers in one basket, Whipped Tallow Butter included. For the one with dry skin and good taste. Shop the basket
A quick, honest note
Tallow isn't for everyone. It isn't vegan, and that's a completely fair reason to skip it. If you have sensitive skin or nut allergies, check the full ingredient list (our soap includes sweet almond oil) and patch test first.
But if you've been chasing soft skin through a parade of complicated products, it might be time to try what worked for Grandma.
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