Let's get right to it. Tallow is, in its simplest form, rendered beef fat.
What?!?
Why are we making amazing products to slather all over your face and body out of beef fat? Let us explain: The beef tallow that we use here at OWN, is from healthy, grass-fed and finished cattle, and it is truly an amazing thing. It is chock full of nutrients that LOVE and FEED your skin. Tallow skin care is actually something that dates back centuries and is kind of an old hidden gem that we want you to know about!
So, why does tallow make such great skincare? It is packed with nutrients that our skin needs to stay healthy, soft and youthful.
Tallow is rich in minerals and loaded with vitamins A, D, K, E & B12. It contains natural anti-inflammatory properties (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), Omega 7 (one of the basic building blocks of our skin), Palmitic acid to help improve the protective barrier function of skin, as well as Stearic acid which helps to repair damaged skin and improve skin’s flexibility and suppleness (looking at you sun lovers). It really doesn't even compete with the vegan oils available in most skincare, it's just that good.
Nutrients in grass fed tallow provides substances that our skin naturally loses as we age, therefore promoting youthful skin.
Now before we go further, let's talk about the Elephant in the Room, tallow is an animal product (apologies to our vegan friends), but hear us out, our tallow is high quality Canadian, grass fed, pasture raised and humanely and ethically sourced. But, if you are wondering if cows are dying in order for us to make these truly A-Mazing products, the answer is yes, but for the meat, and then we get to aid in the “whole animal” approach and use the fat. No waste!! (insert high five here). Fat is often wasted in the process, so there's no better way to utilize the nutrient-rich fat, than to render it into tallow...and use it in skincare!
Okay, back to it: our skin is able to use tallow so effectively because tallow shares a similar biology to the oil that our skin naturally produces, so it won’t clog pores and the natural antimicrobial properties in tallow help to prevent acne and breakouts (more high fives). Tallow is also very soothing and healing, making it amazing for skin ailments like eczema and psoriasis (read more about that here). Just remember, that when using OWN tallow products, a little goes a very long way! OWN tallow skincare has a velvety consistency that glides effortlessly over skin, without feeling greasy. If you notice that it feels oily or greasy, try using less...a small amount is all you need for your entire face. Our Whip products also tend to feel lighter compared to our Balms. To increase absorption, try applying to damp skin (right out of the shower is ideal).
Our tallow products are created with simple and clean ingredients making them suitable for all skin types. Tallow itself contains natural preservatives and without all the extra synthetic ingredients, it boasts a longer shelf-life than other skincare products.
The tallow that we use in all OWN skincare products are from grass fed AND finished animals. Meaning, they have only been fed grass their entire lives. This not only makes the tallow more natural and nutritionally dense, but there's also no worry of contamination from common allergens like soy, corn, wheat, etc. Our tallow is sourced from amazing Canadian farmers who have a strict no pesticide policy, they raise their animals as nature intended. Fat tends to hold on to toxins, so grass fed and finished is really important to us. However, it does add to the cost (honest small business talk here) because grass fed & finished, pasture raised animals are much more lean, they don't have as much fat to go around...but we truly believe it's worth the peace of mind not only for the quality of tallow that we're putting on our skin and our family's skin, but also grass is best for the cows!
To sum it up, tallow is simply THE best moisturizer!
...all that to say, Tallow is a powerhouse when it comes to skincare. We've formulated our products with Jojoba oil as well, it has a beneficial lineup of it's own: Jojoba is an excellent moisturizer and it has antibacterial properties. Jojoba’s makeup is also similar to the sebum of your skin (same with tallow) and it’s been shown to speed up wound healing. Extensive studies on Jojoba oil showed a wide range of pharmacological applications, including antioxidant, anti-acne and antipsoriasis, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and antimicrobial (source).
We've curated some of the BEST natural ingredients and formulated them together to make simple, less-is-more, truly effective, tallow skincare!
You can shop all of our amazing tallow skincare here.
For a truly versatile tallow skincare item, we suggest our NUDE Whip or Balm - it is an unscented favourite for face, body, pregnant bellies, kids, babies & men! For minor scrapes, burns, rashes and eczema we suggest OWN Better Balm. For lips, obviously our Lip Balms are the best! And for a beautiful daily scented moisturizer, OWN Vanilla Whip is the way to go!
