What’s Tallow? Why Use Tallow for Skin Care?
Did you know ranching is a way of life here in the Gunnison Valley? If you have visited us from spring to fall, you may have been caught in a cattle drive! It really welcomes you to the wild west where we still drive cattle by horse from pasture to the mountains for an open range graze.
In honor of our valley's lineage, we decided to jump straight into utilizing the valuable leftover ingredients of butchering a cow. Can you guess what it is? It’s the fat! And not just any fat, but the ‘leaf fat’–which is from around the organs such as the kidneys–which delivers the most delicate and nourishing fat we can source. If you have used lard in cooking, it is a similar product and rendered in the same fashion.
How is tallow made and why use it?
Tallow is made from the suet (fat) of beef by heating and rendering it into a creamy substance that moisturizes skin like nothing you’ve ever felt. Tallow is increasing in popularity for uses beyond cooking, and for good reason - it’s sustainable, local, and it’s packed full of vitamins, antioxidants, lipids, and even protects against the breakdown of collagen!
Tallow has been used throughout history as a cooking oil, in soaps, candles, and skincare products. Because of the introduction of petroleum based oils, tallow use declined, but thankfully, with the movement of using the purest ingredients possible we are seeing a resurgence. Consumers are looking for increasingly sustainable and natural ways to take care of their bodies, and as always, we’ve got you covered!
At Rooted Apothecary, we render our tallow in house using 100% grass-fed beef suet from our local organic & regenerative farm Parker Pastures. Suet must be refrigerated but the ancient process of rendering allows the tallow to be shelf stable - perfect for skin and body care!
Photo courtesy of Parker Pastures
Why use tallow for skin care?
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Tallow is packed full of skin-loving fatty acids, antioxidants, and other nutrients . These nutrients are better absorbed into the skin than some other plant oil-based products because the oils that make up tallow are naturally similar to the oils that come from our skin. We have infused Rose, Pinon, Grindelia, and Cottonwood directly into tallow to create some of the most pure tallow products on the market.
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It’s sustainable . Using locally sourced tallow cuts down on the use of seed oils being shipped from all over the world. The cows are already being butchered and unfortunately in many cases the tallow is simply thrown out as a waste product. If you’re interested in sourcing tallow to render for cooking or skin care, be sure to talk to your local ranchers and butchers!
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Prevent fine lines and wrinkles! The repeated use of tallow skincare can help prevent and reduce fine lines and wrinkles from developing. Tallow can make your skin softer, stronger, and gives you a radiant glow.
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A little goes a long way! The intense moisturizing properties of tallow allow it to be used sparingly and usually only applied once per day. Because it’s non-greasy, and a naturally similar oil to our own sebum it won’t clog your pores.
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Fight Free Radicals + UV Protection. Tallow has high concentrations of saturated fatty acids of palmitic, oleic, and stearic acid, as well as the nourishing skin vitamins of A, D, E, and K. This combination of vitamins and fatty acids help to prevent damage to the skin, and helps to reduce damage that has already been done. It helps to fight off free radicals and prevent damage from oxidants and UV light, all while keeping your skin clear of acne.
How to use tallow for skin care
The number one rule with tallow for skin care sounds like your preschool teacher directing you with a song on how to use glue: “A dollop will do, a little goes a long way, start small and increase use as you may.”
Typically you’ll use once a day, unless you’re fighting extreme dryness, like cracked skin on your hands or feet or are reapplying our Cottonwood Tallow Chapstick during a day spent outdoors.
Tallow can be used as a full body moisturizer, face cream, as a salve to sooth skin irritations like: eczema, acne, sunburns, diaper rash, new tattoos, scars, and stretch marks.
You’ll want to cleanse and dry your skin before applying tallow.
Tallow FAQ’s:
Does tallow feel greasy? See the number one rule above! If your tallow product is feeling greasy it’s likely that you’re using too much! Dial it back a notch and allow your skin to absorb the product before adding more.
Does it smell? Nope! We use rendering practices that purifies the tallow and takes away the beefy smell. We used a very small amount of essential oils in our products to up the aromatics just a touch in each botanical formula.
Have you tried tallow for skin care? We’d love to hear what it did for your skin? Comment below or reach out on social! Have more Tallow questions? Send them our way!
Gunnison Location:
126 N Main St.
Gunnison, CO 81230
970.707.4135
11am-5pm 7 Days a Week
Crested Butte Location:
510 Elk Avenue #6
Crested Butte, CO 81224
11am-5pm 7 Days a Week
The information and ingredients in this blog and website is true and complete to the best of our knowledge. All recommendations are made without guarantee on the part of the blog author, or Briana Wiles, owner of Rooted Apothecary and author of Mountain States Foraging, or Timber Press. The author of the blog and of Mountain States Foraging, and the publisher of said book disclaim any liability in connection with the use of this information. In particular, eating wild plants is inherently risky. Plants can easily be mistaken, and individuals vary in their physiological reactions to plants that are touched and consumed.
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