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

We really didn’t want to write this but our customers are so important to us that we couldn't hold this back any longer. 

We’re not afraid to debunk skincare myths to the benefit of our customers. 

When looking into tallow-based skincare, there are some things you’ll want to avoid. Starting with ‘whipped’ tallow.

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

1. Whipped tallow balm means paying more for less

Whipped tallow skincare is poor value for money.

The process of whipping tallow-based skincare rapidly introduces air into the formula. It’s a cheat code to make the product seem larger. 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. 

Similar to how there’s traditional heavy cream and whipped cream, or traditional butter and whipped butter. While the whipped varieties may have a lighter texture, they simply contain more air than the traditional varieties. 

If you’ve ever cooked with butter, you would know that whipped butter cannot be substituted in a recipe for an equal volume of regular butter. 

At TUTTOFARE, we are no fluff, no frills. You get so much more value out of our products this way. With Tallow Balm, a little truly goes a long way.

2. Whipped tallow balm formulas oxidise rapidly

Whipped tallow skincare goes off faster and doesn't work as well.

Another thing about whipping ingredients to make a tallow face cream or tallow body butter is the nature of whipping will cause rapid oxidation. 

Whipped might look lovely at first, but what it offers in looks, it lacks in substance.

By introducing air into a formulation via whipping, this oxidises the ingredients and accelerates the process of rancidity. This means a loss of efficacy. A whipped product simply can’t hold up to the benefits it claims.

By whipping with a blender, stand mixer, or any type of commercial kitchen equipment, you’re repeatedly and rapidly smashing the chemical structure of the individual ingredients. This breaks them down very quickly. When formulating whipped tallow-based skincare, you can see how quickly this happens by the degree at which the product changes from a light yellow colour to a much whiter colour. 

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 good hemp seed oil, for example, should be a light green colour. A rancid oil will always 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 better quality the tallow, the more yellow the product will be.

Smell

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

Rancid oils usually smell like melted crayons, often taking a plasticky scent or one that smells more chemical in nature. An essential oil can only mask a rancid product for 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 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 therapeutic 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 will not add air through whipping. Because whipping does not achieve a real cream or moisturiser. 

Whipping 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 tallow-based skincare, it will inevitably harden, and very quickly. 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. 

Creams and moisturisers have a water base to achieve a real cream texture. So to make a real cream (like the ones Big Skincare make), you need water, plus an emulsifier. Our Tallow Balms aren’t creams so we don’t use water and emulsifiers in them. 

At TUTTOFARE, we’ve carefully developed our formulas with time, patience and care so they feel amazing and work even better. Our professionally formulated products aren’t whipped because we know that whipping creates an inferior product for your skin.

Can you reheat whipped tallow balm?

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

Every ingredient has a different melting point. If you reheat a product, whether it's whipped tallow or not, you risk destroying the chemical structure. Never reheat or re-whip your whipped tallow skincare or otherwise.

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 huge difference in the density of fatty acids, which not only soften the skin, but also provide natural anti inflammatory properties. This helps 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 damaged 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 unwhipped, 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.