From Farm to Face: How We Render and Prep Our Tallow for Skincare
At Taylor Cowsmetics, our commitment to quality starts long before our tallow touches your skin. Every jar of balm begins with one sacred ingredient: grass-fed, grass-finished beef tallow, sourced from regenerative farms that honor both the land and the animal. This isn’t just skincare—it’s tradition, sustainability, and nourishment from start to finish.
Let us take you behind the scenes into how we render and prepare our tallow to create the nutrient-rich skincare you trust.
Why Our Sourcing Matters
The quality of tallow begins at the source. We only use suet—the prized fat surrounding the kidneys—because it’s the purest, most nutrient-dense fat available. Unlike conventional skincare ingredients full of synthetic fillers and preservatives, tallow from grass-finished cattle is naturally rich in:
Vitamins A, D, E & K
Omega 3s & CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid)
Fatty acids that mimic our skin’s own sebum
Our tallow is sourced from small, ethical farms that raise their cattle on open pastures—never grain-fed, never exposed to hormones or antibiotics.
The Rendering Process: A Sacred Craft
Rendering is the process of slowly melting and purifying the suet to create tallow in its most usable, skin-loving form.
We do this by:
Hand-Trimming the Suet
We remove all connective tissue and impurities by hand to ensure a clean, odor-free final product.Slow, Low Heat Rendering
The suet is rendered over very low heat for several hours. This gentle process preserves nutrients while drawing out moisture and any residual impurities.Multiple Strains for Purity
Once melted, the liquid tallow is strained multiple times through organic cotton fine mesh and cheesecloth to ensure it’s crystal clear and smooth—no grit, no scent, no residue.Settling and Curing
The rendered tallow is left to cool and cure, allowing it to firm up naturally. This step ensures a stable base that holds the integrity of our final skincare formulas.
Blending With Botanicals
Once our tallow is fully rendered, we blend it with carefully chosen oils and herbs. Some of our favorite pairings include:
Calendula, chickweed, and plantain for their anti-inflammatory, soothing properties (featured in Wild Remedy)
Frankincense and myrrh—our sacred resins that promote skin healing and cell regeneration
Lavender and peppermint for calming, cooling after-sun care
Why It Matters for Your Skin
Our rendering method isn’t fast—and it’s not meant to be. But it protects the integrity of the tallow, keeping it rich in the natural vitamins and lipids that your skin craves.
This process allows us to offer products that:
Are ultra-moisturizing and deeply reparative
Support the skin barrier without clogging pores
Are safe for sensitive, eczema-prone, and baby skin
Feel luxurious, absorb easily, and smell like nature
From Our Hands to Yours
Every jar of Taylor Cowsmetics tells a story: from the regenerative farm where the suet is harvested, to our kitchen where it’s transformed into skincare, to your hands and heart. You deserve to know exactly what’s going on your skin—and with us, it’s pure, simple, and sacred.
Ready to feel the difference of real, rendered tallow?
Shop our collection of handcrafted balms here »
