A field guide from the people who render it. What tallow is, what it does for skin, where the evidence is thin, and how to tell a good balm from a jar of marketing.
Tallow is having a moment. It is also one of the oldest moisturisers there is. Somewhere between those two facts sits a lot of confusion: is it just beef fat? Does it smell? Will it clog my pores? Is any of this backed by science?
We make tallow balm by hand in Amsterdam, from Dutch cattle we can trace back to the farm. This is everything we wish someone had told us before we started.
What is tallow?
Tallow is rendered fat from ruminant animals, usually cattle or sheep. Rendering means gently melting the raw fat, straining out the tissue and purifying what remains until you are left with a clean, creamy-white fat that is solid at room temperature.
Not all fat is equal. The best tallow for skincare comes from suet, the dense fat that sits around the kidneys. It is firmer, purer and more neutral in smell than fat trimmed from elsewhere on the carcass. We use kidney suet only. (Our glossary explains the terms.)
Tallow balm, tallow cream, whipped tallow: what's the difference?
You will see all three names. They usually describe texture rather than a different ingredient:
- Tallow balm is tallow, often blended with a liquid oil, set firm. Rich and protective.
- Whipped tallow is the same base whipped with air so it turns soft and mousse-like and spreads easily.
- Tallow cream is often used loosely for either. A true cream contains water and therefore needs a preservative; most tallow products called creams are actually anhydrous (water-free) balms.
All of our balms are whipped and water-free, which is why they contain no preservatives.
Why tallow suits skin
The case for tallow rests on chemistry, and on a very long track record.
Its fats are familiar to skin. Tallow is made up mostly of triglycerides of palmitic, stearic and oleic acid. These are the same fatty acids found in the lipids of human skin, including sebum, the oil our skin makes to protect itself. The word sebum is even Latin for tallow. That familiarity is a large part of why a good tallow balm sinks in rather than sitting on top.
It protects the barrier. The outer layer of skin holds water in with a mortar of lipids. When that layer is dry or disrupted, by central heating, wind, over-cleansing or harsh actives, water escapes and skin feels tight and rough. A rich, fat-based balm forms a light protective layer that slows that loss, which is exactly what you want in a Dutch winter. Our piece on the architecture of skin goes deeper.
It is a minimalist's ingredient. One good fat can do the work of several products: face, body, hands, lips, heels. That is why our original balm, Less is More, contains only tallow and jojoba oil.
People have used it for thousands of years. A 2,700-year-old face cream found sealed in a Chinese tomb was made from cattle fat. A Roman cream from London still had fingerprints in it. A medieval physician wrote fat-based skincare recipes for home kitchens. We tell that story in Before Moisturiser Was a Word, There Was Tallow.
What the evidence does and doesn't say
We would rather be honest than impressive.
- Well supported: fat-rich emollients reduce water loss from the skin and soften dry, rough skin. Tallow is a fat-rich emollient.
- Well supported: tallow's main fatty acids are the same kinds found in human skin lipids.
- Not established: clinical trials on tallow balms specifically are scarce. Claims that tallow is packed with skin-transforming vitamins go beyond the evidence; rendered tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins only in small amounts.
- Not a medicine: tallow balm is a cosmetic. It can make dry, uncomfortable skin feel much better. It does not treat skin conditions, and anyone selling it as a cure is overselling it.
Who tallow suits, and who should go carefully
Tallow is generally a good fit for dry, tight, weather-beaten or easily irritated skin, and for anyone who wants a short ingredient list. Many people use it on babies' and children's dry patches.
Go carefully if your skin is very oily or congestion-prone: rich balms do not suit everyone, so start on a small area, use less than you think, and see how your skin responds over a couple of weeks. If you have a diagnosed skin condition, patch test first and check with your doctor or dermatologist. And if you avoid animal products, tallow is not for you, which we respect.
Grass-fed matters, and so does the farm
Tallow reflects the animal it came from. Cattle raised largely on grass and forage produce fat with a different fatty-acid profile from grain-finished cattle, and, just as important to us, they tend to live closer to how cattle are designed to live.
But “grass-fed” on a label can mean many things. We source kidney suet from Dutch farms we know and question closely, including Lindenhoff in Baambrugge, where Gasconne calves stay with their mothers and the herd grazes herb-rich, unsprayed grassland. Our field guide to grass-fed and regenerative beef lists the questions we ask every farmer.
How to choose a good tallow balm
- Where does the fat come from? A good maker can name the farm, not just the country.
- Is it suet? Kidney suet makes the cleanest, most neutral tallow.
- How short is the ingredient list? Tallow should come first. Every extra ingredient should have a reason to be there.
- Essential oils? They can be lovely, but they are a common source of irritation. If your skin is reactive, start unscented.
- Water-free or preserved? A true cream with water needs a preservative. A balm does not.
- How does it smell? Well-rendered tallow smells of very little. A strong “beefy” smell suggests the fat was not purified enough.
- Price per ml. Compare like for like. Small-batch, farm-traced tallow costs more to make than bulk rendered fat.
How to use tallow balm
- Start with clean skin. Slightly damp is even better: a few sprays of a hydrosol such as Baptism gives the balm water to hold on to.
- Take a pea-sized amount. Less than you think.
- Warm it between your fingertips until it turns to oil.
- Press it into the skin rather than rubbing.
- Use morning and night on the face, and wherever else is dry: hands, elbows, heels, lips.
Give it two weeks. Skin often needs a little time to adjust to a new routine, especially if you are coming from several products down to one.
Which of our balms to start with
- Less is More: unscented, just tallow and jojoba. The place to start, especially for sensitive skin.
- Milk & Honey: softly scented with vanilla bean and linden blossom.
- Monastery: slow-infused with seven organic herbs.
- Holy Grail: our richest, with baobab and tamanu, for very dry skin.
- Desert Rose: a limited batch with rose and vanilla.
Or browse all tallow balms.
Frequently asked questions
Does tallow balm smell like beef?
Well-rendered suet smells of very little. Our scented balms smell of their botanicals.
Will tallow clog my pores?
Many people with normal to dry skin find it does not, but skin is individual. If you are prone to congestion, start small and on one area.
Can I use tallow on my face?
Yes. Face, body, lips, hands. Use a small amount on the face.
How long does tallow balm last?
Water-free balms keep well. Store away from heat and direct sun, and use clean, dry fingers.
Is tallow skincare ethical?
We think it can be. Kidney suet is a by-product of animals raised for meat and is often wasted. Using it well is part of using the whole animal, which is why we care so much about which farms it comes from.
Last reviewed: October 2026