Over the last few years, tallow skincare has experienced an incredible resurgence. What was once a niche ingredient known mostly among traditional herbalists and small makers has become one of the fastest-growing categories in natural skincare.
Today, you can find tallow products almost everywhere—from local farmers' markets and artisan apothecaries to Amazon, Etsy, and major online retailers.
While that's exciting to see, it has also changed the way many tallow products are made.
Some brands continue to craft every batch by hand, while others have chosen to work with cosmetic laboratories or contract manufacturers to meet growing demand. Neither approach is inherently right or wrong—they simply represent different ways of building a business.
As someone who has been making tallow skincare since 2024, I wanted to share what handmade means to me, why I've chosen to continue making every jar myself, and why that decision will always be part of OCASA.
The growing demand for tallow
There's no question that tallow has become incredibly popular.
As more people discover traditional skincare and begin looking for simpler ingredients, demand has grown rapidly.
With that growth comes new opportunities. Some brands expand into national retailers, increase production, or partner with manufacturing facilities so they can produce larger quantities while keeping products consistently available.
For many businesses, that's a natural next step.
For me, it wasn't.
I didn't start making skincare because I wanted to oversee a production line. I started because I genuinely love the process of making it.
What does "handmade" really mean?
The word handmade is used often in skincare, but it can mean different things depending on the brand.
For me, handmade isn't simply a marketing term. It's how every OCASA product begins.
It starts with 100% grass-fed and grass-finished beef suet, carefully sourced from farms I trust. I slowly dry-render the suet at low temperatures, creating a clean, stable tallow while preserving the qualities that make it such a beautiful ingredient for skincare.
While the tallow is rendering, I prepare my botanical infusions. Organic herbs are slowly steeped in nourishing oils, allowing months to gently extract their beneficial plant compounds.
Once every ingredient is ready, I blend each formula by hand, carefully balancing the oils until the texture is exactly where I want it to be. Every batch is whipped in small quantities to create the light, creamy consistency that has become one of the signatures of our tallow creams.
From raw ingredients to the finished jar, every step—from rendering and herbal infusions to whipping, filling, labeling, and packing—is completed by hand in my studio.
When you open a jar of OCASA, you're opening something I personally made.
Why some brands choose to outsource
As businesses grow, so do the challenges that come with keeping products in stock.
Partnering with a cosmetic manufacturer allows brands to produce larger batches, fulfill wholesale orders, and expand into more retailers while maintaining a consistent supply.
For many companies, it's a practical business decision that supports growth.
I completely understand why some brands choose that path.
I've simply chosen a different one.
My philosophy on ingredients
One thing you'll notice about OCASA products is that our ingredient lists are intentionally thoughtful.
I don't believe a longer ingredient list automatically creates a better product.
Every ingredient should have a purpose.
Today's skincare world is full of exciting innovations, peptides, botanical extracts, active ingredients, and complex formulations. Many of them can be wonderful additions to skincare.
But I've also learned that simplicity has its own value.
When I formulate, I ask myself a simple question:
"Does this ingredient truly belong here?"
If the answer isn't a confident yes, it doesn't make the formula.
My skin taught me an important lesson
I've always had fairly sensitive skin, which has shaped the way I think about skincare.
Over the years, I've tried products containing ingredients like bee venom and bakuchiol after hearing wonderful things about them. Unfortunately, my skin had a very different opinion.
Both products left my eyes swollen, irritated, and uncomfortable for days. Beyond the physical reaction, it was frustrating to spend money on products that simply didn't work for me.
That experience reminded me that skincare isn't about chasing every trending ingredient.
Sometimes, thoughtfully chosen ingredients are all your skin needs.
Of course, everyone's skin is different. An ingredient that doesn't agree with me may work beautifully for someone else. That's why I believe in choosing formulas that match your own skin rather than assuming more ingredients automatically mean better results.
Why I'll always choose small batches
Making skincare by hand isn't the easiest way to run a business.
It's slower.
It's more physically demanding.
It means spending long days rendering tallow, preparing herbs, filling jars, and packing orders one by one.
But it's also the part of the business I love most.
Being involved in every batch allows me to notice the little details that machines can't appreciate—the texture of freshly whipped tallow, the scent of a new herbal infusion, or the consistency of a finished balm before it ever reaches a customer.
That connection to the process is something I never want to lose.
More than a product
When you purchase a jar of OCASA tallow, you're supporting more than a skincare product.
You're supporting traditional craftsmanship.
You're supporting slow, intentional methods.
You're supporting a business that still believes quality begins with the maker.
Every jar reflects hours of careful work long before the label is ever applied.
That's something I'm incredibly proud of.
A promise I'll never compromise on
As OCASA continues to grow, there will always be opportunities to make production faster or easier.
But one thing won't change.
If my name is on the label, my hands will have been part of making it.
Every jar will continue to be crafted in small batches using thoughtfully chosen ingredients, traditional methods, and the same care that inspired me to start making tallow in the first place.
Because for me, handmade isn't just how I make skincare.
It's the heart of the brand.
My final thoughts
In a world where it's easier than ever to scale production, staying hands-on is a choice I make every day. Not because it's the fastest path. Not because it's the most profitable.
But because it's the kind of apothecary I set out to build.
One where every product tells the story of the hands that made it, and every jar is created with intention from beginning to end.
Thank you for supporting small makers, traditional craftsmanship, and businesses that still believe slowing down is worth it.