I am so glad you asked this question. It is frequently asked of me in various forums. There are two main reasons why we use Tallow in our Tallow Balms and Moisturisers:
1. There’s a story and a legacy…It’s the raw material my grandparents used
Tallow is the term for fat that has been rendered (cooked down) to remove impurities. Tallow can also refer to rendered fat from other ruminant animals, like sheep. At Delizia Naturally, both beef and sheep Tallow are used. These days animal fat is a by-product from local farms and butchers, and often all of it cannot be used by the farm or butcher. At Delizia Naturally, it is saved from ending up in the trash/landfill/down drains, by collecting the fat, rendering it and making soap and cosmetic products.
A century ago in remote Italy when making soap and cream my ancestors used raw animal fat for their skin. Tallow is something that my ancestors used and treasured. It is hard to find something that is as versatile and nutrient dense as Tallow. My Mum tells the story of soap making with left over fat, and the general use of Tallow in Italy where farmers would rub left over lard on their leather belts and boots to maintain and preserve the leather. Farmers would also rub the lard into the cattle strap around the cow’s neck used to help pull the cart. The farmers would then finish off my rubbing the thick lard into their hands- especially in winter to protect themselves from the cold.
2. Tallow is so good for your skin!
Once upon a time, only animal fat -Tallow, was used to make soap. Since the industrial revolution vegetable oils and synthetics were used in soap making commercially. Many of us react to these artificially chemically laden products.
At Delizia Naturally we go the extra mile and render all fat many times to ensure it is extremely clean, has most of the odour removed and is rich and fluffy. We also use Tallow in our moisturisers and balms.
Liquid soaps and bars are predominantly made of water which evaporates as the skin dries, leeching your body’s natural oils. Tallow is an animal fat derivative that doesn’t leave the epidermis, creating a barrier to help heal and enrichen your skin cells with moisture
Better yet, I know exactly where the Tallow comes from, a regenerative farm in New South Wales, Australia, called BoxGum Grazing
The benefits of Tallow
Beef Tallow is one of the healthiest fats there is, whether you use it in cooking or for skincare.
For skincare, Tallow provides a wide abundance nutrients that are highly beneficial for skin.
Tallow, especially when it comes from grass fed cattle, contains many beneficial nutrients. Grass fed fat:
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Tallow is abundant in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) which has powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
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Tallow is rich in minerals.
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Tallow is full of soluble vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12.
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Tallow is highly compatible to human skin - tallow resembles our natural sebum so much (the oil produced by the glands in our skin) that in Latin, tallow is translated as sebum.
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Tallow contains collagen. Collagen creams work on the skin surface and, like other moisturizers, mainly slow the rate of water loss from the skin and help keep the skin supple. Marine collagen contains primarily type I collagen, bovine collagen contains both type I and III, providing not only skin benefits but also collagen support throughout the body. Bovine collagen is an excellent choice for those who are sensitive to fish.
- Tallow is non-comedogenic, meaning it does not clog pores. This sounds counter-intuitive as tallow is a fat. However because of the acid profile of tallow and its similarity between tallow and human skin this is not the case. Unlike coconut oil which is highly comedogenic. (You will see we do not have any face products that contain any form of coconut oil).
Traditional liquid soaps and bars are predominantly made of water which evaporates as the skin dries, leeching your body’s natural oils. Tallow is an animal fat derivative that doesn’t leave the epidermis, creating a barrier to help heal and enrichen your skin cells with moisture.
Textures, colours & consistencies of each soap bar will vary. Each cow is a little different and so each batch of Tallow with also be slightly different. See here for Tallow Soap and Tallow Face and Body from Delizia Naturally.
Here is a video of how we make Tallow Soap - This one is the completely plain one, without any essential oils.
