What is Grass Fed Beef Tallow Balm?

What is Beef Tallow?

Do you sell beef tallow balm for skin?
As a cattle rancher, I get this questions all the time. 

Quick Ranch Backstory

About 25 years ago we moved to our current location in Hope, New Jersey. 
Since then we've been raising our own grass-fed beef cattle.

We sell our meats directly to the local community. Customers pick-up their orders right here at the Ranch. As long as I can remember, the questions about beef tallow balms have been basically the same: Where does it come from? Do you have it in stock? But never this one...  

"Does Beef Tallow contain Dairy?" 

Short Answer: No.
Beef Tallow does not contain dairy, lactose. or gluten. 

But, why the confusion?
I think I've figured out why folks are asking so often...

Dairy Cows in Tallow Ads!?

Search "Beef Tallow Balm" on Amazon...
Browse a few options (there are literally thousands).

In the product photos you'll see something out of place: Dairy Cows

Holstein dairy cows. Jersey dairy cows. Cows with full udders.
Cows standing in pastoral settings, advertising beef tallow balm.

This is like using a photo of a tomato plant to sell apple pie.

Following the Herd

Beef Tallow comes from Beef Cattle. Full Stop.
...the ones raised for meat, not milk.

But somewhere along the line, one tallow brand grabbed a pretty stock photo of a cow. It happened to be a dairy cow. It worked and that brand was in business selling tallow.
So the next brand did the same thing. And the next.

Now we have an entire category of "authentic ranch-raised" tallow products featuring the wrong animals entirely.

The lesson here isn't about cows. It's about the difference between copying the surface and understanding the substance. Between following the herd (pun intended) and actually knowing your craft.

New tallow brands have flooded the market following a trend. Hundreds... maybe thousands since 2022.

If a beef tallow brand doesn't know a Holstein from a Hereford...
I'm not so sure they're my go-to resource for other tallow related questions.

Back to the original question. Is tallow a dairy product? No. 

Are dairy cows involved in beef tallow at all?
No. Not unless you count their marketing efforts ; ) 

What is Beef Tallow?

Simply put, tallow is rendered beef fat.
The best tallow comes from pure fat from around the kidneys, called suet.

The suet is then heated at low temperatures, slowly melting and cooking down the raw suet into something pure and stable. This process is called rendering. What's left is tallow - a clean, stable fat that's remarkably similar to the oils your skin naturally produces.

Honest, Authentic & Transparent

The tallow skincare world needs more of this. The more we learn, the more we're focused in being a little bit different. At Rancher's Render, we've been raising grass-fed beef cattle for more than 25 years. It's not part of our "sales pitch" for tallow skincare.

Real Experience 

Our experience with raising cattle and creating high-quality tallow provides us an opportunity to share that knowledge with you and help you make an informed decision.
Even when that decision is not to buy.

Setting Honest Expectations

Authenticity isn't about our website having photos with the 'right cows' featured. With our experience comes responsibility.

Tallow can do wonders for dry skin. 
But, it's not for everyone. 

I see advertisements "Tallow Will Cure Your Acne Overnight" almost everyday. 
We don't think so. The data says it could work, but rarely. Most of the time it makes acne worse. If you're looking for a miracle acne cur - this is probably not it. 

For more info, see our related posts below.