No filler. No faff.
Four ingredients. That's it.
Most skincare labels read like a chemistry exam. Ours doesn't. Here's everything that goes into a jar of TALO MALO, and why each one earned its place.
Most skincare labels read like a chemistry exam. Ours doesn't.
The four ingredients.
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01
Grass-Fed Beef Tallow
The heart of the balm. Grass-fed, sourced in the UK and carefully prepared, with lower tallow odour than many basic tallow balms.
- Rich, natural fats
- Moisturises dry skin
- A little goes a long way
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02
Olive Squalane
Our secret to a rich balm that feels lighter than you'd expect. Light, silky and made from olives.
- Lightweight emollient, made from olives
- Helps the balm glide on with a less greasy feel
- Smooth, silky feel
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03
Golden Jojoba Oil
Golden and smooth. Jojoba oil is made up mostly of liquid wax esters, which is why it feels so silky on skin.
- Mostly liquid wax esters (your skin's sebum has wax esters too)
- Smooth glide, lighter feel
- Stays fresh and stable in the jar
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04
Candelilla Wax
A plant wax that holds everything together. It's firmer than beeswax, so we need less of it.
- Plant-based, so no beeswax needed
- Keeps the texture stable in the jar
- Less wax means a softer, lighter feel on skin
How TriMatch™ works.
Your skin’s own oil (sebum) is built from 3 main lipids: fats, squalene and wax esters. The TriMatch™ Formula matches all 3, with just three of our four ingredients. The fourth, candelilla wax, holds it all together.
- FatsGrass-fed beef tallow
- SqualaneOlive Squalane
- Wax estersGolden Jojoba Oil
Most tallow balms: 1 of 3. Talo Malo: 3 of 3.
Fancy name. Took us 23 batches. Your skin just goes 'oh, it's one of us.'
Fats. Wax esters. Squalane.
Your skin’s own oil is mostly fats, wax esters and squalene. So we built The Original around grass-fed beef tallow, golden jojoba oil and olive squalane, inspired by your skin’s own oils. Vito explains it in 30 seconds.
- Your skin makes: Fats Talo Malo has: Beef Tallow
- Your skin makes: Wax esters Talo Malo has: Golden Jojoba Oil
- Your skin makes: Squalene Talo Malo has: Olive Squalane
+ Candelilla Wax to set it.
Sound’s optional. The captions are built in.
Us vs the usual moisturiser.
Most moisturisers are mostly water. Water and oil don't mix, so in go emulsifiers. Water can go off, so in go preservatives. Ours has no water, so it needs neither. It's all balm.
- 4 Ingredients. That’s the whole list
- 0 Water. It’s all balm
- 23 Batches to get it right
- 6 Weeks from one jar*
| Typical moisturiser | Talo Malo | |
|---|---|---|
| What's in the jar | Mostly water | Balm. No water at all |
| Holding it together | Emulsifiers, so the water and oil don't separate | Candelilla wax. That's it |
| Keeping it fresh | Preservatives, because water can go off | No water, so no preservatives |
| The ingredient list | Often a long one | Four. Each one has a job |
| The idea | Water, plus things to keep it mixed and fresh | Inspired by the fats, wax esters and squalene in your skin's own oil |
| The texture | A light cream or lotion | A firm balm that melts as you rub it in |
| How much you use | A good dollop | A little, warmed between your fingers |
*About 6 weeks from a 60ml jar, used morning and night. Depends how much you use and where.
What's not in it.
Most creams are mostly water, so they need emulsifiers and preservatives to hold together. Ours is a balm, so it doesn’t. Every scoop is the good stuff.
No water
No emulsifiers
No preservatives
Nothing you can’t pronounce
How to use it.
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A pea-sized dab
A little goes a long way. It's firm on purpose.
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Warm it up
Rub it between your fingertips for a few seconds until it melts.
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Press it on
Go a bit heavier on dry patches. Morning, night, or both.
Use it on
Face
Hands
Arms
Heels
TipStart with less than you think. You can always add more.
The official bit.
This is exactly what's on the label.
Tallow, Candelilla Wax, Golden Jojoba Oil, Olive Squalane
Ingredients (INCI):
Tallow, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Squalane
What our label means.
Four little icons, explained properly. No small print, no wriggle room.
Cruelty free = not tested on animals.
We don’t test The Original or any of its ingredients on animals, and we don’t ask anyone else to. (Testing cosmetics on animals is banned in the UK anyway, and we’d never want it.) It doesn’t mean vegan: the balm is made with beef tallow, which is rendered beef fat.
No nasties = four ingredients, and that’s the lot.
No water, no emulsifiers, no preservatives and no added fragrance in The Original.
Natural ingredients = from natural sources.
Beef fat, olives, jojoba seeds and the candelilla plant. Like all skincare ingredients, they’re refined before they go in the jar: the tallow is rendered and the squalane is made from olive oil.
No seed oils = no industrial seed oils.
No sunflower, rapeseed, soybean or similar cooking oils. Golden Jojoba Oil does come from a seed, but it’s mostly liquid wax esters, not a cooking oil.
Questions. Answered.
Why tallow?
Tallow has been used on skin for centuries. It's rich, nourishing and full of fatty acids. We just made it smell better and feel lighter.
What kind of tallow is it?
Grass-fed beef tallow, sourced in the UK. If you avoid beef for dietary or religious reasons, TALO MALO isn't for you. Sorry.
Will it make me smell like a butcher's?
The Original has no added fragrance. We formulated it so you're not opening the jar wondering if you've accidentally walked into a butcher's. There's no perfume in it, so it smells faintly of what it's made from.
Why no honey or beeswax?
They're common in tallow balms, but they can make balms sticky, waxy and heavy. We wanted something that feels good to use every day.
Is it vegan?
No. Tallow is an animal fat, so TALO MALO isn't vegan.
Is it OK for sensitive skin?
The Original has no added fragrance and just four ingredients, but everyone's skin is different. Patch test first, and if you have a skin condition, check with your pharmacist or GP.
Simple ingredients. Proper balm.
Get the Original →