What is Tallow and Why Use it in Skincare?

Now, you may be picturing the gristle you cut off your steak or what’s left in your pan after cooking ground beef, but the tallow we render and use is a hard, white, tasteless and mildly sweet smelling oil that is solid at room temperature and, unlike the actual fat tissues, can be stored for long periods without refrigeration. When applied to the skin, it absorbs completely, isn’t greasy and is a powerhouse of bioavailable nutrients.

It’s considered one of the original skincare ingredients because, across the globe and throughout history — back to some of the earliest mentions of skincare — tallow has been used to nourish, restore and protect skin from even some of the harshest conditions. It was used and revered by our ancestors who skillfully made use of all the parts of the animals that they ate, leaving nothing to waste. It was a customary and effective skincare application that could ease chapped and irritated skin and maintain vibrant health.

Tallow fell out of the mainstream spotlight as Americans migrated towards a “fat-free” lifestyle. Additionally, it became cheaper and easier for commercial skincare companies to add petroleum- and water-based fillers to products rather than packing products full of healthy fats such as tallow.

We specifically source KPH or leaf tallow which stands for “kidney, pelvic, heart” which is the nutrient-dense tallow that encases the animal’s organs. This tallow is white and firm and packed with essential vitamins. 

Tallow is an incredibly sustainable, earth-friendly ingredient that is a generally unused byproduct of beef production. In fact, we were the first to begin buying the tallow from our current supplier. 

What are the benefits of using tallow on your skin?

Tallow is incredibly compatible with our skin, with both having a similar fatty-acid profile. It’s packed with bioavailable vitamins and nutrients that your skin needs for optimal health— fat-soluble vitamins  A, D, E & K — in a form that’s easy for your skin to use. It’s also loaded with fatty acids that have a similar profile to our cell membranes, allowing it to penetrate the cell walls of our skin in a way a plant’s biology can’t. It is easily absorbed, penetrating your skin’s lipid barrier (where most water- and plant-based moisturizers just sit on top of the skin, having very little penetration) and nourishing deep into the skin.

Plants and animals nourish in different ways and, in the places they do overlap, animal products usually have a more dense concentration of nutrients, allowing you to get more from less (and a little is usually all you need to stay moisturized too). Plant-forms of some of the vitamins found in tallow aren’t always present in a form that is easily used by the body, but there are components in tallow that help your body activate and use these fat-soluble vitamins. 

Why do we need fat-soluble vitamins? They’re a powerhouse for skin health, contributing to collagen and elastin production, skin cell development, free radical protection, and helping the skin heal among other things. Legally, we can not claim to treat, diagnose or prevent any diseases, but if you read our testimonials found on the homepage, you can hear what other users have to say about how it has transformed their skin.

Texas Tallow is made from grass-fed cows, which gives it unique health properties for the skin, such as its higher nutrient content, including Omega 3 fatty acids and higher concentrations of Vitamin E. The grass-fed cows we use are produced in a way that positively impacts the earth. In fact, regenerative agriculture can actually decrease greenhouse gases and restore the soil. Meanwhile, mono crops and commercial farming — which contribute to most of the plant-based products and oils on the market — can be incredibly destructive to the soil. 

In summary, Tallow is a gentle and reliable skincare ingredient that:

• Serves as a skin superfood, giving your skin the essential fat-soluble vitamins it needs to restore and maintain balance.
• Contains the closest fatty acid profile to our own skin and oil, allowing it to be absorbed quickly and easily.
• Is an age-old, tried and tested skincare solution, used well before today’s chemical-laden, petroleum- and water-based products.
• Is stable and does not oxidize or go rancid easily, like other plant-based products that also may damage skin cells.
• Contains essential acids that help maintain microbial balance.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body and it absorbs whatever you put on it. It’s as important to have animal fats in your skincare as it is in your diet! 

What goes into making our tallow products?

By rendering our own tallow and using infused oils instead of ready-made fragrances and essential oils, we're extending our product production time by as much as 8 months, which is what makes each jar we sell truly artisan and unique to other tallow companies. We hope you can see the difference!

Watch the video below for a glimpse of our rendering process!