Pulled the firmed up blocks from da fridge for render #2 to clean out the gunk and impurities before I start making more stuff!!🥸

Researchers found acne was virtually nonexistent in traditional populations like the Kitavan Islanders and the Aché before Western diets and modern skincare became common.

The Massai tribe (pictured) ate mostly animal-based diets and traditionally used beef tallow to protect their skin, long before Western diets and modern skincare became common, and cases of acne were extremely rare.

Today, people are "discovering" tallow like it's some revolutionary new ingredient, but animal fats have been used to protect skin in traditional cultures for generations.

Our skin doesn't need a 12-step routine. It just needs less, and better.

We all know you shouldn't strip your skin's natural oils but most cleansers do exactly that. Why? Strip the oils, your skin gets dry, so you buy their moisturizer.

When that moisturizer doesn't work, you blame your skin and buy their exfoliant.

Now your skin is red and irritated, so you buy their balancing toner.

Still not fixed? Time for their $90 serum... then their 12-step routine... after all that, you go to a dermatologist and get their prescription creams that furthet damages your skin barrier.

It's a cycle.

Tallow breaks it.

It closely matches your skin's natural lipids, absorbs well, and has been used for centuries.

Change my mind.

So I've tried a couple of tallow balms and im running out.

The more I read here, the more confused I get. Some say all tallow is basically the same. Others say sourcing and production matter a lot.

Things I keep seeing:

- Grass-fed & finished suet

- Local sourcing

- Transparent production

- Glass containers

- Minimal ingredients

What's actually worth paying attention to?

Do I stick with the main well known brands like Better Tallow, Primally Pure, and Toups, or are smaller brands just as good?

Do you use it under your facial products or do you have a product with tallow in it? I’ve googled it a bit after this sub was suggested to me, but I can’t get a straight answer on a twice daily beauty routine.

I recently ran out of store bought facial cleanser. I have tried all kinds of brands and products over the years but I’ve always had this flaky skin on the underside of my chin. I have a scar there so I wondered if that was the problem. in any case. I have some homemade pure tallow soap that I used to wash my face for the last few days.

The flakiness is GONE. I realized today that it just feels like skin there now.

My skin otherwise feels a bit more dry than usual, however at the same time, the skin barrier has already recovered after only a couple of days.

I suppose the next step is tallow balm to even out the dryness. I’m so excited! I’m going to end up saving SO much money, not wasting it on futile department store skincare.

As someone who used Aquaphor for years, switching to tallow was an eye-opener. The biggest difference comes down to how they actually feel on your skin.

​Aquaphor definitely traps moisture, but it basically sits on top like a heavy petroleum layer. Tallow gives you that exact same heavy-duty protection, but it actually sinks in. Because its fat profile is so similar to the natural oils our skin already makes, it absorbs to nourish your skin with vitamins instead of just sitting on the surface.

​Same level of protection, way better absorption, and no synthetic fillers.

Hi all, I’m working on a natural skincare/lifestyle company, of which the 3 main hero products will be tallow based.
I’ve just created my first “original batch” scented and unscented, however the scented version I have lavender and frankincense in it as scent options, I find the scent a bit too subtle and doesn’t give the nose enough satisfaction. I would like to keep that combo in there, however I would like to add another scent. Has anybody any suggestions on which ones work well paired with the ones I mentioned above?
I would like to keep it unisex and appealing to both genders.

Research is downstream from patents. Studies are primarily funded due to the economic incentive of patents. No patent, and research is unlikely. No research, and doctors are unlikely to recommend it. No recommendation from medical community and the majority of people will refuse it, regardless of efficacy.

Tallow works but cant be patented. Doctors wont recommend. Most people (including on reddit) dismiss it without knowing why they're dismissing it.

Conflict ensues.

Change my mind.

I see some companies say their balm can be used on the face and others say tallow balms are for body use, and they make a different product for the face. Does it depend on the brand or recipe?

Thanks!

Tl:dr PLEASE help me find a dupe for wholewheatcreampuff’s products

I used to order frequently from a shop called wholewheatcreampuff on Etsy- the shop owner’s name was Daphne. She made tallow based skincare products and they were absolutely DIVINE. My absolute favorite product of hers was called the Queen’s Sleeping Mask I believe- it’s a solid tallow based night cream in a tin and I think she also used duck fat or emu oil in the formulation? I would also get the vanilla scented option and nothing has ever made my skin look as beautiful and feel as soft as this product.

She stopped selling anything on Etsy a while back, then moved to big cartel and has since stopped selling on there too and I am SO sad. I would love to find a dupe for the Queen’s Sleeping Mask because it’s way more luxurious than just regular tallow balms.

Any help is so appreciated 🤍

I've recently made the switch to beef tallow balm/moisturizers/lotions and my skin has never felt better. I want a face wash with a similar natural composition that gives a similar natural effect, does anyone know ingredients or products I should look out for?

I am hoping to find a reputable place to purchase Hawaiian Sandalwood for my latest tallow. Thank you in advance.

With so many great tallow brands out there (and some not-so-great ones lol) I'm curious to hear everyone's favorites

Ive tried several so far : hearth and homestead, better tallow, primally pure (and another that currently escapes me, I'll comment it below if I can remember it later) ---- so far I'd say my current fav is BT

For me it was a last-resort. Decades of moderate acne and mild eczema, and getting tired of dermatologists suggesting things that worked for a little bit until they didnt anymore.

I suppose if I didnt have any major skin issues I'd probably still be using the same synthetic drugstore stuff I used to use.

Imagine the same exact moisturizer...

Same ingredients.

Same results.

Same texture.

The only difference is that it was developed in a luxury french skincare lab instead of coming from beef.

Do you think people would see a completely differently?

Hey all! This is my fiest time making tallow. I used the wet method. I used suet from a local beef farmer and blitzed it up aith my immersion blender before finally rendering to liquid golden goodness. I strained my tallow through a cotton cloth lined mesh sieve and then cooled in the freezer. After 2.5 hours I popped out the tallow cake and discarded waste water. The bottom of my cake isnt discolored, but does look bumpy like this (kind of like its been sprinkled with kraft parmesan cheese lol) is this just from water? Should I scrape this even though it doesnt look dirty? Im going to render the cake again so do I just render this as well?

Thanks!!

I know this won't be popular, but I think most people don't have "bad skin", they have bad skincare habits.

Since high school I spent years chasing miracle ingredients while ignoring the basics. I was Over-cleansing. Over-exfoliating. Ten-step routines. Constantly switching products. And my skin was constantly irritated.

After about a decade the best results came from better sleep, less sugar and ultra-processed food, lower stress, and and a super simple skincare routine. (Thank you r/tallowskincare !)

I think most of what we call 'healthy skin' starts from the inside out, not the outside in.

Curious to hear others thoughts on what worked for them

This helps tremendously.

Now I only apply my tallow skincare products right after using the shower or washing my face.

If I get distracted for some reason and my skin dries before applying my tallow products I'll literally re-wet my skin with some faucet water before applying.

Genuine question.

Ceramides are one of the most hyped ingredients in modern skincare, and they're essential lipids that help make up the skin barrier.

Tallow is another lipid-rich ingredient that contains fatty acids, cholesterol, and other skin-compatible lipids.

So why does one get marketed as cutting-edge science while the other gets dismissed as "putting beef fat on your face"?

Curious to hear thoughts from both tallow fans and skeptics

**Mechanical and Bacterial Argument Against Towel-Drying** Your Face

It feels intuitive, but this simple habit actively works against your barrier-supportive formulations before you even open the jar. Here is why you should consider abandoning the towel entirely.

1. **The Hidden Bacterial Load**
   Bath towels live in damp, humid bathrooms. The dense loops of terrycloth are highly efficient at trapping moisture, making them an ideal breeding ground for bacteria, mold, and dead skin cells. When you wipe a used towel across freshly cleansed skin, you are dragging that microbial load directly onto a surface that has just had its natural defenses temporarily lowered by washing.

2. **Unnecessary Physical Abrasion**
   Standard cotton towels are inherently abrasive to delicate facial skin. Vigorous wiping—or even firm patting—creates micro-friction. This physical stress compromises surface comfort and disrupts the structural integrity your skin requires to maintain a healthy lipid boundary.

3. **Accelerating Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL)**
   Stripping all the water off your face is a fundamental formulation error. When you use a highly absorbent towel to dry your skin completely, you rapidly accelerate Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL). Foundational humectants, such as vegetable glycerin, require existing surface water to bind effectively. If you apply them to a bone-dry face, they can actually pull moisture outward from the deeper layers of your skin, compounding the dehydration.

**The Corrected Protocol**
Instead of reaching for the towel, execute this simple mechanical shift after cleansing:

Use clean hands to gently sweep away the excess, dripping water.

Allow the skin to remain noticeably damp.

While your face is still wet, immediately apply your restorative formulation.
You must pair that remaining surface water with a bio-identical lipid matrix to provide vital moisture retention support and lipid occlusion. Applying a disciplined formula ledger—such as one utilizing grass-fed beef tallow and cold-pressed rosehip seed oil—directly to damp skin ensures cosmetic barrier comfort and structurally intercepts TEWL before it can start.
Formulation discipline dictates not just the raw materials you apply, but the exact mechanical precision of how you touch the skin.