Lip Balm
Face Cream
Hyaluronic SerumWhat tallow is
Tallow is rendered animal fat, made up mainly of triglycerides.1 Beef tallow comes from beef fat: the fat is gently melted, the solids are strained out, and what is left cools into a smooth, creamy solid.
Root 44’s Tallow Face Cream starts with grass-fed beef tallow and adds six more ingredients: coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax, Manuka honey, vitamin E and lemongrass. The Tallow Lip Balm is made with beef tallow too.
An old ingredient
Tallow has a long history in the home. It was once widely used to make candles, and it is still a classic ingredient in soap.1 Its return to skin care comes down to texture: it is rich and buttery, which is exactly what you want from a balm or a cream.
How it compares to your skin’s own oil
Your skin makes its own oil, called sebum. In a published review of sebaceous gland lipids, triglycerides and fatty acids together made up the largest share of human sebum, about 57.5%, followed by wax esters (26%) and squalene (12%).2
Tallow is made mostly of triglycerides as well. In beef tallow, the most common fatty acids are oleic, palmitic and stearic acid.1
Similar building blocks make an interesting comparison. They are not a promise of how any one person’s skin will respond.How we read the research
How it feels
Tallow is solid at room temperature and softens as it warms. Rub a small amount between your fingertips and it turns soft and easy to spread. That is why a little goes a long way: start small and add more only if your skin wants it.
As a moisturizer, tallow is occlusive: it leaves a light, rich layer on the skin that helps lock moisture in and soften dry, rough patches. That is also why it works well over a water-loving serum like the Hyaluronic Serum.
It also explains the one storage rule that matters: keep tallow products somewhere cool, away from direct sun and hot cars.
What we won’t claim
Root 44 makes moisturizers, not medicine. You won’t find promises here about fixing skin conditions or overnight transformations. If you are managing a skin condition, ask your doctor before adding something new to your routine.
Trying it for the first time
- Read the ingredients first. The Face Cream’s seven are listed on its page; the Hyaluronic Serum’s six are on its page; for the Lip Balm, ask Amber for the full list.
- Try a small amount on the inside of your arm before the first full use.
- If anything stings, itches or turns red, stop using it.
Sources
- “Tallow.” Wikipedia. Definition, historical uses and typical fatty acid composition. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow (checked October 16, 2026).
- Picardo M, Ottaviani M, Camera E, Mastrofrancesco A. “Sebaceous gland lipids.” Dermato-Endocrinology, 2009; 1(2): 68–71. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2835893 (checked October 16, 2026).
