Is Tallow Balm Worth It? An Honest Look at the Price

Is tallow balm worth it? It is a fair question. A small jar of our balm costs $45, and a tub of drugstore lotion costs a fraction of that. So before you spend the money, you deserve an honest answer, including the part where we tell you who should probably skip it.

This guide walks through who tallow balm is not worth it for, what the price actually pays for, how far a jar goes, whether making your own is the smarter move, and how to find out for yourself without much risk.

Written by Jackie, co founder of Wild Gold Tallow. She spent about 15 years buying moisturizers that never lasted before she helped create this balm, and she still uses it on her own face every day.

Is tallow balm worth it? The short answer

For some people, yes. For others, honestly, no.

Tallow balm tends to be worth it if your skin runs dry, you are tired of reapplying lotion all day, and you care about knowing exactly what is in the jar. It tends not to be worth it if you mostly want the cheapest option, love a light watery lotion feel, or would rather not use animal ingredients at all.

Price alone does not answer the question. What matters is what you are paying for, how long it lasts, and whether it does the job you need it to do. Let us take those one at a time.

Who tallow balm is not worth it for

We would rather lose a sale than have you disappointed. Tallow balm is probably not worth it for you if:

• You want the lowest price per ounce. A big bottle of body lotion will always win on price. Most of that bottle is water, but it is cheap and it spreads easily.
• You love a strong fragrance. Our unscented jar smells faintly of, well, nothing much. Even our scented ones are gentle. If you want a perfume experience, a balm will feel plain.
• You prefer a light, watery feel. A balm is rich. Used in the right amount it sinks in, but it will never feel like a gel cream.
• You avoid animal products. Tallow is rendered beef fat and colostrum comes from cows. If that does not sit right with you, a plant based moisturizer is the better fit, and that is a completely reasonable choice.
• You avoid dairy. Our balm contains colostrum, which is dairy derived. If you have a dairy allergy, this is not the one for you.

If none of those describe you, keep reading.

What you are actually paying for in a tallow balm

Here is where the $45 goes. We are not going to pretend our costs are a secret, because they are the whole reason the price is what it is.

First colostrum

Colostrum is the first milk a cow makes after giving birth. We use first colostrum, the very first milking, collected within about six hours of calving. A cow only makes colostrum for a short window after each calf, so there is only ever a small amount of it, and the first milking is the scarcest of all. Most skincare brands do not use colostrum at all, and the few that do rarely say which milking theirs comes from. You can read more about it in our guide to bovine colostrum for skin.

USA emu oil

Emu oil costs us roughly five times what a common plant carrier oil like olive or almond would. We use it because it helps the balm feel lighter and absorb more easily than plain tallow. It is also one of the easiest ingredients in skincare to cut with cheaper oils, which is why we wrote a whole guide on how to tell if your emu oil is real.

100% grass fed suet tallow

Our tallow is 100% grass fed suet tallow from USA farms. Suet is a specific fat from around the kidneys, not whatever trimmings are left over. If you want to know how to check this on any label, ours or anyone else's, we covered it in grass fed tallow balm: how to spot the real thing.

Three ingredients and nothing to stretch them

Our balm is first colostrum, 100% grass fed suet tallow and USA emu oil. That is it. There is no water, no filler oil and no fragrance oil bulking up the jar. It is handmade in small batches in Asheville, North Carolina. That is slower and costs more than a factory run, but it is how we make sure every jar matches the one we use at home.

How far a jar of tallow balm goes

The sticker price only tells half the story. The other half is how much you use.

For your face, an amount about the size of a grain of rice is plenty. Warm it between your fingertips, press it in, and it should mostly absorb within about a minute. Most people who tell us the balm feels greasy are simply using too much, and the fix also makes the jar last longer.

Body use is a different story. Covering your arms and legs every day uses a lot more, and we will be honest that a jar balm is an expensive way to cover your whole body daily. We already did the math on exactly how much you need in our guide to tallow balm for body, so we will not repeat it here. The short version: tallow balm gives you the most value on your face, hands, lips and the dry spots that need it most.

It is also worth counting what it can replace. Plenty of our customers use one jar as a face moisturizer, night cream, hand balm and lip balm. If that jar takes the place of three or four other products, the math looks very different.

Is tallow balm worth it compared to making your own?

This is the question we get most from people who already know about tallow. Here is the honest version.

If you want a plain tallow balm and you enjoy the project, making your own can absolutely be worth it. The raw fat can cost a small fraction of what a finished jar does.

The trade off is time and sourcing. Rendering and clarifying tallow well takes hours, it smells strongly while you do it, and getting it clean enough to not smell beefy on your face takes practice. If you are curious what causes that smell, we explained it in does tallow balm smell like beef.

The bigger hurdle is the other two ingredients. First colostrum and real USA emu oil are hard to buy in small home batch amounts, and harder still to verify. So a fair way to think about it is this. Making your own is worth it for a simple tallow balm. Buying is worth it if you want the colostrum and emu oil combination without sourcing it yourself.

Is tallow balm worth it if you have tried everything?

This is the part I can speak to personally. For around 15 years I used the petroleum based creams a dermatologist recommended. The relief never lasted. Within half an hour my hands would feel dry and tight again, so I would reach for the tube again. I spent a lot of money on products that only ever bought me a few minutes.

We made this balm for ourselves long before it had a name, after our family left Los Angeles for a farm outside Asheville to raise our own food. Our friend Rachel, who makes tallow skincare, suggested blending our own fresh first colostrum into a tallow balm. That first batch is the recipe we still use, and we use it on our whole family every day, kids included.

We hear the same story from customers who have been around the block with tallow, too.

"I've tried 35 different tallow balms… this is actually my favorite tallow balm I have ever used."

That is LJ, one of our customers. If you have already spent money on balm after balm, the question is not really whether tallow balm is worth it. It is whether this particular one is different enough from the ones you have tried. Only your skin can answer that, which brings us to the next part.

How to find out if tallow balm is worth it for you

The cheapest way to answer the question is to try it properly. Here is how we would do it:

• Patch test first. Put a small amount on your inner arm or behind your ear for a day, especially since our balm contains dairy derived colostrum.
• Start small. Use a grain of rice amount on your face and warm it first. Too much is the most common reason people give up on tallow.
• Be consistent. Use it morning and night for a few weeks rather than judging it on day one.
• Pay attention to reapplying. The clearest sign it is working for you is reaching for moisturizer less often during the day.

And if it is not for you, you are covered. We offer a 60 day money back guarantee. If for any reason you are not completely satisfied, contact us within 60 days of delivery and we will issue a full refund or a replacement, no questions asked.

"I've been using it for a month and just ordered my second one. My skin is looking much better than a month ago."

That is Rosa. A second order is probably the most honest review a skincare product can get.

Is tallow balm worth it FAQ

Is tallow balm worth it for dry skin?

For many people with dry skin, yes. Tallow balm is waterless and rich, so a small amount can keep skin feeling moisturized for longer than a watery lotion. The key is using a small amount and applying it to clean, slightly damp skin.

Why is tallow balm so expensive?

Price comes down to ingredients and how it is made. Ours uses first colostrum, USA emu oil and 100% grass fed suet tallow, with no water or filler oils, handmade in small batches. Those ingredients cost far more than the water and plant oils in most lotions.

How long does a jar of tallow balm last?

It depends on where you use it. On the face, a grain of rice amount is enough, so a jar goes a long way. Using it all over the body every day uses much more. Our tallow balm for body guide walks through the numbers.

Is it cheaper to make your own tallow balm?

For a plain tallow balm, usually yes, if you are happy to spend hours rendering and clarifying the fat. Ingredients like first colostrum and real USA emu oil are much harder to source and verify at home.

What if tallow balm is not worth it for me?

We offer a 60 day money back guarantee. Contact us within 60 days of delivery and we will issue a full refund or replacement, no questions asked.

The bottom line on whether tallow balm is worth it

Tallow balm is not for everyone, and it is not the cheapest way to moisturize. It is worth it if you want a short, readable ingredient list, a product that lasts on dry skin, and one jar that can cover your face, hands and lips. It is not worth it if you want a big bottle for little money, a strong scent or a plant based routine.

If you want to try ours, you can find the Colostrum Tallow Balm on its product page, or browse our colostrum skincare collection. New to using balm on your face? Start with our guide to tallow for face.

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.