Safer Skin Care from Natural Tallow | Buffalo Gal Grassfed Beauty

Tallow is an essential skincare ingredient because it is highly compatible with the oils in our own skin. After all, we are mammals, so it makes sense for animal-based ingredients to be most biologically friendly to us!

Many of our customers find moisturizing relief from dry, sensitive or allergy-prone skin with our 100% Grassfed (and finished) Tallow. Because our unique Tallow is homegrown and minimally processed it is the highest quality available.

Our animals are never given antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, nor mRNA vaccines*. They graze on lush pastures free of pesticides.

*We may administer a tetanus vaccine to steers at the time of castration, if we happen to castrate that particular season. No other vaccines are given to any of our water buffalo.

Benefits of using our Tallow include -

Traditional - Tallow has been used as an effective skincare ingredient for centuries! Our ancestors wisely used animal fats along with plant concoctions for a variety of skin and healthcare needs. As a skin moisturizer tallow has stood the test of time because of its luxurious emollient properties. It has been recently rediscovered for the important role it plays in nutritional bioavailability.

Safe - We often say, "If you wouldn't eat it, don't put it on your skin!" Tallow is as healthy to use on your skin as it is to eat.

Effective - Although most evidence for Tallow's effectiveness is anecdotal, there are countless reports and rave reviews on how well it helps skin issues!

Nutritious -

First, we insist on being transparent about the vitamin content in tallow. We discovered through research and lab testing that tallow is NOT rich in vitamins at all, despite the viral claims. It does not contain "high concentrations of vitamins", nor is it "chock full of", "loaded with", "packed with", "filled with" vitamins nor several other wild claims that you have likely seen across the internet.

We made the mistake of making this claim ourselves for many years, but it's just a logical assumption that turned into a widespread myth. There is no data anywhere to support the claim of vitamin (or mineral) richness in tallow. In fact, the most cited source for this claim is the USDA database for beef tallow nutrition, which ironically assigns a 0 or an extremely low value for ALL vitamins and minerals. The Weston A. Price Foundation recently conducted a study that confirms this, and so have we through independent lab testing on very high quality, 100% grassfed beef tallow.

But this is not bad news nor a criticism of tallow! Not by a long shot. We just want consumers to have accurate knowledge about the products they're buying.

Initially, we had our own water buffalo tallow tested for its fatty acid profile and vitamin content. We wanted to know how we may translate those values into skin health for our customers. The sample was rendered for only enough time and with just enough heat (150F) to melt the quantity needed for our lab test. And the great news is we discovered it contains the following amazing nutrients:

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid), an Omega-3 isomer of linolenic acid. Topically, it fortifies the skin barrier and helps skin retain moisture by boosting ceramide synthesis in the cells. Ours contains 495 mg/100g.
Very small amounts of Vitamins A, E and K. Tallow's real magic lies in its fatty acid profile. Research reveals that all beta carotene in water buffalo tallow is already converted into retinol, the most bioavailable form of Vitamin A. It contains 205 IU/100g. Vitamin K1 is 16 ug/100g and MK4 is 6 ug/100g (Dr. Weston A. Price's "Activator X"). Total tocopherols (Vitamin E) are 2.41 mg/100g. Most tallow we have tested contains negligible levels of Vitamin D, including ours.
Omega-3 Alpha Linolenic Acid at .52%, stearic acid at 36.42%! As well, it contains other fatty acids that promote skin health in its naturally balanced state.
Trace amounts of selenium, manganese, zinc, and glutathione.

See the Nutritional Analysis for our water buffalo tallow below!

Additionally, ours is:

Home Grown - Most of the tallow we use is from livestock raised on our farms in Monroe and Covington, Georgia. Our ruminant animals eat a variety of cool season grasses, warm season grasses, legumes, and forbs growing in holistically managed soil. Our tallow tends to be stiffer than commercial tallow thanks to its high content of naturally occurring stearic acid.

Water buffalo have a broad palate, increasing the concentration and range of nutrients they consume into their fat. Buffalo are heavy salivators and have a long, slow gut. This combination of factors yields higher nutrition than beef tallow, especially Omega-3 fatty acids, retinol, and stearates.

Due to high demand we no longer have enough water buffalo tallow for all of our products so we include tallow from other species such as our own lamb and high quality 100% grassfed beef tallow sourced from local fellow farmers.

Note: Currently the products made with water buffalo only tallow are:

Tallow Face Balm for Dry and Maturing Skin

Day Balm w/ UV Protection

Eye Revive Tallow Balm

Coffee Infused Body Butter Bars

Another interesting tidbit about water buffalo tallow is that it is never yellow. The yellow color in the fat of beef and dairy is generally considered a good thing. This is an indication that the animal has grazed fresh forages abundant in beta carotene. But note, this can be contingent on the season. When this fat is consumed, the human body breaks down much of the beta carotene by absorbing it from the intestines and converting it into vitamin A with bile acids. Water buffalo fat and milk, even when 100% grass fed, lack the yellow color because the highly efficient gut of this animal fully processes beta carotene into its most bioavailable form: retinol.

Home Rendered - Our Tallow is dry rendered using stainless steel equipment and stored in glass containers or BPA-free food grade plastic tubs.

Additionally, we never refine or "purify" our tallow with the salt water boiling method that's popular these days. Suet is a very pure fat by nature, which is what makes it an ideal fat for skincare. It only needs to be properly trimmed, gently warmed to separate it from the protein tissues that encapsulate it (cracklings) and filtered to remove any remaining bits. This minimal processing preserves the tiny precious vitamins found in tallow and prevents the growth of pathogens that water exposure can lead to. Read more in this blog post.

Hypoallergenic and Non-comedogenic - Our Tallow is rendered only from Suet (cavity fat surrounding the kidneys). Rendered subcutaneous fats are often confused with or mixed with suet and called "tallow". But fat drained off of meat may be contaminated with blood and other tissue. It's not harmful, but not what we consider the purest or the best quality for skincare. Additionally, pure, unrefined tallow is not known to clog pores for most people!

Expect These Additional Benefits When Using Our Tallow Skincare Products

Long Lasting Moisture - The emollient properties of our balms and body butters last all day, without the need to reapply.

Easy and Fun to Use - Our balms fit the definition of a Balm, although we find it unnecessary to include a wax in most products. We do not call them "creams" because they are anhydrous (contain no water). Lovely essential oil scents in some products are intended to positively affect mood and promote well-being. We offer plenty of unscented versions for our customers with sensitivities, too! Skincare is one of the best forms of self-care, so relax and enjoy the benefits of real nourishment for your skin!

Overall Improvement in Skin Health - Give your skin time to reap the benefits of the continued use of our products. Many people report relief from dryness, itching, redness, eczema, acne, and uneven tone right away!