Benefits of Tallow for Skin: An Honest Maker's Guide

The first time I told a friend I was putting tallow on my face, she laughed so hard she nearly spilled her coffee. Then she asked what it actually felt like.

If you've landed here, you're probably somewhere between curious and skeptical, which is exactly where I started. So let me pour you a cup and walk you through the real benefits of tallow for skin, the honest limits, and how to try it without wasting your money. I stir every batch of our whipped tallow myself in my kitchen in Tomball, Texas, and I'd rather you understand what you're putting on your skin than just take my word for it.

What is tallow, and why are people putting it on their skin?

Tallow is what you get when you slowly melt down raw fat, strain out everything that isn't fat, and let it set. Our great-grandmothers used it for candles, soap and cooking, and plenty of them rubbed it into chapped hands after a cold morning of chores. Somewhere along the way it got replaced by pump bottles with forty ingredients, and now a lot of us are circling back.

I came to it the way a lot of moms do: tired of dry, tight skin that drank up every lotion by lunchtime, and tired of reading labels I needed a chemistry degree to understand. I wanted one jar I could use on my face, my hands after the dishes, my elbows, and my husband's heels (he denies this, but it's true). Tallow, whipped soft with a little jojoba oil, turned out to be that jar for our family.

The renewed interest isn't only nostalgia. Tallow has a makeup that lines up nicely with what skin already has, and that's the heart of why people love it.

What are the benefits of tallow for skin?

Here's what I can tell you honestly, as a maker and as someone who uses it every single day. Notice the words "may" and "many people." Skin is personal, and anyone who promises you a guaranteed result is selling something other than skincare.

It's made of fats your skin already knows

The outer layer of your skin holds onto moisture with the help of natural oils and lipids. Tallow is mostly made of oleic, palmitic and stearic fatty acids, and those same fatty acids show up in your skin's own sebum. That similarity is why so many people describe tallow as feeling less like a coating and more like something their skin just takes in. It doesn't mean tallow becomes part of your skin, but it does help explain that soft, comfortable finish.

It helps lock in moisture

Think of water as what hydrates and fat as what helps hold it in. When you smooth a thin layer of tallow onto slightly damp skin, it helps seal that moisture where you want it. On winter mornings when my cheeks feel tight before I've even had my coffee, this is the step that makes the biggest difference for me. Many people with dry skin find their face feels softer and more comfortable through the day.

It carries a little bonus of fat-soluble vitamins

Tallow naturally contains small amounts of vitamins A, D, E and K, which dissolve in fat rather than water. I want to be careful here: the amounts are small and vary from animal to animal, and I won't pretend they turn a jar of tallow into a miracle. Think of them as a nice part of a nourishing whole, not the headline.

One jar can do a lot of jobs

Because it's rich, less than a pea-size amount covers your whole face. The same jar works on hands, cuticles, elbows, knees and heels. For a busy mom, fewer bottles on the bathroom counter is its own kind of benefit.

The ingredient list is short enough to read out loud

Ours is grass-fed tallow, jojoba oil, and, if you choose a scent, a small amount of essential oil. That's it. If you have dry, easily irritated skin, many people find that a shorter ingredient list is simply easier to live with, and there's an unscented option for exactly that reason.

What does the science actually say about tallow?

I'm a maker, not a scientist, so I'll keep this to what's well established. Tallow's fatty acid profile is a close cousin to the lipids in human skin. Fats like these are known to soften skin and help reduce the water that escapes from its surface, which is why rich balms have been a dry-skin staple for generations. Jojoba, which we whip in, is technically a liquid wax that resembles some of the waxy parts of your skin's natural oil, and it makes the texture lighter and easier to spread.

What you won't find is a stack of big studies proving tallow beats everything else on the shelf. Most of what people love about tallow comes from how it feels and how simple it is. I think that's okay. You don't need a lab coat to know whether your hands feel better after the dishes.

You don't need a lab coat to know whether your hands feel better after the dishes.

How do I start using tallow on my skin today?

If you're ready to try it, here's the gentle way in. This is the same thing I tell friends who text me asking where to begin.

1. Patch test first. Dab a tiny bit on the inside of your forearm or just below your jawline, and wait 24 hours. If you see redness or itching, it's not your product, and that's okay.
2. Start with clean, slightly damp skin. Wash with something gentle, pat most of the water off, and leave your skin a little dewy.
3. Use less than you think. Less than a pea-size amount for your whole face. You can always add more.
4. Rub it right in. No need to warm it first. It melts on contact, so smooth it over your cheeks, forehead and neck and it absorbs quickly.
5. Give it five minutes. It can feel rich at first. Brush your teeth, make the lunches, and by the time you're done, it's usually settled in.

For a full face routine, including morning versus night and how to wear it under makeup, I wrote a step-by-step guide on how to use tallow on your face.

Who might want to skip tallow or go slowly?

I love tallow, but I'd be doing you a disservice if I said it's right for everybody. Some people with naturally oily skin find the full face routine just too rich. They keep tallow for hands and heels and stay with a lighter moisturizer for the face. That's a perfectly good outcome.

• If you avoid animal products, tallow obviously isn't a fit. A plant butter like shea may suit you better, and I compare the two in tallow vs shea butter.
• If your skin is very oily or breaks out easily, start with a tiny amount a few nights a week. I go deeper on this in does tallow clog pores.
• If essential oils bother you, choose unscented. Even natural scents can irritate some skin.
• If you have a diagnosed skin condition, please talk with your doctor or dermatologist before adding anything new.
• For babies or during pregnancy, check with your pediatrician or doctor first, and lean toward unscented.

Whatever you decide, my hope is that you walk away knowing a little more about what goes on your skin and why. If you do try tallow, try it the slow, honest way: small amounts, clean skin, and paying attention to how your skin feels after a week or two.

Frequently asked questions

Bethany makes Divine Wellness tallow skincare in small batches in Tomball, Texas. This article is for general education and isn't medical advice; for a skin condition, talk with your doctor or dermatologist. These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.