How to Choose a Good Tallow Balm in Australia
There are now dozens of tallow balms on the Australian market. This is the checklist we would use if we were buying one, including the points where other brands may suit you better.
What makes a good tallow balm?
A good tallow balm has tallow listed first, no water, a short ingredient list, a clean render with only a faint smell, and honest reviews. Beyond that, the best one depends on you: fragrance-free or scented, firm or whipped, face or body, and your budget. Use the checklist below on any brand, including ours.
The checklist
- Tallow should be the first ingredient. Ingredients are listed from most to least. If water (aqua) comes first, it is a cream with some tallow in it, not a balm.
- Count the ingredients. A genuine balm needs very few. Emulsifiers and preservatives such as cetearyl alcohol or phenoxyethanol mean there is water in it somewhere.
- Check for fragrance. Look for fragrance, parfum or essential oils. Fine if you like scent, but if your skin is sensitive, fragrance-free is the safer choice. See why fragrance-free matters.
- Check the grass-fed claim. Most Australian cattle are pasture-raised for most of their lives. The difference is usually how they were finished. Grass-fed tallow tends to be more yellow. See grass-fed vs grain-fed tallow.
- Ask about rendering. A strong beefy smell usually means a fast, hot render that left protein behind. A clean render smells of almost nothing. See does tallow balm smell like beef?
- Compare price per gram, not per jar. Jars range from about 30g to 100g or more, so divide the price by the grams. Then remember a firm balm goes further than a whipped one, because whipping adds air.
- Read the bad reviews and the guarantee. A brand that leaves its 1-star reviews up and offers a refund is easier to trust than one with only perfect scores.
Other things worth deciding first
- Firm or whipped. Whipped balms feel lighter and scoop easily, but you pay for the air. Firm balms go further and need warming between your fingertips.
- Extra ingredients. Some brands add jojoba, cocoa butter, honey or essential oils. These change the feel and the scent. Fewer ingredients make it easier to work out what your skin does or does not like.
- Australian-made or just Australian-owned. A brand name that sounds Australian is not the same as a product made here. Look for where it is made, not where the company is registered.
- Where you will use it. If it is mainly for hands and body, a cheaper, larger jar may be all you need. If it is for your face, fragrance and render quality matter more.
Where AusTallow fits
AusTallow is a firm, fragrance-free balm with three ingredients: Australian grass-fed beef tallow, beeswax and olive oil. It is rendered slowly, strained several times and hand-poured in small batches in Sydney. It is $49.99 for 50g, which is at the premium end per gram. If you want the lowest price per gram, a whipped or larger jar from another brand will cost less. If you want the shortest label and no fragrance, it is worth a look. Read is AusTallow worth it? for the honest pros and cons.
AusTallow is a cosmetic moisturiser. It is not a therapeutic good and it is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or skin condition. Information on this page is general in nature. If you have a diagnosed skin condition, speak to your GP or dermatologist.
Three ingredients. One jar.
100% Australian grass-fed tallow, Australian beeswax, Australian extra-virgin olive oil. Nothing else, and 60 days to change your mind.
See The Balm →