Holy Grail · Baobab & Tamanu

Grass-fed, pasture-raised suet tallow contains copious amounts of vitamins A, D, K, E, and B12. It is rich in essential fatty acids that help maintain the skin's structural integrity. Its abundant nutrient profile supports the natural production of collagen. It provides anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and antioxidant properties, all of which help to treat and soothe dry skin and immune responses like eczema and rosacea. As an occlusive material, tallow mimics the skin's natural barrier, protecting it from environmental and elemental wear and tear and helping retain essential moisture.

In today's world, where sustainability and ethical practices are becoming increasingly important, it's essential to find innovative ways to minimize waste and make the most of our resources. One such approach is tallow skincare, which utilises an often-overlooked byproduct of the farming industry. Tallow, derived from the rendered fat of cattle, has been used for thousands of years as a natural skincare ingredient. However, what many people don't realise is that tallow is typically made from suet, a part of the animal that is considered waste in the farming industry. Most meat-based farms primarily focus on harvesting the meat that people commonly consume. Once these desired parts are harvested, the remaining suet and other non-traditional parts are often discarded. However, tallow skincare offers a sustainable solution by transforming this overlooked byproduct into nutrient-dense balms.

Known as the “tree of life” in its stunningly beautiful native Africa, one can only imagine the significant role the majestic Baobab tree has played for thousands of years. Throughout the average lifespan of over one thousand years (!!), each tree generously shares its fruits and water, as well as provides shelter and traditional healing remedies for local communities and wildlife.

Baobab’s nourishing fruits have been valued in Africa for centuries and boast of immune boosting vitamins, antioxidants, and strengthening minerals. The baobab fruit has six times as much vitamin C as an orange, 50% more calcium than spinach, and its antioxidant activity is four times that of a kiwi. It is an excellent source of vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B6, calcium, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, manganese, and phosphorus, and the seeds are packed with protein.

Baobab’s clear, golden yellow oil is extracted in a single cold pressing process, allowing this lightly nutty liquid to retain its unusually rich nutritional profile. Its powerful antioxidants provide the skin protection against free radical damage, therefore slowing down the skin’s visible aging process. Celebrated for its extremely high content of Vitamin C, the oil helps to maintain skin’s collagen production, encourages skin cell regeneration, improves elasticity and firmness, and accelerates the healing process of wounds and scars. Essential fatty-acids deeply moisturise the skin, effectively treating and healing inflammatory conditions such as eczema, dermatitis, and acne.  

Native to tropical Southeast Asia, the tamanu tree blooms twice annually with delicate and fragrant white flowers, which later yield clusters of yellow-skinned round fruits. The embedded nut contains a kernel, which is sun-dried for about two months until it becomes sticky and has produced its incredibly rich, thick, dark oil. This concentrated oil is then cold-pressed to make the “sacred oil.” It takes over 220 pounds of tamanu fruit to create only 11 pounds of cold-pressed oil, making this liquid green-gold both labor-intensive and very expensive to produce. No wonder those indigenous to the area believed that God was hiding in the tree’s branches!

Tamanu oil has played an essential role in Southeast Asian traditional medicine for centuries and is still used and appreciated today. The oil’s unique set of antibacterial, antiviral, and antiseptic components make this a prized topical treatment for skin infections and irritations. It offers a great protection barrier and is especially effective to soothe skin inflammations such as rosacea, eczema, and acne. Thanks to its high content of anti-inflammatory fatty acids, it deeply nourishes the skin while leaving a healthy, natural, even glow. Not only does the high amount of antioxidants offer protection against free radical damage, it also stimulates the regeneration of new skin cells as it speeds up the healing of wounds and scars.