Tallow Products
Soaps, birdfeeders, and body butters made from tallow
What is tallow?
Tallow is rendered fat, typically from cows or sheep. I do the dirty work of processing bits of meat and gristle into tallow, which is a firm, white block of pure, solid fat. It can be shelf stable for as long as a year because all the water has been cooked out of it. You can cook with tallow like you can any other seed or cooking oil (but don’t cook with soaps or creams made of tallow!)
Ew, soap made of animal fat?
In the past, this is how all soaps were made! They would mix tallow and wood ash to create soap - the fat from the tallow and the wood ash create a brand new substance that kind of cancels each other out. Now, for tallow soaps you can use Lye, which is a much stronger alkali than wood ash. When the fat and the base are combined, they make an entirely new substance! It is not like smearing grease all over you or burning yourself with lye - it will bubble and clean just like other soaps! Soaps are just a fat + an alkali. Whether the fat is a seed oil, milk, or… fat… just depends on the soap! My soap uses animal fat, but is made in the same basic way as any other soap. It bubbles, it smells nice, it leaves no residue, and it’s natural!
Does it smell like animal?
I’ve had people tell me that it smells like pancakes when I’m purifying the tallow! Unscented, tallow smells a bit like butter. But I’ve added body-friendly fragrances to my products, so they smell like fruit or flowers or anything else! The soaps smell purely like whatever they’re scented as! The body butters retain more of the “tallow-y” smells than the soap, but I don’t think it smells bad, or like an animal.
Why tallow?
I believe that if we are to eat meat and use animal products, we should use every part of the animal to the best of our ability. The meat I make the tallow from is unwanted meat that would otherwise get thrown away. I wanted to turn something that would have been wasted into something beautiful! It took a long time to get it right - lots of failed attempts making ineffective lotions and soaps - it’s dirty work to separate all the fat from the wasted parts, but I think it’s worth it!
Is it good for your skin?
I am not making tallow products to promote a magical beauty product or talk about skincare trends. I am skeptical of all the beauty guru pages that claim tallow products act like sunscreen, or keeps you from aging, or heal your skin. I make it for sustainability reasons - to show how cool it is to turn “junk” into something that actually cleans you and smells great!
That said - I think it works well and smells great! It moisturizes your skin and cleans you like other bar soaps! I’ve had people with sensitive skin and eczema test out my products, and it did not give them any problems. Check the ingredient list below, though, in case you may have allergies to any flowers or other spices used in the soaps or lotions!
It’s just soap! And it’s just body butter! There’s nothing crazy or dangerous. It’s just made with sustainability in mind!
Samhain Soap
Smells like a bonfire and burning spices. A perfect addition to a smoky ceremony.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, chai spices, mica powder, fragrance oil, dried sumac.
Yule Soap
Smells like a pine forest and warm, cozy spices.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, chai spices, mica power, soap dye, fragrance oil.
Imbolc Soap
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, mint, fragrance oil
Ostara Soap
Scented with lavender and chamomile, this is a fresh and floral springtime soap.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, mint, mica powder, soap dye, fragrance oil
Beltane Soap
Smells like getting lost in the woods and stolen away by the fae! Scented with deep woodsy and floral scents, it smells a bit like incense.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, calendula, mica powder, soap dye, fragrance oil.
Litha Soap
Bright as the sun! Smells fresh, clean, floral, and light.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, calendula, mica powder, fragrance oil.
Lughnasadh Soap
Smells like a warm summer’s day. Sunflowers, oats, honey, and a very light earthy musk.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, calendula, mica powder, fragrance oil.
Mabon Soap
Smells like fall! Scented with autumnal fragrances and tea.
Ingredients: Tallow, coconut oil, lye, honey, chai spices, mica powder, fragrance oil.
Whipped Tallow Body Butters
The body butters come in the same scents as the soaps above. Sold in 2 oz. containers, a little goes a long way! For best use, put a small amount on your finger and rub it on your face/body after a shower or bath. Smells great, and moisturizes without feeling greasy! All of the fragrances used are skin and soap safe.
Ingredients: Tallow, jojoba oil, fragrance oil
