u/Obvious_Initial854

Bought a cheap jar of tallow off Amazon earlier this year and honestly thought tallow skincare was disgusting. It smelled like a fast-food fryer, sat on my face like grease, and made me look insanely oily.

I eventually tried a grass-fed suet tallow from a better source and it was night and day. Barely any smell, way smoother, and actually absorbed into my skin instead of just sitting there.

I had no idea the quality/source of the fat made that much of a difference. Anyone else notice this between brands?.

Curious to hear peoples experience!

So I've tried a couple of tallow balms and im running out.

The more I read here, the more confused I get. Some say all tallow is basically the same. Others say sourcing and production matter a lot.

Things I keep seeing:

- Grass-fed & finished suet

- Local sourcing

- Transparent production

- Glass containers

- Minimal ingredients

What's actually worth paying attention to?

Do I stick with the main well known brands like Better Tallow, Primally Pure, and Toups, or are smaller brands just as good?

As someone who used Aquaphor for years, switching to tallow was an eye-opener. The biggest difference comes down to how they actually feel on your skin.

​Aquaphor definitely traps moisture, but it basically sits on top like a heavy petroleum layer. Tallow gives you that exact same heavy-duty protection, but it actually sinks in. Because its fat profile is so similar to the natural oils our skin already makes, it absorbs to nourish your skin with vitamins instead of just sitting on the surface.

​Same level of protection, way better absorption, and no synthetic fillers.

With so many great tallow brands out there (and some not-so-great ones lol) I'm curious to hear everyone's favorites

Ive tried several so far : hearth and homestead, better tallow, primally pure (and another that currently escapes me, I'll comment it below if I can remember it later) ---- so far I'd say my current fav is BT

I know this won't be popular, but I think most people don't have "bad skin", they have bad skincare habits.

Since high school I spent years chasing miracle ingredients while ignoring the basics. I was Over-cleansing. Over-exfoliating. Ten-step routines. Constantly switching products. And my skin was constantly irritated.

After about a decade the best results came from better sleep, less sugar and ultra-processed food, lower stress, and and a super simple skincare routine. (Thank you r/tallowskincare !)

I think most of what we call 'healthy skin' starts from the inside out, not the outside in.

Curious to hear others thoughts on what worked for them

I have a friend who thinks im crazy for putting fat on my face but hasn't tried it herself yet

Curious what everyone has replaced since switching to tallow.

Was it moisturizer? Lotion? Serums? Retinol? Petroleum jelly? Coconut oil? Something else? Or did tallow replace your entire routine or just one product?