Thinking About Beef Tallow for Your Face? Read This First
The Simple Way to Use Tallow on Your Face
Using our halal & grassfed beef tallow products on your face doesn't have to be complicated.
Start with our cleansing tallow soaps (we recommend our Charcoal Glow, Golden Milk, or Blackseed Honey soaps) and gently massage it into your face using a facial cloth.
Next, on clean, slightly damp skin, take a very small amount of tallow butter. We recommend a pea sized amount for your face and neck. Warm it between your fingertips, gently press it into your skin, and give it a few moments to absorb.
Go about your day fresh faced, or wait 5-10 mins and apply make-up on now hydrated, softened skin.
Both beef and sheep tallow work beautifully as the main moisturizing step in a simple skincare routine. The key is choosing the right product for you (essential oil-free for sensitive skin, our Frankincense Rosehip for dull, mature skin, etc), and using less than you think you need.
Why Are People Putting Tallow on Their Face?
Tallow skincare has gone from an old-fashioned ingredient to one of the most talked-about natural skincare options online.
But tallow isn't exactly new.
For generations, animal fats have been used in traditional body care, soapmaking, balms and salves. Today, people are rediscovering tallow because they understand the wisdom behind traditional ingredients, and want simple, clean skincare.
Tallow is particularly interesting as a facial moisturizer because its fatty acid composition shares similarities with the lipids naturally found in our skin's surface. This makes it quick to absorb, less likely to clog pores, and versatile over a range of skin types.
Tallow is great, but it has to be high quality. This is why at Ode to Tallow, Mom and I source our halal and grass-fed/grass-finished tallow from local small farms and craft our products in small batches right here in Ontario.
Our goal isn't to pile more products onto your bathroom shelf.
It's to celebrate a few powerful ingredients that have a long history of effectiveness, and give you a simple product your skin loves.
How to Use Tallow on Your Face
If you’re new to the world of tallow, here's a simple breakdown:
1. Start with clean skin
Wash your face with our gentle tallow soaps (with a soft cloth for gentle exfoliation) and pat it dry, leaving your skin slightly damp.
The benefit of applying our butters on slightly damp skin is that it locks in that moisture effectively, giving you hydrated, plum skin.
When using a tallow soap as your cleanser, choose one suited to your skin type. For example, our Charcoal Glow with turmeric is popular for those with oily skin. Our Golden Milk (tallow, turmeric, and goat milk blend) is amazing for dry or combination skin.
2. Use a very small amount of your butter
This is probably the biggest mistake people make when trying tallow for the first time:
They use too much.
Tallow is concentrated skincare. You generally don't need a scoop the size of a traditional moisturizer.
Start with approximately a pea-sized amount for your face. If your skin still feels like it needs more, add a tiny amount rather than applying a large layer all at once.
A little really can go a long way.
3. Warm it between your fingers
Take that small amount of tallow butter and rub it gently between your fingertips.
As it warms from your body temperature, it becomes easier to spread.
Then lightly press and massage it over your face rather than aggressively rubbing your skin.
Pay particular attention to areas that tend to feel dry, such as the cheeks or around the mouth.
4. Let your skin absorb it
Give your tallow a few minutes before applying makeup, going to bed, or adding another skincare product.
A well-formulated tallow butter shouldn't require you to coat your face in a thick layer.
If your skin feels overly greasy, you probably used more than you need.
Should You Apply Tallow to Wet or Dry Skin?
Slightly damp skin is a great place to start.
Applying tallow after cleansing while your skin still has a little moisture can make it easier to spread a small amount evenly across your face.
Think of it like sealing in the moisture that's already there rather than trying to use tallow to replace every other step of your skincare routine.
This is especially useful during the colder months in Canada, when indoor heating, cold winds and dry winter air can leave skin feeling uncomfortable and tight.
How Often Should You Use Tallow on Your Face?
There isn't one perfect schedule for everyone.
Some people prefer tallow once a day at night. Others use a small amount morning and evening.
If you're completely new to tallow, start with once a day and see how your skin feels.
You can adjust from there.
Your skin doesn't need to be coated in tallow 24/7 for you to enjoy a simple, nourishing skincare routine.
Can You Use Tallow Under Makeup?
Yes, you can use tallow as part of a morning skincare routine.
The trick is using a small amount and allowing it to settle before applying makeup.
For daytime, try:
Cleanse
Apply a small amount of tallow to slightly damp skin
Allow it to absorb
Apply makeup if desired
If you're looking for a minimalist routine, tallow can take the place of a traditional facial moisturizer for many people.
What Type of Tallow Butter Is Best for Your Face?
When Mom and I sat down to formulate our butters, this is how we started:
We began with the source
At Ode to Tallow, we prioritize halal & tayyib, grass-fed and grass-finished tallow sourced from local Canadian Muslim-owned farms. We make sure the animals are pasture raised, hormone & antibiotic free, and ethically raised.
We composed our butters
A good facial tallow butter doesn't need a dozen ingredients.
For those with particularly sensitive skin or who are looking for scent-free, we created our bestselling All Natural Halal & Grass-Fed Beef Tallow Butter. It's made with halal and grass-fed beef tallow, organic cocoa butter and organic jojoba oil, without added essential oils. This is one customers re-purchase over and over again.
Our Lavender Rose Sheep Tallow Butter is a good one for those with oily-prone skin. It is essential oil free, made with just a simple floral infusion, and sheep tallow is a little lighter on the skin.
Our Geranium Butter has astringent (skin & pore tightening) properties, our Frankincense-Rosehip is wonderful for dull, dry, patchy skin, and our Premium Tallow Castor Balm Makes a great night time cream.
These are just a few of our butters, to give you an idea of how different formulations can target different skin types.
What If You Have Dry, Oily or Combination Skin?
One of the reasons tallow has become interesting to natural-skincare enthusiasts is that it doesn't fit neatly into the old idea that oily skin needs to avoid every oil.
But everyone's skin is different.
Dry skin
If your skin tends to feel tight, rough or flaky, tallow can be used as the moisturizing step after cleansing.
Start with a small amount and increase only if necessary.
Combination skin
You don't necessarily have to apply the same amount everywhere.
Try using a little more on drier areas and less through the oilier parts of your face (like your T-Zone.
Oily skin
If you're worried that tallow will automatically make your face greasy, start very small, and stick the applying the butter in the evening.
A lightweight application is completely different from covering your face in a thick layer of butter. And in fact, Tallow is known to help balance oil production. Many of our customers have found that with consistent use, their skin is able to regulate its oil production, leading to overall more balanced skin.
Sensitive skin
When your skin is easily irritated, like those with eczema or psoriasis, scent free is best.
Consider starting with an unscented tallow butter like our All Natural Butter or Hydrating Beeswax Tallow Butter and patch testing first, particularly if you're introducing other new skincare products at the same time.
Purchasing the Right Tallow Skincare in Canada
If you're searching for tallow skincare in Canada, you may notice that many products look similar at first glance.
The important questions are:
Where did the tallow come from?
How were the animals raised?
Was the tallow grass-fed or grass-finished?
What other ingredients have been added?
Where is the skincare made?
These questions matter because "tallow" by itself doesn't tell you the whole story.
At Ode to Tallow, we're a mother-daughter business based in Mississauga, Ontario, creating small-batch halal and grass-fed/grass-finished tallow skincare for face and body.
Our products are made for Canadians who want natural skincare while also caring about sourcing, simplicity and the values behind what they're buying.
For someone completely new to tallow, our Sample Sets are an easy place to begin. It includes our unscented face and body butter alongside two complementary products, making it a simple way to explore tallow skincare without buying a dozen products at once.
Ready to try tallow on your face? Explore our Tallow Butters & Balms, or start with our All Natural Halal & Grass-Fed Beef Tallow Butter.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is tallow good for your face?
Tallow can be a beautiful facial moisturizer for people who prefer simple, hassle-free skincare. Its fatty acid composition has similarities to the lipids found in the skin's surface, and many people enjoy how soft their skin feels after application.
2. How much tallow should I put on my face?
Start with a pea-sized amount or less for your entire face. Warm it between your fingers before applying. If your skin needs more, add a very small amount rather than starting with a thick layer.
3. Should I use tallow on wet or dry skin?
Slightly damp skin is a good starting point. Applying tallow after cleansing can make it easier to spread a small amount evenly and can help seal in moisture already present on the skin.
4. Can I use tallow every day?
Yes, most of our customers incorporate tallow into their daily skincare routine. You can start once a day and adjust based on how your skin feels.
A Simpler Way to Moisturize
You don't need a 10-step elaborate routine to take good care of your skin.
As far as we are concerned, less is more!
And if you're looking for halal, grass-fed and grass-finished tallow skincare made in Canada, we'd love for you to explore what we're creating here at Ode to Tallow.
Simple ingredients. Intentional sourcing. Small-batch skincare, made in Ontario.
