Tallow balm vs coconut oil: an honest comparison

Coconut oil is probably the most famous "natural moisturiser" there is. It's cheap, it's in most kitchens, and plenty of people rub it on their skin. So how does it compare with tallow balm? Here's an honest side-by-side.

What is coconut oil?

Coconut oil is a plant oil pressed from coconut flesh. It's solid when it's cool and melts at around 24°C, so a warm room is enough. That's why a jar of it can be solid in winter and liquid in summer.

What is tallow balm?

Tallow balm is made with tallow, which is rendered beef fat, usually blended with other oils or waxes so it's nicer to use. Here's the full explanation. The Original is grass-fed beef tallow, olive squalane, Golden Jojoba Oil and candelilla wax.

Tallow balm vs coconut oil: the main differences

• Single ingredient vs blend: coconut oil is one oil. A tallow balm like The Original is a blend made to feel balanced on skin.
• Texture: coconut oil goes from solid to runny depending on the room temperature. A balm with a wax in it keeps its texture better in the jar.
• Feel on skin: some people find coconut oil sits on top of their skin and feels slippery. Others like it. Everyone's skin is different.
• Smell: virgin coconut oil smells of coconut. Refined coconut oil smells of very little. Tallow has its own faint natural scent.
• Vegan: coconut oil is plant-based. Tallow balm isn't vegan.

Is tallow balm better than coconut oil for skin?

We're biased, so we'll keep it simple. Coconut oil is a single kitchen oil. A tallow balm is made for skin. If coconut oil works for you, great. If you've found it too slippery, or you want something richer that stays put in the jar, a tallow balm might suit you better. Patch test anything new first.

Can you mix tallow and coconut oil?

Plenty of homemade tallow balm recipes use coconut oil. We chose not to. We wanted a short list where every ingredient has a clear job, so The Original uses olive squalane and Golden Jojoba Oil alongside the tallow instead. Here's why we picked each one.

Why not just make your own?

You can. Lots of people do. It takes good tallow, careful rendering and filtering, accurate weighing and a bit of patience. It took us 23 batches to get a balm we were happy with, especially on smell. If you'd rather skip the trial and error, that's what we're here for.

The short version

Coconut oil is one plant oil that melts in a warm room. Tallow balm is beef fat blended into a balm made for skin. Both have fans. Want to try tallow? The Original comes with a 60-day guarantee. Also see tallow balm vs shea butter.