The history of tallow

Long before synthetic creams and chemical serums lined bathroom shelves, there was tallow. A humble, powerful fat rendered from the bodies of animals that sustained our ancestors. For centuries, tallow was more than a byproduct of survival, it was a revered, multi-use balm used to nourish, protect, and heal the skin, deeply connected to the rhythms of nature and the wisdom of whole-animal living. In ancient times, tallow played a central role in personal care, medicine, and ritual. The Egyptians used rendered animal fats, often mixed with herbs and essential oils, to create salves, perfumes, and ointments that preserved skin in the intense desert sun. It was common to see tallow-based preparations in tombs, entombed with the dead as part of their sacred burial rites.

Indigenous cultures around the world viewed fat as sacred, concentrated source of life force, nourishment, and medicine. It was never wasted. After honoring the animal, every part was used, including the fat, which was rendered and applied to cracked skin, frostbite, burns, and wounds. First Nations and other traditional communities used tallow to condition hides, moisturize dry skin in harsh climates, and protect from wind and sun. The knowledge was passed down through oral tradition, mother to daughter, healer to apprentice.

In Europe, tallow was a staple of early medicine. Apothecaries blended it with herbs like calendula, comfrey, or chamomile to create topical treatments for everything from rashes to infections. It was used as a base for early soaps, balms, and poultices. During the Middle Ages and into the 19th century, rendered beef or mutton tallow was one of the most accessible and reliable moisturizers, especially in rural communities where factory-made lotions didn’t exist.

What made tallow so effective then and still today, is its biological compatibility with human skin. Tallow contains nearly the same ratio of fatty acids as our own sebum, allowing it to penetrate deeply, repair the lipid barrier, and lock in moisture without clogging pores. It’s packed with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, all crucial for cell regeneration, elasticity, immune defense, and healing. However, as industrialization and mass production took hold in the 20th century, the cosmetic industry turned away from traditional fats in favour of cheaper, shelf-stable petroleum byproducts and lab-made emulsifiers. Tallow, once a cornerstone of skincare, was dismissed as outdated, labeled “greasy” or “unsanitary” by a culture obsessed with synthetic purity.

This shift, however, came with a cost: the rise of hormone-disrupting chemicals, allergic reactions, barrier damage, and a disconnect from the body’s natural needs. As skin issues became more common, many forgot the healing power that had worked for generations.

Now, in a full-circle return to ancestral wellness and holistic beauty, tallow is making its way back. Not as a trend, but as a rediscovered truth, that the most effective skincare doesn’t come from a lab, but from nature, rendered with care and intention.

At the heart of every jar of real tallow is something deeper: a respect for the whole animal, a commitment to natural healing, and the quiet remembrance of the women and healers who came before us, who used what they had, and passed down what worked.

Tallow is not new. It’s ancient.

And its time has come again.