Will Tallow break me out? The honest truth no one else will tell you

When we talk about tallow in skincare, we’re diving into one of the most ancient, yet controversial, ingredients used on the skin. Especially the face.

At Bathers Balm, we love tallow! But we also believe in full transparency. It’s a hero for dry, sensitive skin and barrier support. But if your acne-prone, it’s important to patch test and understand how your skin might respond. Read on for the full breakdown - no sales strategy, just facts and our own experience.

Tallow is rendered animal fat, typically from beef or mutton, and it’s made up of roughly 50-55% saturated fats, about 40% monounsaturated fats, and a small fraction of polyunsaturated fats. Its lipid profile closely resembles the sebum naturally produced by human skin, which is one reason it’s often praised for being highly compatible with our skin barrier.

But here's the truth: tallow is not universally non-comedogenic.

A lot of online content claims that it won’t clog pores and is safe for all skin type, but scientifically, that’s a blanket statement that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.

The Comedogenic Reality:

Tallow itself has a comedogenic rating typically estimated around 2 to 3, depending on its composition and how it’s processed. That means it’s moderately likely to clog pores in some people - especially those who are already acne-prone, have small, tight pores, or whose skin is sensitive to saturated fats.

While some may argue that tallow is “bio-identical” to human sebum, that’s only partly true. Sebum is made up of triglycerides, wax esters, squalene, and free fatty acids—tallow does overlap in some components, like palmitic acid and oleic acid - but it lacks others, like squalene and natural antioxidants. More importantly, oleic acid, which is present in high amounts in many tallow sources, has been shown to disrupt the skin barrier in high concentrations and induce comedones in some people.

Our Honest Experience:

I’ll admit it! I fell for the "tallow is always safe" narrative too. I believed it was a miracle for everyone’s face. I even jumped on the same propaganda train when I first created Bathers Balm and told this narrative to our very first customers. I was wrong. For some of us, especially those with reactive or acne-prone skin, our sensitive facial skin didn’t like it. It clogged pores, increased congestion, and broke down the barrier we were trying to support.

But that doesn’t mean tallow isn’t incredible—it just means it's not for everyone.

So, Why Does It Work for Others?

For people with dry, flaky, barrier-damaged skin - especially those dealing with eczema, psoriasis, or perioral dermatitis - tallow can be transformative. That’s because it’s rich in nourishing fatty acids like palmitic acid, stearic acid, and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which help support the skin’s lipid barrier and reduce trans-epidermal water loss (TEWL).

Tallow also contains fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in their natural forms, which contribute to antioxidant and skin-repairing properties. These nutrients are particularly helpful on the body, where skin is thicker, less reactive, and better able to tolerate occlusive or rich products.

Chemistry of Compatibility:

Let’s get into the skin science. Healthy skin has a mildly acidic pH, around 4.5–5.5. Tallow, when rendered cleanly and not overcooked, has a pH close to neutral. That doesn’t mean it’s harmful - it just means it doesn’t buffer the skin’s natural acid mantle as effectively as something like lactic acid or acidic botanical oils.

More importantly, oleic acid - abundant in grass-fed tallow - can be both a savior and a saboteur. While it increases penetration of actives and soothes some skin types, it also has been shown to disrupt tight junction proteins and alter keratinocyte function, which can be comedogenic and barrier-disruptive in acne-prone skin.

This is why some people with acne swear by it - and others, like me, break out.

Face vs Body:

Let’s be clear. Your face is not your body.

Facial skin has more sebaceous glands, a higher cell turnover rate, and more exposure to environmental aggressors. It’s also more likely to develop comedones when occlusive ingredients are applied. The body, especially the legs, arms, or torso, tends to tolerate heavier formulations, and tallow-based balms can be soothing, regenerative, and long-lasting on dry skin.

That’s why we often say: use your balm as a body butter, elbow and ankle healer, or hand cream - but go slow on the face.

Our Position:

We're not here to fearmonger, but we’re also not here to sell you propaganda. Tallow can be a miracle or a mistake. It depends on your skin type, the balance of fatty acids in your formula, how you process the tallow, and what you combine it with.

So here's the deal:

Patch test. Always. Wait 24–48 hours. Don’t jump in.

If your skin is acne-prone, start on the body or dry patches.

If your skin is dry, flaky, sensitive, or barrier-compromised, tallow might be your new best friend.

If you break out? That’s okay. It doesn’t mean your skin is broken. It just means it needs something different - lighter, faster absorbing, and with a different lipid ratio.

Skincare is not one-size-fits-all. And at the end of the day, we believe honesty is better than hype.