All about tallow balm and unique ways to use it

Tallow balm is more than just a moisturizer—it’s a skincare powerhouse rooted in all-natural ingredients. Before exploring the many ways you can incorporate tallow balm into your daily routine, let’s explore what makes tallow so unique and why it stands apart from traditional lotions.

What is tallow, and how is it different from other lotions? 

Tallow is made from rendered animal fat, beef in our case, historically used for cooking, candle making, and skincare. Unlike commercial lotions, which often rely on water, preservatives, and synthetic ingredients, tallow balm offers a simple, nutrient-rich alternative. 

Why does tallow stand out? 

Tallow is naturally packed with saturated fats like stearic and oleic acids, closely resembling the sebum your skin produces. This similarity allows tallow to:

• Deeply nourish and hydrate the skin without clogging pores.

• Support the skin’s natural barrier, locking in moisture and shielding against environmental stressors.

• Deliver essential vitamins A, D, E, and K directly to the skin, promoting overall vitality and resilience.

Tallow soaps and balms use minimal ingredients but provide maximum benefits.

Tallow provides long-lasting moisture. Unlike water-based lotions that evaporate quickly, tallow balm provides long-lasting hydration, requiring fewer applications throughout the day.

Key Differences between tallow and lotions

Creative ways to use tallow balm in your everyday routine 

Now that you understand what makes tallow balm so special, let’s explore how you can use it to enhance your daily skincare routine.

Lip care: Tallow balm is a lifesaver for dry, cracked lips. Its rich, moisturizing properties provide deep hydration, keeping your lips soft and smooth. Apply a small amount throughout the day for continuous nourishment.

Pro tip: Add a drop of your favorite essential oil for a personalized lip balm.

Cuticle repair: Dry, neglected cuticles can lead to painful hangnails and brittle nails. Massage a bit of tallow balm into your cuticles daily to keep them soft and promote healthy nail growth.

Bonus: Use it as an overnight treatment for extra hydration.

Nourishing eye cream: The delicate skin around your eyes deserves special attention. Tallow balm’s gentle yet potent formula helps reduce puffiness and fine lines. Tap a tiny amount around your eyes each night for a rejuvenating boost.

Why it works: Tallow’s fatty acids maintain skin elasticity and moisture.

Hand relief: Transform dry, cracked hands into soft, smooth ones by applying a generous layer of tallow balm. For an overnight treatment, wear cotton gloves to lock in moisture.

Moisturizing hack: Use our Pumice tallow soap to remove dead skin first and then lock in moisture with tallow balm.

After-shave balm: Both men and women can benefit from the soothing properties of tallow balm after shaving. Its anti-inflammatory benefits calm irritated skin and reduce redness.

Tip: Apply right after shaving to lock in moisture for maximum effect.

Tallow balm isn’t just a moisturizer—it’s a versatile, natural solution for a variety of skincare needs. From lip care to soothing after-shave balm, there are countless ways to incorporate this nutrient-rich product into your daily routine. 

Tips for Making High-Quality Tallow Soap

We have spent quite some time refining our soaps and honing our craft to ensure each soap and balm we make is something we are proud to share with our customers. Whether you’re a seasoned soap maker or new to the process, we want to share some key tips that guide us in creating high-quality tallow soaps and balms. These tips will help you understand the care we take in our process and empower you to create your own luxurious tallow soaps at home.

Source High-Quality Tallow

The foundation of any great tallow soap starts with the quality of the tallow itself. We prefer to use tallow sourced from responsibly raised animals, such as grass-fed cattle. High-quality tallow is typically more nutrient-dense, providing superior moisturizing properties that make our soaps and balms extra nourishing for your skin. When making your own soap, take the time to find the best tallow you can—your skin will thank you!

Render Tallow with Care

Rendering tallow is a crucial step in the soapmaking process. It is important to slowly and carefully render tallow to obtain pure, clean tallow for soapmaking. This attention to detail ensures that the tallow is free of any unwanted scents or residues, resulting in a smoother, more consistent soap. If you’re rendering tallow at home, be patient and meticulous in this step to achieve the best results. 

Perfect Your Recipe

A well-balanced recipe is another key part in creating high-quality tallow soap. We have meticulously tested and refined our recipe to achieve the perfect blend of cleansing and moisturizing properties. When crafting your own soap, experiment with different ratios of tallow, lye, and other fats like coconut, sunflower, or olive oil. This experimentation will help you find the perfect balance that suits your skin’s needs.

Use High-Quality Additives

The ingredients you add to your soap, such as essential oils, herbs, and natural colorants, can elevate the quality of the final product. At The Healthy Porcupine, we use only the highest-quality, natural additives to enhance our soaps’ benefits, such as pure essential oils, high-grade pine tar, and natural pumice. Whether you’re looking to add a soothing lavender scent, invigorating peppermint, or energizing coffee, choose additives that are pure and organic for the best outcome.

Be Mindful when Curing

Curing allows soap to harden and develop, making it safe to cleanse and moisturize your skin. We cure our tallow soaps for a minimum of four weeks, guaranteeing they reach the perfect hardness and lather. During this time, the soap also becomes milder, making it gentle on the skin. When making your own soap, be patient during the curing process—rushing this step can lead to a softer, less effective soap.

Maintain a Clean Workspace

Cleanliness is critical when making soap to avoid contamination. We maintain strict hygiene standards in our production process, ensuring that every bar of soap is pure and safe for use. At home, make sure your workspace, tools, and molds are clean and sanitized before starting. This will help you produce a high-quality soap you can feel confident using and sharing with others. 

Store Soap Properly

Proper storage is essential to maintaining the quality of your soap. To preserve their integrity, we store our soaps in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Once your soaps are cured, store them in a similar environment to keep them fresh and effective for as long as possible.

Quality is important in every step of the soapmaking process and it truly makes a difference in the final product. From sourcing the finest tallow to carefully crafting and curing each bar, our commitment to excellence ensures that you receive the best possible product. We hope these tips inspire you to explore the art of tallow soapmaking and appreciate the care that goes into every bar we create. Whether you’re using our soaps or making your own, quality is always the key to a truly enriching experience.

How Does Tallow Soap Compare to Traditional Soap?

In the ever-evolving world of skincare, the conversation around the types of soaps we use is endless. Among the numerous options available, tallow soap has been gaining attention for its unique properties and benefits. But you may be wondering, how does it really compare to traditional soap? Let’s dive in.

The Basics of Tallow Soap

Tallow soap is made from animal fat, primarily beef fat, that has been saponified—a process where fat is turned into soap by reacting it with an alkali. This traditional method of tallow-based soap-making has been around for centuries, providing a rich, creamy lather that’s deeply moisturizing.

Differences in Ingredients and Production

Tallow Soap: The key ingredient, tallow, is a byproduct of the meat industry, making it an efficient use of resources. It’s combined with lye (sodium hydroxide) to produce soap. Our tallow soaps and many others include natural ingredients such as essential oils for fragrance and additional properties. As such, tallow soaps are known to be a more natural choice than traditional mass-produced soaps.

Traditional Soap: Traditional soaps can be made from various oils and fats, including vegetable oils (like olive, coconut, or palm) or synthetic detergents. The production processes can vary, with some focusing on natural ingredients and others on synthetic formulations designed for specific skin types or uses.

Environmental Impact

Tallow Soap: One of the main benefits of tallow soap is its lower environmental impact. Tallow is a byproduct, and its use in soap-making helps reduce waste. Our tallow soaps are also made with minimal, recyclable packaging and without synthetic additives, making them a more eco-friendly choice.

Traditional Soap: The environmental impact of traditional soaps varies widely depending on the ingredients and production methods. Soaps made with palm oil, for example, have been criticized for their role in deforestation, habitat destruction, and unfair labor conditions. Synthetic components and packaging in some traditional soaps can also contribute to pollution and waste.

Skin Benefits and Experience

Tallow Soap closely mimics the lipids in human skin, making it highly moisturizing and nourishing. Because of its gentle, hydrating properties, it’s recommended for use on dry or sensitive skin. People also typically appreciate the creamy lather and natural scents that provide an aromatherapy and spa-like experience.

Traditional Soap: The benefits of traditional soap depends largely on the formulation. Soaps with synthetic detergents can be more drying or irritating for some skin types, while those made with natural oils can offer similar benefits to tallow soap. The variety of scents, colors, and added ingredients in traditional soaps can enhance the user experience for different preferences.

Cost and Accessibility

Tallow Soap: While less widely available in mainstream stores, tallow soap can be found in specialty shops, farmers’ markets, and online. Its price varies, but it can be more expensive than mass-produced soaps due to its artisanal nature and the quality of ingredients. While we would consider our soaps mid-range from a price perspective, they are all-natural and handmade which is provides additional benefits to your skin than traditional soaps.

Traditional Soap: Regular soaps are highly accessible and available in a range of prices. From luxury, natural soap bars to economical, mass-produced options, there’s something for every budget.

Choosing between tallow soap and traditional soap depends on personal preferences, values, and skincare needs. Tallow soap offers a sustainable, moisturizing option for those looking for natural skincare, while traditional soap provides a wide range of choices to suit various preferences and requirements. We believe that understanding the differences helps consumers make informed decisions that align with their lifestyle and environmental values.

In the end, there is no wrong soap, only the soap that is right for you. Whether you lean towards the traditional, minimalistic appeal of tallow soap or the diverse options available among traditional soaps, there’s no shortage of ways to keep clean and feel great about your choice.

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Embracing Gratitude: A Seasonal Reflection from The Healthy Porcupine

As the leaves change colors and the air carries a distinct crispness, we find ourselves immersed in a profound sense of gratitude. The holiday season is a chance for us to reflect on the journey we've traversed as a small business dedicated to crafting natural, eco-friendly soaps. It's a time for us to not only celebrate our accomplishments but also to express our heartfelt appreciation to our customers, supporters, and the environment that inspires us.

We both recall the early days when The Healthy Porcupine was just a budding idea, born out of a desire to create more sustainable, chemical-free soaps. Jen had skin concerns and wanted to create a natural solution to cleanse, soothe, and moisturize her skin without irritation. From there, we began building the Healthy Porcupine you know and love today.

However, the road to where we are was not without its challenges. Long hours, uncertainties, and the unpredictable nature of starting a small business tested our resolve. After over ten years of investing in our business, we are truly proud.

One of the things that we are both incredibly grateful for are the stories we receive from customers. The heartwarming testimonials and success stories shared by customers who have experienced the positive effects of our soaps are a constant source of inspiration. Whether it's someone finding relief from dry or irritated skin, embracing a more chemical-free lifestyle, or simply feeling invigorated by the natural scents, these stories reinforce our purpose.

We are also profoundly grateful for the opportunity to pursue our passion full-time. With your support, we have worked together to create soaps and balms that help our customers’ skin and our own. Nutrient-rich, moisturized skin is something everyone should experience, and we hope our soaps and balms can help our customers on that mission.

This season serves as a poignant reminder to pause, reflect, and express appreciation. It's about acknowledging the small moments that shape our journey—a smile from a satisfied customer, a positive review, or the simple joy of witnessing the impact of our eco-friendly initiatives.

We invite everyone to embrace the spirit of gratitude. Take a moment to appreciate the little things—the warmth of a hot shower, the natural scent of our soaps, the companionship of loved ones, and the beauty of the world around us.

As a small business, we extend our deepest gratitude to each and every individual who has supported us on this incredible voyage. Your belief in our mission and products fuels our passion and commitment to crafting exceptional natural soaps.

From all of us at The Healthy Porcupine, we wish you a season filled with gratitude, joy, and an abundance of natural goodness.

Warmest wishes,

Darlene and Jennifer

The Healthy Porcupine

What does it mean to opt-out of the chemical lifestyle?

Over eight years ago, we decided it was time to opt-out of the chemical lifestyle. To us, opting out of the chemical lifestyle is a decision to use natural products with straightforward ingredients whenever possible. We use chemicals in our homes, our bodies, and at work. While we know some chemicals are necessary, and it would be difficult to cut them out 100%, limiting our exposure to unnecessary chemicals can benefit our health and the world around us. Specifically, we want to limit our exposure to synthetics—artificial chemical compounds that are usually cheap and easy to make. These synthetic chemicals are typically not environmentally conscious and can be bad for our health/skin. 

When it comes to soap and skin specifically, we began making soap because we realized how damaging these synthetic chemicals could be to our skin. They have little to no health benefits, and they can actually work against us. Opting out of the chemical lifestyle was a way for us to take control of our skin health by making and using products that give us added health benefits. That is why we only use pasture-based beef suet in our soaps and all-natural essential oils in our products. By using pasture-based beef suet, we can ensure our tallow is nutrient-rich without unnecessary chemicals and hormones.

Similarly, using all-natural essential oils help keep our products safe for most skin types with less risk of irritation than synthetic fragrance oils. Making our products healthy for our customers and us is our top priority, but sustainable production is equally important. We make sure we support sustainable farming practices that value and nourish the soil, and we use reusable packing whenever possible to help keep our oceans clean. When it comes to our soaps, opting out of the chemical lifestyle is more than a motto, it's a lifestyle. We want to make sure we embrace it while also making it easy for our customers to opt-out of this lifestyle along with us. 

Opting out of the chemical lifestyle may look different for everyone, but ultimately, it is choosing to use natural ingredients and products. It may not always be possible, but making that choice and working towards it is enough. When you start to consider opting out of the chemical lifestyle, there are several ways to do it and how you begin is also up to you. Here are some great suggestions to get you started: 

• Shopping at local businesses with locally sourced ingredients.

• Utilize reusable packaging through package-free wholesale stores or alternative uses.

• Research ingredients and learn what natural, sustainable products work best for you.

• Using companion gardening to deal with pests and diseases instead of pesticides. This hugely aides the bee community.

We want to emphasize that we are not perfect; no one is. But, we should always strive to be better a little bit at a time. Keep educating ourselves, and apply one thing at a time. We hope this blog makes opting out of the chemical lifestyle a little easier for you. 

Palm Oil Soap vs. Pasture-Based Tallow Soap

When choosing a soap, it can go far beyond simple smells, costs, and brands. The quality and source of the ingredients are equally important.

So, what is the main difference between pasture-based tallow and palm oil?

Palm oil and tallow are used as the base in the soap making process. The hard oils and fats in the palm oil and tallow allow the soap to stay firm when it gets wet. The most apparent difference between them is that one is a plant-based oil and one is a pasture-based fat, but the differences don’t stop there. The way palm oil and tallow are sourced is different, and their nutrients, cost, sustainability, and texture are different as well. We know it is practically impossible to know everything about the ingredients in every product we use, but when it comes to soaps we think it is possible to make an informed decision.

How are palm oil and pasture-based tallow sourced?

Pasture-based tallow is made by rendering suet. Beef suet is the fat found around the loins and kidneys of cows. To render the suet, it is chopped up, melted over low heat, the liquid fat is strained to separate solid pieces, and the liquid fat is then allowed to cool resulting in rendered tallow. While to some tallow may seem strange or gross, the added vitamins and nutrients along with the sustainable benefits, actually made tallow a better choice for soap than palm oil.

Palm oil comes from the fruit of oil palm trees, the scientific name is Elaeis guineensis. The majority of palm oil harvested today comes from South Asia; although, it was originally native to Africa. There are different types of palm oil, but the oil that is typically used in soap making comes from squeezing the fruit of the oil palm tree. It is squeezed to get all of the palm oil out and this crude oil is then used to make soaps and many other household products. Palm oil is very common in household products because it is cheap and easy to work with, however, the conditions of its sourcing often call for ethical concerns. The ethical concerns in palm oil production stems from unfair labor practices and massive deforestation that further risks endangered species.

While tallow comes from animals, it is not the primary reason the animal is harvested. In fact, suet is typically considered waste in the farming industry. After the meat that most people eat is harvested, the suet is leftover with other non-traditional parts. Rendering tallow from suet to make soaps and balms is a sustainable way to use something that would be otherwise discarded. As for our soaps and balms, we also ensure the use of grass-fed cattle for any of our suet. We want to ensure our soaps are made using humanely sourced ingredients that are high quality.

What are the benefits of tallow vs. palm oil?

In addition to palm oil creating a long-lasting soap, its benefits also include high vitamin E and vitamin A content and refatting agents that allow your body to restore its natural oils. While these are amazing benefits, the benefits of beef tallow are even better. Tallow contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12, which contribute to skin health and appearance. Given that the fat saturation of tallow is close to human fat, the vitamins within it can be absorbed into the body easier and it locks in moisture and nutrients without clogging your pores.

Why choose beef tallow over palm oil?

We made the choice ourselves when we began making soaps, with skin conditions and health concerns we were looking for natural remedies that help our bodies and don’t break the bank. Tallow is known for its nutrient-rich properties that naturally heal and nourish our skin, so for us, it seemed like the perfect base. We make sure our tallow is ethically sourced and ensure it comes from a high-quality source. By doing so we can create soaps that are good for us and don’t come with the moral dilemmas of palm oil. Why not use a soap that is good for your health, your skin, the orangutans, and the elephants too!

Source: wwf.org

Happy Holidays from The Healthy Porcupine to you

This year has been quite the experience to say the least. We hope you have all managed to stay safe and healthy throughout. We are grateful to have managed to stay safe ourselves. 2020 brought a number of changes to our personal and professional lives. On a personal level, we have had to change how we interact with friends, family, and hobbies. As avid Dungeons & Dragons players, we used to meet our friends three out of four weekends a month to play. For safety measures, we have had to shift this to a fully online game once a month, which as you most likely know isn’t the same. Not to mention our switch to at-home workouts or rather the lack thereof LOL. We have worked to maintain some degree of normalcy, but who really can these days (and that is 100% okay!) Professionally, we had to adjust to having all of our major events canceled, having to completely alter how we set up and did business at the New Boston Farmers Market, and transition to having to rely completely on online sales and wholesale. While we have experienced abundant changes, we know that many small businesses have had a terrible time this year and that many have not made it. That is why we wanted to share our story with you all and say how extremely thankful we are for our customers who have allowed us to continue selling our all-natural tallow soap.

 With that being said, our holiday plans will be very simple this year. We will be hanging out at home with our cats, playing our favorite games, and Darlene will be making duck for dinner. We are getting our duck from Greentwist Acres, a local farm located in New Boston, New Hampshire. Our honey is also locally sourced from DJ’s Pure Natural Honey located in Manchester, NH. We want to continue to support local businesses while we stay home and enjoy the holidays. Of course, we will be washing up with our Rosemary Mint Tallow Soap, so we can be clean and fresh for dinner. If you want to check out Darlene’s duck recipe you can find it here. Feel free to share your holiday plans with us in the comments or send us your favorite holiday recipes (we are still looking for side dish recipes.) We know the holidays aren’t the same this year, but they can still be good if you can find a way to connect with your family, virtually or otherwise, or just do something that makes you happy. If you’re still looking for holiday soaps for your home or last minute holiday gifts, check out our store and order now! If you need a last minute gift we have virtual gift cards that you share with family in person or online! Get into the holiday season with the smell of some of our all-natural tallow soaps.

 P.S. Santa said our Pine Tar 20% Soap reminds him of the soap back in his workshop. 😉

Why support your local soap business?

The process of making soap is unique to each brand. With ingredients being sourced from a variety of places and techniques utilizing each ingredient differently, knowing exactly how the soap is made can make all the difference. This is where small businesses, like The Healthy Porcupine, come in to provide consumers with trusted products that are free of chemicals, dyes, and unnecessary additives.

Creating a conscious product is not the easiest task for a brand, big or small. It requires time, knowledge, and money. Taking the time to research the best ingredients available and figuring out how to use them in your soap. Obtaining the knowledge to put your research to the test and make quality soap from quality ingredients. Spending the money necessary to make sure your soap is natural, healthy, and beneficial while also being accessible to your consumer. With that being said, the choice to formulate a conscious soap is just as good of a decision for the brand as it is for the consumer. Brands feel confident in the positive effects of their products (like our all-natural tallow soap), and in turn create happy, loyal customers!

At The Healthy Porcupine, we use locally sourced ingredients and a transparent production process that creates value for our brand and trust between us and our customers. As a small business, we can select the finest ingredients that will help our customers’ skin while also giving them the tools they need to choose a soap that is right for them. Big soap brands can provide the education and the high-quality ingredients, but the quality is often lost in production through the use of harsh chemicals and additives or mass production techniques.

With a small all-natural soap brand you have the transparency and authenticity that you don’t get from large corporations. Our all-natural conscious soap products come with a face you know, recognize, and trust. As a small business, we lookout for our consumers with our honest recommendations and demonstrated value for high-quality products. We hope you all keep supporting small businesses just like we do!

The Healthy Porcupine newsletter is coming soon!

Hi everyone! We hope you are all staying safe and healthy during these times. As I mentioned in our last blog, we are getting back into the swing of things and we are excited to be more active online and in markets. It has been a hard time for everyone in 2020 and we hope to continue giving you all the products you want and need.

With that being said, we are ecstatic to announce our new bi-weekly newsletter, beginning Monday, October 12, 2020. This newsletter will serve as a consistent method of communication between The Healthy Porcupine and our customers. Each newsletter will be different and will feature new products, new blogs, upcoming events, ingredient descriptions, upcoming sales, and customer feedback.

With this exciting newsletter comes an exclusive discount! We will include the promo code in our first newsletter. If you want to make sure we have your email or if you want to sign up, you can sign up here. Now is the time to sign up and stock up on your favorite items sitewide!

Stay tuned for our first newsletter on October 12, 2020, and look out for the discount code along with some recommendations of our favorite products. As always, we hope to continue to safely provide healthy, natural, soothing products online and in person. We will be updating you on in-person events soon. Stay safe and happy shopping!

 P.S. don’t forget to sign up with your email here!