Why Tallow?
What is tallow? Why is it so great for your skin?
Find the answers to these questions and more here.
What is tallow and how is it made?
Tallow is rendered beef fat. Rendering is the process of heating the fat to melt and separate the impurities from the fat. In order to maintain the nutrients tallow is known for, we use a low heat over several hours for our rendering process. Once purified, the warm fat is run through a sieve a few times to ensure it’s completely clean. Then it’s cooled down and hardens, and becomes a beautiful, creamy-white “tallow cake.” This is what is then used in different ways to create all products.
Specifically, we use suet tallow, which is the fat found around the organs, particularly around the kidneys. It is the most nutrient-dense and has an almost waxy texture before being rendered. Suet tallow tends to be harder than trim fat tallow and we prefer to use it for its nutrient profile and nicer texture.
Why are we so excited about smearing beef fat all over ourselves, anyways?
- Tallow is full of vitamins A, D, E, and K which are fat soluble and only found in animal products. Our skin, literally, eats these up, making tallow not only a moisturizing powerhouse but food for hungry skin.
- It stimulates your skin’s natural collagen production. This is more helpful than the collagen supplements many people take as the research on the effectiveness of dietary collagen is limited.
- It is non-comedogenic (it won’t clog pores) and absorbs easily and quickly. Not greasy!
- It is all natural and safe for everybody (babies and pregnant mamas alike)
- Because it’s so nourishing, tallow has shown to help with common skin concerns such as stretch marks, age spots and fine lines, and help balance naturally occurring skin oils, brightening complexion.
- It’s [almost] adaptogenic …I say “almost” because I’m not a scientist or doctor, but testimonials from people with both dry and oily skin confirm that tallow works both ways. Users with oily skin have noted their skin has become less oily, while those with very dry skin have noticed significant improvement in moisture.
The ethics of using tallow
We source all our beef fat from local, Alberta farmers who raise their cattle on pasture. Some are entirely grass-fed and finished and some are grass fed and grain finished. All of them live good, happy cow lives and are not contained in feedlots or in stressful and harmful environments. As a lifelong country girl and animal lover, this is extremely important to me.
A note for my vegetarian and vegan friends… I totally get it – I used to be just like you, rooted deeply in animal welfare. I continue to hold those values (though I had to realize that I was no help in the world if I was sick and lacking important nutrients – which I was). That being said, part of what I love about using tallow is that it’s a nod to our ancestral roots as well as a no-waste mindset. Much of fat would otherwise just end up in the garbage. Putting this “by-product” to good use feels a lot more respectful to the animals who are giving their lives to nourish ours.