Okay so I’m just sitting here on my couch and it’s dark out already, which is depressing because it’s like 5:30pm. Winter is the worst. My hands were feeling like actual sandpaper, you know that tight, itchy feeling? I was just staring at my knuckles and they looked… crusty. Not a good look.

Anyway, I have this little jar on my coffee table. The Whipped Tallow Balm. The pineapple one. I got it from this Etsy shop a few weeks back because I was desperate and everything else made my skin feel either greasy or tight. Beef fat on my face sounded insane. I mean, come on. But I was out of options.

So I opened it. Again. The lid makes this little pop sound. And the smell just… hits you. But not in a bad way.

What This Pineapple Tallow Balm Actually Smells Like

It’s not fancy. Don’t think perfume counter. It’s not “notes of tropical blossom with a hint of vanilla undertone.” That’s not it.

It smells like… remember those pineapple gummy rings? The cheap ones from the bulk bin. Or the juice at the bottom of a can of Dole pineapple. Sweet, but not fake sweet. Like fruit, but not like a candle. It’s cheerful. It’s a stupid thing to say about skincare but it makes me happy. It’s a yellow smell. Bright. My apartment smells like a basement in February, so this little whiff of something that isn’t stale air and radiator dust is a big deal. It’s a vacation in a jar. A two-second vacation for your nose before you rub beef fat on your elbows. The whole thing is weird. I love it.

I scoop a little out. It’s cold. The texture is… whipped? Yeah. Like cool butter that’s been all fluffed up. It melts the second it touches your skin. Which is also weird. You’re rubbing it in and it’s just gone. No residue. My hands just look like… hands. Not shiny hands. Not sticky hands. Just normal skin that doesn’t hurt.

How I Started Using Tallow on My Face (And Everywhere Else)

I was so skeptical. My routine was a graveyard of expensive bottles. The one in the blue glass that cost like eighty dollars and did nothing. The thick cream that sat on top of my skin all night. I’d wake up and my pillow would have stolen it all.

So using this scented tallow balm felt like a last resort. Or a joke. I told my friend I was putting cooking fat on my face and she just stared at me. But here’s the thing I read, and I’ll try not to mess this up: tallow, like from grass-fed cows, is kinda similar to the oils our own skin makes. Sebum. So it gets it. It doesn’t just sit there pretending to help. It actually goes in. My skin drinks it. That’s the best way I can describe it.

I use it at night. After I wash my face, I just… glob some on. I don’t measure. I rub it all over my face, my neck, my chest. The pineapple tallow balm smell is the last thing I notice before I go to sleep. It’s nice. It’s not a strong perfume smell, it’s just this faint, fruity thing. In the morning, my skin isn’t tight. It doesn’t feel like it’s going to crack if I smile.

And my hands. God, my hands. I keep the jar by the sink. Every time I wash dishes or my hands feel like paper, I use it. The dry patches on my knuckles are just… gone. I didn’t expect that. I thought it was just for faces.

My Skin After a Few Weeks of This Stuff

So it’s been maybe a month? I’m bad with time. It was before New Year’s.

The fine lines around my eyes… they’re still there. I’m not twenty. But they look softer? Like they’re hydrated, not just etched in. The skin on my cheeks doesn’t have that winter roughness. It’s just smooth. Not “silky smooth” like an ad, just… normal. Healthy. I don’t wear foundation anymore because what’s the point. My skin just looks like skin. A little brighter. Maybe it’s the natural pineapple skincare smell putting me in a better mood. Maybe it’s the tallow. I don’t know the science. I just know it works.

I used to have this dry, flaky patch on my forehead. Psoriasis maybe? I never got it checked. It’s been there for years. It’s just… not there now. I didn’t even notice it was gone until I went to put makeup on for a Zoom call and there was nothing to cover. That’s wild to me.

Oh, and my elbows. Random, I know. But they were always rough. Like, perpetually. I’d put lotion on but it never stuck. Now they’re… fine. Unremarkable elbows. A sentence I never thought I’d type.

Would I Buy This Pineapple Tallow Balm Again?

Yeah. I already did.

I ordered a second jar last week because I’m paranoid about running out. I got mine from that Etsy shop, the one that makes it in France. The whipped texture is different from other tallow stuff I’ve seen. It’s airy. It feels luxurious without the luxury price tag, you know? It’s just a simple ingredient list. Beef fat, some oils, essential oil for the pineapple scent. That’s it.

It’s become this little ritual. This tiny bright spot in my day. Especially in winter. Everything is gray and cold and then I open this jar and it’s summer. Or the idea of summer. It’s a scent that doesn’t take itself seriously. It’s fun. And the product itself is dead serious about fixing dry skin. It’s a good combo.

I look forward to using it. That’s the weirdest part. I don’t look forward to most skincare. It’s a chore. But this doesn’t feel like a chore. It feels like a treat. A two-minute treat that makes my skin not hurt.

Quick Questions I Get Asked

Is beef tallow good for your face? Yeah, I think so. From what I understand, it’s really similar to the oils our skin already produces, so it absorbs way better than a lot of plant oils or synthetic stuff. It doesn’t just sit on top. My face seems to think it’s good, anyway.

Does tallow balm clog pores? Not for me, and my skin can get clogged easy. It sinks right in. It’s not greasy. It’s more like… it gives your skin what it’s already trying to make, so it doesn’t freak out and overproduce oil or get clogged. At least that’s my non-expert take.

What does the pineapple tallow balm smell like? It smells like real pineapple. The fruit, not the candy. Sweet and bright and a little tangy. It’s not overpowering. It’s just a cheerful little scent that fades pretty fast after you rub it in. It’s the best part of the whole experience, honestly.

Anyway. If your skin is being difficult this winter, or just in general, this might be worth a shot. The whole tallow skincare thing sounded nuts to me too. But it just… works. I don’t know what else to say. My skin’s happy. I’m happy. That’s all I wanted.