Tallow vs. Shea Butter: What's the Difference?

We get this question every now and then at the Flying Cow counter: What's the difference between tallow and shea butter?

It usually comes from someone who already has a jar of shea butter at home and likes it, but has started hearing more and more about tallow and wants to know if there's actually a reason to make the switch.

It's a good question. Both are rich, natural fats that have been used on the skin for generations, and both can be wonderful choices for dry skin. The biggest differences come down to where they come from, how they feel on your skin, and what you personally prefer in a moisturizer.

So let's break it down.

Tallow vs Shea Butter: What Are We Actually Comparing?

Shea butter comes from the nuts of the shea tree, which grows throughout parts of Africa. The nuts are processed to separate the natural fat, which is then used in everything from body butters and lip balms to soaps and moisturizers.

Unrefined shea butter has a naturally creamy color and a distinct nutty scent. Refined shea has been processed further to remove much of that scent and lighten the color, which is why the shea butter you find in different products can look and smell quite different from one another.

Tallow is made from rendered beef fat. At Flying Cow, we use grass-fed tallow and slowly render it before straining and cooling it. We then whip it with a little unprocessed organic coconut oil to create the soft, creamy texture you find in our balms.

So, yes, the two ingredients come from very different places. One comes from a tree nut, and the other comes from beef fat. But both are ultimately rich fats that can help moisturize and soften the skin.

And that's really where the interesting part begins.

How They Feel on Your Skin

If you've used both, you may notice the difference almost immediately.

Shea butter tends to be firmer and denser. When you scoop it from a jar, it can take a little warmth from your fingers before it starts to soften. Once it melts, it leaves a rich, protective feeling on the skin that many people love, especially on areas that tend to get especially dry like hands, elbows, knees, and feet.

Tallow has a different texture, particularly when it's whipped. Instead of scooping out a hard piece of butter, you get a soft, creamy balm that melts readily as you warm it between your fingers.

That's one of the things our customers tend to notice first about Flying Cow tallow. People sometimes expect it to feel heavy or greasy because, well, we're talking about beef fat! But a small amount melts into the skin quickly and leaves it feeling soft and moisturized.

Neither texture is necessarily better. Some people love the rich, buttery feel of shea. Others prefer the lighter, creamier feel of whipped tallow. A lot of it simply comes down to what you like to put on your skin.

A quick note about texture

If you've ever opened a jar of shea butter and found tiny grainy bits inside, don't panic. Shea can develop a grainy texture when it goes through changes in temperature, particularly when it's melted and then cools again. Those little grains will soften with the warmth of your skin.

Tallow can change with temperature, too. It's firmer when it's cold and softer when it's warm, which is completely normal for a natural fat.

What About Using Tallow or Shea Butter on Your Face?

This is where things get a little more personal.

Some people love shea butter on their face. Others find it feels too rich, especially if they already have naturally oily skin.

The same is true for tallow. Plenty of people use it as part of their facial routine, while others prefer a lighter product or a serum.

At Flying Cow, we love tallow for the face because of how simple it can make a skincare routine. A small amount goes a long way, and you don't need much to moisturize your skin.

But skincare isn't one-size-fits-all. Your skin type, the climate you're in, the other products you're using, and even your personal preference for texture can all make a difference.

If you're trying a new ingredient, start with a small amount and see how your skin responds rather than assuming that something will or won't work for you based on someone else's experience.

And Then There's Scent

This is one difference that doesn't always show up on an ingredient label.

Unrefined shea butter has a naturally nutty scent. Some people love it, some don't, and refined shea is an option if you'd rather have something with very little natural scent.

Properly rendered tallow is naturally quite mild in scent. That makes it a nice blank canvas for the essential oil blends we use in many of our balms.

Our Lavender Balm smells like lavender. Coffee Balm has that warm coffee-and-vanilla scent. And if you prefer to skip added fragrance altogether, our Unscented Balm keeps things especially simple.

For some people, scent is a small detail. For others, it's one of the most important parts of choosing a skincare product. If you've ever bought a moisturizer and stopped using it because you couldn't stand the smell, you already know exactly what we mean.

So Which One Should You Choose?

Honestly? This is the part where we can't choose for you.

Shea butter may be a great fit if you love a rich, buttery texture and want something that feels especially substantial on dry areas like hands and feet.

Tallow may be a better fit if you prefer a softer balm that melts easily into the skin, want a short ingredient list, or like the idea of starting with a simple base that can be used on its own or blended with different essential oil combinations.

And you don't have to choose just one.

Some people keep shea butter around for certain parts of their body and use tallow elsewhere. Some use one in the winter and another at different times of year. Some try tallow and realize it's exactly what they've been looking for, while others decide they still prefer their trusty jar of shea.

That's the nice thing about skincare: you get to figure out what works for you.

Why We Love Tallow

We're obviously a little biased here. We've spent years making small batches of tallow skincare, so we've had plenty of time to learn what we love about it.

For us, it comes back to simplicity.

Our balms start with grass-fed tallow, unprocessed organic coconut oil, and whatever carefully chosen ingredients we add for a particular blend. We make them in small batches, whip them by hand, and don't try to turn tallow into something it isn't.

It's a wonderfully simple base, and that's part of what makes it so versatile.

Some of our customers use it as their everyday moisturizer. Some keep a jar on their nightstand or in the bathroom. Some use it on especially dry spots, and others have slowly replaced several products in their routine with a single jar.

We're happy every time someone finds a skincare routine that works for them, whether that routine includes tallow, shea butter, both, or something completely different.

And if you're still curious about tallow, stop by one of our stores and try it for yourself. We're always happy to let you smell, feel, and compare the different balms so you can find the one that feels right for you.