Sally Jo Reagor, New Products Coordinator for Palko Services, is on the hunt for tallow-based beauty products. Palko Services distributes to more than 2,000 natural products stores, and shoppers are increasingly asking for products made from this rendered animal fat such as soaps, shampoos and skin creams.
Indeed, tallow-based products across the food and beauty categories are all the rage nowadays. I get regular updates on Instagram Stories of some guy who has been using tallow on his skin for the past 55 days (as of yesterday). TikTok videos of people cooking up a steak in tallow. I’m hearing about tallow on podcasts. Reading about it in blogs. Tallow everywhere.
While the increased buzz around tallow may be new, its use in beauty products is anything but. It has a long history in skincare, dating back to ancient civilizations. It was used as a moisturizer, healing balm, and even in soap making. Cultures like the Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, and various indigenous communities recognized tallow’s moisturizing and protective properties, particularly in harsh climates. It was also used for candles as well as in cooking.
The reason for tallow’s recent surge in popularity is driven by consumers’ interest in natural products and clean ingredients, as well as its prevalence in wellness-related media. Here’s why: It’s rich in fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K) and saturated fats, which are beneficial for skin regeneration, repair, and moisture retention. It also contains conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), known for its anti-inflammatory properties. “It’s clean and grassroots,” says Reagor. “I think that it’s a staple. There’s not been a lot of negativity surrounding it and I think you just get great results from it.” (See my video interview with Sally Jo below).
Challenges of producing tallow-based products
The challenge for many suppliers of tallow-based products is in scaling up. According to Reagor, many tallow product suppliers are small companies with limited distribution capabilities. “We’re distributing a brand that’s a family-owned company,” says Reagor. “They are just able to do small batches, so they haven’t been able to get the expansion out there into larger chain accounts.”
However, this is starting to change, and brands like Body Restore, a RangeMe Premium subscriber that makes a variety of skin and bath products including beef tallow balm, have been stepping up their distribution. Indeed, the brand was at ECRM’s recent Skin Care, Bath, Cosmetics, Natural & Clean Beauty Session meeting with buyers from large retail chains and distributors like Palko Services. “I come to these Sessions to find out new items, and one of them was tallow from Body Restore,” says Reagor.
Another brand that is scaling up is Tander’s Tallow, a RangeMe Premium subscriber founded by Jess Tandler, a former infantry officer who along with her husband – a current special operations soldier – were tired of putting mystery chemicals on their skin, especially after being exposed to so many toxins they couldn’t control in their line of work. The company makes tallow-based soap, shampoo and deodorant in a variety of scents. I’ve tried their soaps and I can tell you firsthand, I’ve never experienced a richer lather!
Tandler has recently adapted her business to scale up to meet demands of larger retailers. “There are certain things you have to consider when you scale up,” says Tandler. “For example, in the beginning, we were doing the rendering ourselves as well as making the soap. But that won’t work on a larger scale. At one point we reached a crossroad where we had to decide whether we want to be in the tallow rendering business or in the soap business. Clearly, we want to be in the soap business.”
In order to maintain the brand’s value proposition, while expanding distribution capabilities Tandler sought out U.S. based grass-fed tallow suppliers and essential oil manufacturers, which allowed her to grow her inventory much faster. This enabled her to focus 100 percent on making soap, and to boost her capabilities, she recently moved into a dedicated manufacturing space that will enable her to produce more than 5,000 bars a month. “This way if a larger order comes in, it won’t disrupt our existing business with independent retailers,” she says.
What’s old is new
So while the use of tallow might go back thousands of years, brands and buyers are stepping up to bring it back to the masses once again. And from the looks of it – with beauty influencers touting its benefits and seed oils getting a bad rap, we can expect to see tallow-based products hitting the shelves in many categories across the store in coming months.
For those buyers interested in finding tallow product suppliers, you’ll find many on RangeMe and can meet in person with them at ECRM’s Beauty Sessions and ECRM’s Food Sessions!