How to choose the best tallow balm in the UK: 7 things to check

Tallow balm has gone from niche to everywhere, and the UK now has dozens of brands, from tiny kitchen makers to big marketplace sellers. So how do you choose the best tallow balm in the UK for you? Here are the things worth checking before you buy.

1. Read the ingredient list

A good tallow balm usually has a short list. You should be able to read it in one breath and know what everything is. Ingredients are listed from most to least, so tallow should be near the top. If it's buried at the bottom, there isn't much in there.

2. Check where the tallow comes from

Look for "grass-fed beef tallow" and a country, not just "tallow" or "premium tallow". A decent brand will happily tell you where it's sourced. What grass-fed actually means.

3. Water or no water?

A balm should have no water. If water (aqua) is on the list, it's a cream or lotion, and it'll need emulsifiers and preservatives. That's not wrong, it's just a different product. Tallow balm vs moisturiser explained.

4. Fragrance or no added fragrance

Scented balms use essential oils or fragrance. If you've got sensitive skin, or you just don't want perfume, look for no added fragrance. And be wary of "odourless": tallow balm always smells of something. The honest answer on smell.

5. Whipped or poured

Whipped balms are fluffy and full of air. Poured balms are firm and dense. Neither is wrong, but a poured jar is balm all the way down. Whipped vs poured explained.

6. Honest claims

Tallow balm is a moisturising balm. If a brand promises it'll cure skin conditions, erase wrinkles or "heal" anything, that's a red flag. In the UK, cosmetics aren't allowed to claim to treat medical conditions, and the good brands don't try.

7. A proper guarantee and a real person

Skin is personal. A good brand will have a clear returns policy or guarantee, and a real email address where a human replies. Check the delivery cost and where it ships from too: buying from a UK maker means quicker delivery and someone you can actually reach.

Price: what's fair?

Compare the price per jar size, not just the sticker price, and think about how long it lasts. Because you use so little, a 60ml jar of The Original lasts about 6 weeks used morning and night. How long a jar really lasts.

Our checklist, applied to us

• Four ingredients: grass-fed beef tallow, olive squalane, Golden Jojoba Oil, candelilla wax.
• Grass-fed tallow, sourced in the UK. Tallow first on the list.
• No water. The Original has no added fragrance.
• Poured, not whipped.
• Made in small batches in Clydebank, Scotland.
• Try one jar for 60 days. Don't love it? Send it back and we'll refund it.

Judge for yourself. Take a look at The Original.