The Beauty of Tallow

Tallow may be trending, but it is in fact, a beauty product for the ages.

It has been used in skin care rituals for millennia by cultures around the world, from ancient Egypt to the Victorian era. It hails from a time before laboratory cosmetics, when nothing was wasted, and animal fats were carefully crafted with botanicals into soaps, lotions, and healing balms.

This begs the question: When did we stop using tallow, and why?

The answer: Tallow never changed — we did.

Tallow-based products began to fall out of favour in the 1940’s and ‘50s. As society became enamoured with science fiction and a “space age” future, it leaned into mass production and synthetic “miracle” products; think: plastics, preservatives, lead-based pigments, petroleum, asbestos, and DDT. “Better living through chemistry” meant that natural ingredients were seen as old-fashioned and behind the times, and they could not be patented.
As the century progressed, this cultural mindset was compounded by the anti-fatty foods era of the ‘80s/‘90s/early ‘00s, when all fats were (wrongly) considered unhealthy and dangerous. Fat was the enemy — even in skincare.

After nearly a century of favouring chemically-laden products and foods, we are now discovering the toll this toxic load can take on the body, in terms of allergies, sensitivities, and inflammation. Consequently, more and more people are returning to all-natural ingredients and small batch organic skincare. Like tallow. Made from the trimmings of beef or bison fat, tallow has a closer biocompatibility with human skin than lab-based beauty products with chemical or petroleum-based additives.

Benefits of using tallow include:

• Hydration and moisturizing
• HealingSoothing redness, dryness, itchiness
• Collagen-boosting
• Vitamins and (good) fatty acids
• Nourishing and protecting

The Brown Bear now carries a suite of bison tallow skincare products by Sacred Earth Extracts, an Indigenous- and woman-owned Canadian company.

These products are handcrafted in keeping with Indigenous philosophies of full use, no waste, and deep respect for the animal spirit.

Each blend is rooted in ancestral teachings and ingredients, created to reconnect us with what is grounded in nature.

Earth & Resin Bison Balm

A deeply moisturizing facial balm for intense nourishment and repair. Formulated with sacred bison tallow, plant-derived resins, and collagen-boosting herbs to restore vitality to dry, mature, or sensitive skin.

https://www.thebrownbear.ca/products/earth-resin-bison-balm

Overnight Bison Balm Mask

An overnight tallow-based facial treatment with powerful restorative properties for tired or ageing skin. Rich in botanical butters and extracts for nighttime renewal and repair.

https://www.thebrownbear.ca/products/skin-care-simply-tallow-overnight-mask

Bison Tallow Solid Perfume

A luminous, sensual, scented balm made with sacred bison tallow designed to honour the divine feminine. The fragrance combines blue lotus flower with hints of warm vanilla, sweetgrass, and captivating frankincense, patchouli, and ylang ylang. A deeply relaxing scent profile with meditative and spiritual qualities.

https://www.thebrownbear.ca/products/skin-care-bison-tallow-perfume

Open Airways Natural Vapour Rub

A refreshing aromatic bison balm to support easy breathing and the clearing of congestion. Tallow is blended with natural ingredients such as eucalyptus, peppermint, spruce, and wintergreen to create an invigorating chest rub that both nourishes and protects.

https://www.thebrownbear.ca/products/respiratory-care-simply-tallow-open-airways

Herbal Hair Oil

Not tallow-based, but a fortifying, botanical blend of herbs and antioxidant-rich oils to revitalize hair and scalp. Supports growth, shine, and softness for healthier, fuller hair. Soothing and invigorating to dry, damaged hair and irritated scalps.

https://www.thebrownbear.ca/products/hair-care-herbal-oil Sacred Earth Extracts Products are time-honoured, and crafted with intention. In their own words:

“We believe in using whole, ancestral ingredients that reconnect us to the land and our body’s natural rhythms. Bison tallow is biodegradable, sustainable, and harvested from ethically- raised animals, often in partnership with Indigenous ranchers and regenerative farms. This aligns with our commitment to land stewardship, cultural integrity, and creating healing remedies that truly work.”

Visit our site to learn more, and to order Sacred Earth Extracts products online:
https://www.thebrownbear.ca/collections/vendors?q=Sacred%20Earth%20Extracts Disclaimer: Sacred Earth Extracts products are for external use only. Products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult a healthcare professional before use, especially if pregnant, nursing, or on medication. Not tested on animals.