What is it? | Beef tallow is rendered beef (cow) fat. |
INCI | Tallow |
Appearance | White solid |
Usage rate | Up to 100% |
Texture | Creamy, thick fat |
Scent | It varies with how clean/processed it is; it can smell strongly beefy all the way to having almost no scent. |
Absorbency Speed | Slow |
Approximate Melting Point | 35–40°C (95–104ºF) |
Solubility | Oil |
Why do we use it in formulations? | I primarily use tallow in soap, where it functions as my primary “hard” fat, creating a bar of soap that ages relatively quickly to create a firm bar that lasts a long time once wet.
Tallow can also be used in skin care products; I’ve seen it used in both commercial and DIY crunchy anti-aging products. |
Do you need it? | It is an absolute soaping staple for me, but there are alternatives. |
Refined or unrefined? | This is a personal choice. You can definitely render your own at home, but it is a lot of work and leaves your house smelling very meaty. I have rendered my own tallow in the past but I now purchase a pre-processed version which is much easier, and the end product smells much less meaty. |
Strengths | Beef tallow is an inexpensive, easily accessible (locally!) fat for soap making, and is a sustainable alternative to palm oil. |
Weaknesses | It isn’t vegan and some people think using it is gross. |
Alternatives & Substitutions | Lard is an easily accessible alternative, especially in soap. Read this for more information. |
How to Work with It | For soap, melt it with your other oils (or follow any specific instructions associated with the specific recipe you’re following). If you’re making a balm or butter it can be cold processed—it whips/mashes very nicely. |
Storage & Shelf Life | Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, tallow should last up to two years. |
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks | Even though I’m vegetarian, I am very passionate about using beef tallow in my soap—you can read more about that here. |
Recommended starter amount | For soap making I’d purchase at least 1kg (2lbs). For skincare 100g (3oz) would likely be more than sufficient. |
Where to Buy it | Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon. |
Some Formulations that Use Beef Tallow
- Rustic Clay Soap
- Candlelight Christmas Soap
- Almond Oat Soap
- Ice Palace Soap
- Argan Rose Soap
- Lavender Aloe Soap
- White Chocolate Peppermint Christmas Soap
- Cranberry Orange Christmas Soap
- Sweetgrass Gradient Swirl Soap
- Strawberry Rose Soap
- Pemberley Soap
- Mango Mango Soap
- Lemongrass Gradient Soap
- Blue Marble Soap
- Red Red Rose Soap
- Christmas Tree Soap
- Sugar Plum Christmas Soap
- Citrus Poppy Seed Swirl Soap
- Cream of Earl Grey Soap
- Lavender Spruce Soap