The current surge in popularity of tallow is as hard to explain as these things usually are. Maybe it’s the “ancestral health” movement that has sparked interest in traditional, animal-based ingredients perceived as more aligned with historical human use. This would have some logic. But logical isn’t the first adjective you usually reach for when explaining skincare trends.
Perhaps growing skepticism toward industrial seed oils and synthetic ingredients has led consumers to seek alternatives perceived as more natural.
Sustainability concerns may have renewed interest in using the whole animal, with tallow representing a byproduct that might otherwise be discarded.
If so, these concerns are not tremendously well founded. The chemical industry is quite capable of finding a use for tallow.
The timing may also connect to broader post-pandemic trends toward self-sufficiency, traditional skills, and “back to basics” approaches to health and beauty?
It might not be anything to do with the consumers at all. The rise of small-batch, artisan skincare brands has created space for these traditional ingredients to be reintroduced with modern marketing opportunities. Social media platforms like TikTok excel at rapidly spreading information about niche products, especially those with compelling before-and-after testimonials. So this might be something that people want to sell rather than something that people want to buy.
There’s no way of telling, but I think this last one is the most likely.
The other inevitable question is whether this is a fad or a long-term trend. As an environmentalist, I don’t think there is a very good case for Tallo. You can never guess what agricultural scientists will come up with next, but overall meat production is very dependent on managing large areas of land.this inevitably comes at the price of loss of habitat for wildlife. Current farming practices also lead to the release of greenhouse gases. So well tell her maybe natural, it certainly isn’t Green. However as a formulator I have to say it’s a very good ingredient to work with and gives great results.