Why Tallow? Learn The Truth
What is Tallow?
Tallow is pure, rendered beef fat, traditionally used in skincare and soap-making, among many other uses. In skincare, tallow is prized for its ability to deeply moisturize, nourish and protect the skin.
Free from parabens and harsh chemicals, beef tallow is a great natural moisturizer that repairs and enhances your skin’s barrier. Its bio-compatibility means it generally won’t clog pores. It's rich in essential fatty acids and nutrients, making it an excellent, naturally superior alternative to synthetic creams and lotions.
Not all tallow balm is created equal. We're here to shine a light on the topic so you can make informed and educated decisions about your personal skincare.
High-quality tallow comes from suet fat: the hard, nutrient-dense fat found around the cattle's kidneys. Low-quality tallow is made from the softer, greasy body fat trimmings of cattle.
Unique Benefits Of Tallow
Deeply Nourishing: Tallow provides deep moisture that helps restore your skin to its natural state.
Skin Barrier Support: Tallow mimics your skin’s natural oils, creating a protective layer that shields against environmental stressors, promoting a healthy, resilient complexion!
Anti-Inflammatory: Tallow boasts powerful anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe irritation and redness. It’s the perfect ally for sensitive skin.
Rich in Fatty Acids: Promotes elasticity and softness, leaving skin smooth and supple.
Non-comedogenic: Despite its luxurious thickness, tallow is very low in the comedogenic scale and should moisturize your skin’s barrier without causing breakouts.
How Tallow Compares To Other Natural Moisturizers
Compare tallow with other popular natural moisturizers:
Versus Coconut Oil: While coconut oil is popular, it can clog pores for many individuals. Tallow, on the other hand, mimics the skin’s natural sebum and provides a more balanced moisture.
Versus Shea Butter: Shea butter is also highly moisturizing, but tallow’s unique fatty acid profile may offer better hydration for certain skin types, particularly mature or dry skin.
Is It Actually Skin Compatible?
Have you read that tallow can be too high in oleic acid for your skin? That's true - particularly when using tallow made from body fat instead of high-quality suet fat.
However, 100% grass-fed beef suet tallow has an overall fatty acid profile remarkably close to that of human skin, but with that slight imbalance.
Many people can use it alone regularly for moisturizing and protecting with decent results. However, using beef tallow alone, especially lower-quality tallow, tends to be less effective since the fatty acid composition does not perfectly align with your skin's needs.
We decided to take it a step further.
By incorporating organic, unrefined jojoba oil into our tallow skincare formulations, we’ve carefully corrected the balance of fatty acids to be perfect as a tallow face cream.
We want to provide your skin with exactly what it needs, all the benefits of tallow, without any drawbacks. A tallow balm that's a balanced, skin barrier supporting blend.
Does Tallow Skincare Smell Like Beef?
Not ours! Our tallow has a light, pleasant, creamy aroma. (very faint)
Many beef tallow moisturizer producers wet-render their tallow (when they melt it down, they add water) which can shorten its shelf life and create opportunities for bacterial growth. Some even use salts or other additives to deodorize it.
We do things differently. Our tallow is sourced from the highest-quality 100% grass-fed beef suet and dry-rendered without adding anything. Meticulous selection ensures it’s separated from anything else beef-related.
Achieving a clean, odor-free tallow requires careful sorting and melting at precise temperatures. While it’s a lot of work, it’s worth it.
Grass-Fed?
Many brands claim their tallow is “grass-fed,” but that doesn’t always mean what you think. While cattle may spend most of their lives on pasture, they’re often grain-finished, fed grain, soy, or corn in the final weeks or months before processing to fatten them up quickly. This alters the fat’s nutrient profile, reducing its benefits and compatibility with your skin.
For the most nourishing tallow, look for 100% grass-fed (or grass-fed and grass-finished). This means the cattle were pasture-raised their entire lives, producing a cleaner, more nutrient-rich fat that truly supports skin health.
Are Preservatives Needed in Tallow Balms?
Not at all - If it's made correctly. Pure fats are made mostly of lipids, which don't provide the right conditions for these microbes to thrive.
Moisture is crucial for microbial growth. Since bacteria and mold require water to thrive, pure fat that remains dry and uncontaminated is unable to support any microbial growth.
That’s why our tallow is always dry-rendered, meaning it’s melted down without water or anything else added. This ensures a long shelf life while retaining all the nutrients and fats your skin needs.
Conclusion
Not all tallow balm is created equal. Many products are made by DIY skincare makers without well-balanced formulas or pure sourcing, while larger companies often cut corners by using low-quality body fat (not pure suet) to save money.
Our goal is to empower you with the knowledge to make informed decisions about your skin, especially when it comes to natural and tallow-based skincare.
When we were unable to find a tallow skincare source that met our rigorous standards, we developed Summer Dawn Organics with a clear mission:
To create the finest tallow face cream without any compromises. Our commitment to transparency and quality means no shortcuts. Just pure, effective, and accessible skincare you can trust.
Our policy is 100% satisfaction guaranteed. We're confident you'll love it as much as we do! Shop Summer Dawn Organics! We love you!