Why We Don't Whip Our Tallow: The Truth About Whipped Tallow Balm

We really didn’t want to write this, but we felt it was important to share our thoughts.

We’re not afraid to debunk skincare myths to the benefit of our customers. We want to make sure that you get the results your skin deserves. 

When looking into tallow skincare, there are some things you’ll want to avoid. Starting with ‘whipped’ or 'blended' types of tallow skincare.

Here are 3 reasons why we don’t whip our signature TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm. 

1. Whipped tallow cream means paying more for less

Whipped tallow skincare is poor value for money.

The process of whipping or blending tallow-based skincare rapidly introduces air into the formula. It makes the product seem larger in contents. But you’re essentially paying for more air and less product. We don’t charge you for air.

Many tallow-based skincare products are sold in millilitres (ml) because when whipped it fills to the top of a given container size. However, the actual weight of the product in grams (g) is often as low as 70% of the millilitre measurement on the product.

This is wrong and misleading. 

Consider the difference between pure cream and whipped cream, or traditional butter and whipped butter. While the whipped varieties may have a lighter or fluffier texture, they contain more air than the pure or traditional varieties. 

At TUTTOFARE, we are no fluff, no frills. You get so much more value out of our products this way. With TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm, a little truly goes a long way. The vitamins and fatty acids remain locked into our tallow skincare and work together to hydrate, repair, and protect the skin. Natural antioxidants help to protect the skin from environmental stressors and damage, promoting a youthful and radiant appearance.

2. Whipped tallow balm formulas oxidise rapidly

Blending or whipping introduces more oxygen into the formula to degrade ingredients in the process.

It might look lovely at first, but what it offers in looks, it may lack in substance.

By introducing air into a formula, this oxidises ingredients and accelerates the process of rancidity. This can quickly reduce efficacy of ingredients. 

The shelf life of a whipped face or body product can vary significantly depending on several factors, including the ingredients used, storage conditions, and whether or not it contains preservatives. 

Nevertheless, the standard safeguards cannot protect the product against rapid oxidation. Storing a whipped tallow balm or cream in a glass jar at room temperature and out of direct sunlight will not safeguard against oxidation. This is because the product starts going rancid as soon as it is is being whipped.

How do I know if my whipped tallow skincare has oxidised?

Oxidation happens when skincare is exposed to heat, light or oxygen. This disrupts the stability of the ingredients, impacting the effectiveness of the skincare. So, how can you tell if your skincare has gone through an oxidative process, whether it's whipped tallow or otherwise?

There should be some telltale signs, starting with what's written on the ingredient list.

PUFAs

Does the product contain oils high in polyunsaturated fatty acids?

One of the main causes of shelf-life reduction in cosmetics is the oxidation of unsaturated plant oils.

The higher the content of unsaturated fatty acids in a lipid ingredient, the lower the oil's melting point. The higher the unsaturated content , the more sensitive it is to heat, light and air degradation, and therefore the lower its shelf life.

Some of the high-PUFA oils to avoid in tallow-based skincare include calendula oil, grapeseed oil, hemp seed oil, sunflower oil and pomegranate seed oil. Low-PUFA oils include extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil.

If a cream or moisturiser is made correctly to withstand the elements every time the lid is opened, it will last longer and not oxidise as easily.

But if the ingredients are fragile, such as polyunsaturated oils, retinol and vitamin C, the product is likely to oxidise very quickly.

Colour

Oxidation, or rancidity, can cause discolouration and physical instability of the product. 

Oils lose their depth of colour as they oxidise. A shelf-stable hemp seed oil, for example, should be a light green colour. A rancid oil will be paler in colour. 

Moisturisers and creams also lose their colour as they oxidise. You see this often in products containing synthetic vitamin C, which oxidises (goes off) rapidly when exposed to light, heat or oxygen. When it has a higher carotenoid content, it is richer in colour.

Generally speaking, the higher quality of the grass-fed and grass-finished tallow, the more yellow the ingredient will be.

Smell

Oil-based skincare can smell ‘off’ when it expires. That’s because oils go rancid over time when compromised by air, light and heat. This happens to both carrier oils and essential oils. Once an oil is rancid, it loses its nutritional value to the skin. 

Ever smelt tallow skincare in store and thought it smelt a little… off? Scent can be a telltale sign of oxidised tallow. It may take a rancid, sour or overly nutty scent. Sometimes it might even smell a little ‘plasticky’ … even if there’s no plastic in the product.

Rancid oils may smell like melted crayons, as many will describe, often taking a plasticky scent or one that smells more chemical in nature. An essential oil can only mask a rancid product for only so long. If you notice an unpleasant shift in odour in your skincare, it’s time to toss out the product.

Questions around tallow quality

If you see tallow-based skincare that looks soft, whipped and white in appearance, it has likely either already oxidised, been treated or deodorised with chemicals, or over-purified to remove its nutrient properties. If it looks this way, the source material is also less likely to be 100% grass fed tallow, nonetheless grass finished.

Triple-purified tallow?

If you see claims of triple purifying, four-times purifying, even five-times purify tallow, then you should be on high alert. This is over-purifying and it destroys the nutrients in the tallow. It is a cheat's way to removing the 'beef tallow' smell from the raw material.

This is important because the more a product is refined, the less benefit it will have. We will dive deeper into this topic another time.

White tallow?

Grass fed tallow, when it is 100 per cent grass finished, is more yellow in appearance. This is because of the elevated beta-carotene content, which is present in fresh, green pastures. The beta-carotene levels rise during warmer weather and remain elevated in warm climates, in places like Western Australia and Queensland. The beta-carotene gives grass fed and grass finished tallow its characteristic yellow hue. A white whipped tallow sets off a warning sign around the raw ingredient or the formulation process.

Is an expired product bad for your skin?

Skincare can oxidise after minimal contact with air and light, especially if it has been whipped. If the product is no longer active, that means the skin benefits are compromised. While not quite a recipe for disaster, at best, it means that you're wasting your time and won't see positive changes in your skin that you're seeking. At worst, you could notice a reaction or irritation after using it.

3. Whipped is not what professionals do

Professional formulators typically won't create creams or moisturisers without water or emulsifiers.

Creams and moisturisers have a water base to achieve a real cream texture. Without a water base, it's technically a balm, or a butter.

To make a real cream, you need water, plus an emulsifier. TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm is a balm, not a cream, so we don’t formulate with water or emulsifiers.

Whipping or blending air into a stiff butter will lighten the texture and give you a good-looking and feeling product for a little while, quite possibly long enough to make, pack and sell in small batches.

But when you whip or blend tallow-based skincare, it will inevitably harden. And when it does harden, you’re left with something that has already oxidised. It isn’t a real cream, moisturiser, and neither is it a balm. 

At TUTTOFARE, we are a small business that professionally formulates our tallow skincare in a GMP-certified skincare facility here in Australia. We’ve carefully developed our formulas with time, patience and care so our products feel amazing on the skin and work even better. Our professionally-formulated products aren’t whipped because we know that whipping creates an inferior product for your skin if you don't use water and an emulsifier.

Can you reheat whipped tallow balm?

Wondering if you could just reheat a whipped tallow balm once it changes consistency?

Every ingredient in a skincare product will have a different melting point. If you reheat your skincare, whether it's whipped tallow or not, you risk destroying the properties of the individual ingredients.

Choosing a Tallow Balm for optimal skin benefits

When choosing a tallow balm, there are several factors to consider to ensure optimal skin benefits. First, look for a balm made from high-quality, grass-fed and grass-finished tallow, which is richer in the right kind of fatty acids that support your skin. Also, consider the other ingredients in the balm, such as essential oils and carrier oils, for example jojoba oil, and ensure that they are complementary to the tallow itself.

It’s also important to consider your skin type when choosing tallow skincare. If you have sensitive skin, look for a tallow balm that is fragrance-free and hypoallergenic. If you have dry skin, look for a balm that is rich in moisturising ingredients, such as jojoba oil and cocoa butter.

Finally, consider the texture of the balm. Tallow cream is typically whipped and light, making it easy to apply on the skin, but the downside is that it may not retain the benefits of the ingredients inside. Tallow balm is more dense, and due to the way it is carefully formulated with respect to air and heat, it retains the benefits of the ingredients inside the skincare.

By considering these factors and choosing a high-quality tallow balm, you can experience the numerous benefits of tallow for skin health, including improved skin hydration, reduced inflammation, and a more radiant and youthful complexion.

Benefits of TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm

Our Tallow Balm contains fat soluble vitamins A, D and E, and is rich in fatty acids, including oleic acid, stearic acid and eicosenoic acid. These fatty acids help smooth and soften the skin. With a unique combination of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, rather than so-called essential fatty acids of the polyunsaturated variety, TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm helps protect against moisture loss and strengthen the skin barrier.

Made only with natural ingredients, including olive-based squalane and jojoba oil, TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm absorbs readily and easily into the skin, without leaving a greasy residue. While rich upon application, the balance of ingredients means the product controls natural oil production to balance the skin.

The purity of TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm makes a significant difference in the density of fatty acids, which not only soften the skin, but also provide natural anti inflammatory properties. This may help to relieve skin conditions, combat redness and repair dry, flaky skin. Customers with sensitive skin and skin conditions, including eczema, rosacea and psoriasis, have reported success in using TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm to repair their skin.

Sourced exclusively from grass fed and grass finished tallow, from the highest-quality, multi-generational Australian providers, TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm can be trusted with process and provenance to deliver a purer product.

Why Tallow Balm by TUTTOFARE?

Everything that a waterless tallow face cream can do, a waterless Tallow Balm can do better. The only superior benefit of whipped tallow balm is the creamy texture makes it slightly easier to apply. However, this is only the case in the very beginning, and then it inevitably hardens anyway (and quickly in the depths of winter).

By formulating in a highly specific way, here at TUTTOFARE we maintain tallow’s unique saturated fatty acid profile in the process.

Our un-whipped, waterless Tallow Balm delivers an unparalleled moisturising experience. Beyond 100% Australian grass fed and grass finished tallow, it is complete with other skin-loving, natural ingredients, including antioxidants from fat-soluble vitamins. It is packed full of fatty acids, including oleic acid, stearic acid and eicosenoic acid, to help with nourishing, smoothing and softening the skin.

Our Tallow Balm suits all skin types because it's formulated with ingredients that mimic the skin's natural sebum. It helps improve dull, dehydrated and dry skin. It also works wonders on acne-prone and oily skin.

You can use TUTTOFARE Tallow Balm all over your face, neck and décolletage in place of a regular moisturiser, as well as all over your body as a body butter. Tallow Balm is multi-purpose, natural skin care that also doubles as an eye cream and lip balm. It's the all-over balm that does it all, gentle and safe to use for the whole family. Keep the whipped cream in the kitchen and try Tallow Balm for your skin today.