Sometimes better skincare starts with something as simple as changing your soap.
Tallow soap has been around for generations, but lately, more people are discovering this traditional way of making soap again. Made from rendered animal fat, tallow creates a firm, creamy bar that cleanses the skin while bringing skincare back to simple, familiar ingredients. Tallow itself is naturally rich in fatty acids, including oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids. [1]
If you're thinking about making the switch, here are 10 reasons we love a good tallow soap bar.
1. Made With Naturally Occurring Fatty Acids
One of the things that makes tallow so useful in soapmaking is its natural fatty acid composition. Beef tallow contains several fatty acids, with oleic, palmitic, and stearic acids among its major components. [1] During soapmaking, fats react with an alkali through a process called saponification to create soap.
For us, there's something nice about knowing exactly where those fats started and turning a traditional ingredient into something useful for everyday skincare.
2. Creates a Rich, Creamy Lather
If you've never used a handmade tallow soap, the lather may be one of the first things you notice. Tallow is traditionally valued by soapmakers because it helps create a firm bar with a rich, creamy lather.
That creamy feel makes washing your hands or stepping into the shower feel a little less ordinary, without needing an overly complicated formula.
3. A Simple Way to Cleanse Your Skin
At the end of the day, soap has one very important job: to get you clean.
Soap works as a surfactant, helping loosen oils, dirt, and other impurities so they can be rinsed away with water. [2] Tallow soap does this using the same traditional soapmaking process that has been used for generations.
Sometimes simple really is enough.
4. Makes a Firm, Long Lasting Bar
Nobody wants a bar of soap that disappears after a handful of showers. The fatty acid profile of tallow makes it particularly useful for producing firm bars of soap, which is one reason it has such a long history in traditional soapmaking.
How long any handmade bar lasts will depend on how often you use it and, importantly, how you store it. Letting your soap dry between uses can make a big difference. A draining soap dish or sisal soap saver can help keep your bar from sitting in water.
5. Gives a Traditional Ingredient New Purpose
One of our favorite things about using tallow is that we're able to make use of something that might otherwise be overlooked.
Tallow is rendered from animal fat and has historically been used for everything from cooking and soapmaking to candles and skincare. [3] Using it in soap is a practical way to make more complete use of the animal rather than letting a valuable resource go to waste.
For a farm based business like ours, that matters.
6. Brings Skincare Back to the Basics
Walk down the skincare aisle and you'll find ingredient lists that seem to go on forever. That's part of what makes traditional soapmaking so appealing to us.
Tallow soap doesn't need to be complicated. A thoughtfully made bar can start with a handful of familiar oils and fats and still do exactly what soap is supposed to do.
It's skincare that feels a little more like it used to.
7. A Creamy Clean Without the Fuss
One of the best things about a good tallow soap bar is how simple it feels. You get a rich, creamy lather and an effective everyday cleanse, all in one traditional bar of soap.
Tallow helps give the bar its firm texture and creamy lather, while coconut and castor oils can add their own qualities to the finished soap. Together, they create the kind of bar you'll actually look forward to reaching for.
Simple ingredients. Good soap. Nothing overly complicated.
8. You Can Choose Unscented
Natural skincare doesn't automatically mean fragrance free, and fragrance isn't right for everyone.
That's why having an unscented tallow soap option is so useful. If you prefer to skip added fragrance or simply like keeping your routine as simple as possible, an unscented bar gives you the benefits of a traditional cleansing bar without added scent.
It's simple soap for people who want exactly that.
9. It Connects Us Back to Traditional Soapmaking
Long before shelves were filled with bottles of body wash, families made soap using the fats and materials available to them.
Tallow has a long history of use in soapmaking and remains one of the many uses for rendered animal fat today. [3] There's something special about keeping that tradition alive while making products that fit into modern routines.
For us, that connection to the past feels especially fitting.
10. It's Made for Everyday Life
Good skincare doesn't always have to be exciting or complicated. Sometimes it's simply the bar of soap beside your sink that you reach for every day.
Tallow soap can be used as part of a simple everyday cleansing routine, and with different scents and unscented options available, it's easy to find a bar that fits your preference.
One good bar. A few simple ingredients. And one less complicated part of your routine.
From Our Family Farm to Your Shower
At Soil & Spice, tallow isn't just another ingredient we decided to add to our soap. It starts right here on our family farm.
For generations, our family has cared for the land and animals that make our products possible. Today, we're able to take that same respect for what the farm provides and carry it into something as simple as a bar of soap.
Our tallow soaps are made in small batches with tallow, coconut oil, and castor oil, with both scented and unscented options available. Nothing overly complicated. Just good, old fashioned soap made with ingredients chosen for a reason.
Ready to Make the Switch?
If you're trying to simplify your skincare routine, your soap is an easy place to start. Tallow soap brings together traditional soapmaking, simple ingredients, and a rich, creamy wash you can enjoy every day.
Sometimes going back to basics is a pretty good way forward.
👉Shop Soil & Spice Tallow Soap Bars →
