All Tallow Is Not Created Equal

If you’ve ever asked me why I use grass-fed tallow, the answer starts well before I melt it down.

I want to know where it came from. What the cattle ate. How they were raised. Who I’m buying it from. When an ingredient goes into nearly everything you make, you ought to be able to answer a few questions about it.

And you should feel comfortable asking them.

With so many tallow products showing up lately, I understand how they can start to look interchangeable. Similar jars, similar ingredients, similar promises. You’re left wondering whether there’s much difference beyond the label.

I look at the tallow first. If you’re building a skincare product around it, choosing the source deserves some thought.

What the cattle eat matters.

Grass-fed means something to me beyond having a few extra words to put on a label. The animal’s diet can influence the composition of its fat.

Studies on pasture-fed beef have found higher levels of vitamin E and beta-carotene, which the body can convert to vitamin A, along with a higher proportion of certain omega-3 fatty acids compared with grain-fed beef. (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) One small laboratory comparison of rendered tallow found more omega-3 and less omega-6 in the grass-fed sample. (westonaprice.org)

Those differences are part of why I choose grass-fed. They don’t give me an exact vitamin count for my finished creams, or prove that every grass-fed balm will outperform every other moisturizer. But they give me a reason to be particular about the ingredient I start with.

You’re putting these products on your face, your hands, your body. Often every day. I think that deserves more consideration than buying whatever tallow happens to be cheapest this week.

I care about the animal, too.

I want the farms I support to care about cattle having room to move, pasture to graze, and proper attention. That matters to me whether it ever makes its way onto a product label or not.

But a picture of a green field only tells you so much. Grass-fed describes the diet; living conditions and antibiotic practices deserve their own questions. Some certifications, including American Grassfed Association certification, address those things together through requirements for pasture-based raising, restrictions on confinement, and antibiotic standards. (americangrassfed.org)

There are practical reasons to care about feeding practices, too. High-grain diets can contribute to digestive problems that lead to liver abscesses, and antibiotics are sometimes used to control those infections. More forage and careful feeding can help reduce that particular problem. (merckvetmanual.com)

That makes sense to me: put care into keeping the animal healthy from the beginning. And if it gets sick, treat it. An animal shouldn’t go without needed care to preserve a marketing claim.

These are the conversations I want people having about ingredients. There’s a whole lot that happens before the jar gets filled.

Don’t fill in the blanks for the brand.

If an ingredient list simply says “tallow,” you haven’t been told it’s grass-fed. Don’t assume it is because the packaging looks wholesome or the price suggests it ought to be.

Ask the company. Give them the opportunity to explain what they use and why.

The same goes for “globally sourced ingredients.” Where, exactly? What does the company know about its suppliers? Where were the cattle raised, and where was the tallow rendered?

There may be good answers. You’re allowed to want them.

That’s why I encourage you to look beyond an American address. Where a business is based, where its ingredients come from, and where its products are made are separate questions, and the answers may not be what you think.

For me, supporting American farms is part of the decision. I want that to be clear when you buy from Brass Tacs.

Here’s what I put into it.

My tallow comes from a small family farm co-op in rural Wisconsin. American-raised, grass-fed cattle. Low-temperature dry rendered. Zero additives.

I chose that source because I want to know what I’m working with, and I feel good about where that purchase sends my money. Every ingredient order is also a decision about which businesses and farms I help support.

Then I make the products myself, in small batches here in South Jersey.

You can see how that ingredient comes together in products like Fundamental Face Cream and Comprehensive Body Cream, or explore the full Brass Tacs collection.

I choose the ingredients, work on the formulas, fill the jars, and talk to the people using them. If something needs attention, it comes back to me. Being fireman owned and operated is personal because there’s a person here doing the work and taking responsibility for it.

And I enjoy talking about it. If you’ve spent a few minutes at my table, you probably figured that out already.

Ask me why I use tallow. Ask about the oils, the scent, or which cream might suit your routine. Ask where an ingredient comes from. If there’s something I don’t know, I’ll find out.

I want you to feel comfortable with what you’re buying and with the person making it. That takes more than a nice label. It takes knowing your ingredients, making thoughtful choices, and being willing to explain them.

All tallows are not created equal. I care about where mine starts because I care about what I hand to you.

 

Jeff Taccarino

Founder/Maker

Brass Tacs Balm and Wax