· By Aafke de Groot
Tallow for sensitive skin: honest advice from Beasty Balms
Our hearts break a little when people tell us nothing calms their skin anymore. Product after product, disappointed every time. Some people have tried so much that their skin reacts to almost everything. Then skincare feels more like a battle than something nice.
Tallow isn’t everyone’s holy grail. But we get so many messages from people with sensitive skin saying: finally, something that just feels good. And that gets us every time.
Let’s be honest first
We make skincare, not medicine. Do you have a skin condition like eczema, rosacea, acne or perioral dermatitis (POD)? Then see your GP or dermatologist first. They can check what’s really going on.
Two things we want to tell you anyway:
- Do you have POD (red, bumpy patches around your mouth or nose)? People are often advised to stop using rich creams and balms on those areas for a while. So check with your doctor first.
- Does your skin break out easily? Start with a tiny amount, only at night, and see how your skin responds. For most people tallow won’t clog pores, but every skin is different.
Why so many sensitive skins love tallow
Skin that reacts easily mostly needs peace and quiet. Many creams do the opposite: fragrance, alcohol, acids, preservatives and long ingredient lists. The more there is in it, the bigger the chance your skin reacts to something.
Tallow is simple. It closely resembles the fat your skin makes itself. It melts on your skin, sinks in, and leaves a soft layer that helps hold in moisture. Lots of people with dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin love it, especially on patches that get dry and rough quickly.
Which Beasty should you choose?
Face the Beast, without essential oils
Our simplest balm. Tallow and jojoba, unscented. Very sensitive skin? Start with this one.
Save Our Skins
For dry, rough and chapped patches that need a bit more. It also contains organic beeswax and non-nano zinc oxide, which together leave a soft, breathable layer on your skin. Plus CO2 extracts of calendula and chamomile, used for centuries to soften the skin.
When you open the jar, you’ll see the balm is yellow to brownish. That’s from the extracts: calendula is naturally yellow, chamomile greenish brown.
What is CO2 extraction anyway?
It’s a way of getting the good stuff out of plants using carbon dioxide under pressure, without high heat and without harsh solvents. That gives you a very pure extract in which the plant is well preserved.
Note: calendula and chamomile belong to the daisy family. If you’re allergic to it, choose Face the Beast without essential oils.
How to start with tallow on sensitive skin
- Do a patch test first. Put a little on the inside of your arm and wait a day or two.
- Start small. A pea-sized amount is enough for your whole face. With sensitive skin, less really is more.
- Apply it to slightly damp skin, for example after a shower.
- Keep your routine simple. Leave other new products aside for a while, so you know what your skin is reacting to.
- Notice redness, itching or spots? Stop and see what your skin needs.
Why simple often works
It’s not magic. It’s just logic: the less you put on sensitive skin, the less there is to react to. And what you do put on resembles what your skin already knows.
To us, that’s honest skincare. No big promises, just a really good jar of fat.
Not sure which balm suits you? Start with a tester, or send us a message. We’re happy to help.