I’m sure we’ve all come across the benefits of tallow balms on our FYP by now. It’s received a lot of traction over the past year, and people are pleasantly surprised by how effective it is for acne, eczema, and other skin-related issues.

The problem is that a lot of these “trending” tallow balms and creams are actually manufactured in China. There is zero traceability with these products. They claim to be organic, but how can we be certain if there is no proof? China has a bad track record when it comes to producing cosmetics; cheap ingredients are used and are produced in poor environments. We all know how bad Shein’s factories are!

Most of these tallow balms contain honey. China is known for cutting its honey with corn syrup to lower costs. Not to forget, China has no limits on glyphosate, and it is one of the largest exporters and consumers of pesticides.

What To Look Out For When Purchasing Tallow Balms?

  1. Generic packaging. Most Chinese factories allow clients to purchase their pre-designed products and change the branding. This is evident on Alibaba.com and Aliexpress.com. Do a quick search, and you will see how they resemble the same products on Amazon and the TikTok shop. I’ve shared some examples below.
  • Dangers of Chinese Tallow Brands
  • Dangerous Tallow Balms on Alibaba and Aliexpress
  • Cheap ineffective tallow balms from China
  • Ebay tallow balms

2. If it’s too cheap, it’s probably low quality. Honey is one of the most expensive ingredients. It’s not possible to create a tallow balm that is of high quality for less than 4 pounds delivered.

3. If there is no clear mention of where it’s manufactured its probably made outside the UK and EU.

4. If the ingredients list is not listed in the INCI format/ Chemical name in descending order its probably produced outside the UK and EU. The INCI is a legal requirement in both the UK and the EU. If it’s clearly made in the UK, and it is not in the INCI format, the seller might have mislabelled their product, which is illegal. There may also be doubts of them having a valid CPSR.

Conclusion

I hope you found this helpful. Tallow is something I’m very passionate about. If you’re going to use tallow, you should always make sure you’re getting something of high quality to ensure you receive all the benefits. In this tough time, support local businesses especially!