Beef Tallow Skincare: Balms, Soaps & Tallow with Honey

Tallow is the rendered fat of cattle, traditionally the firm suet that sits around the kidneys. Once slowly melted, strained and cleaned, it sets into a creamy, almost odourless fat that has been used for candles, soap and skin salves for centuries.

Ours is rendered in small batches from grass-fed beef suet and blended with plant oils, beeswax and, in the scented versions, essential oils. Nothing synthetic, no water, no preservatives needed.

Tallow is rich in the same kinds of fatty acids found in human sebum, including oleic, palmitic and stearic acids, along with naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins. That similarity is why many people find it sinks in and softens skin without the tight, waxy feel of some barrier creams.

Tallow and honey is one of the oldest pairings in folk skincare. Honey is a natural humectant, drawing moisture in, while tallow seals and softens. Many people make a simple whipped tallow and honey mask at home, or use a tallow cleanse followed by a thin layer of raw honey left on for ten minutes.

Our raw local honey is unheated and unfiltered beyond straining, which is what you want for skin use.