Does tallow clog your pores?
One of the most common questions I hear about tallow skincare is: “Won’t tallow clog my pores?” It makes sense. Tallow is rich, buttery, and deeply nourishing, so if you...
Desert Dispatch
Rosemary for Hair: Benefits, Uses + What the Research Says
Meet Rosemary Rosemary (Salvia rosmarinus, formerly Rosmarinus officinalis) is an aromatic evergreen native to the Mediterranean. It's also exactly the kind of plant I find fascinating. Rosemary is hardy. It...
Rosemary for Hair Growth: My Personal Hair Growth Journey
For most of my life, I never thought much about hair growth. Even though my hair has always been fine, I had a lot of it. In my twenties, I...
A Guide to Non-Toxic Oral Care: Toothpaste, Floss + Oil Pulling
There are some rituals we barely think about because we've done them for most of our lives. Wake up. Brush your teeth. Floss. Rinse. Repeat before bed. We spend so...
Why We Use Grass-Fed Beef Suet Instead of Regular Beef Fat
When I first started learning about tallow skincare, I quickly realized that saying a product is “made with beef tallow” actually tells you very little about the ingredient inside the...
Calendula Benefits for Skin: The Golden Skin Herb
With its brilliant golden flowers, Calendula officinalis has been used in traditional herbal skincare for centuries. Long before calendula became a popular skincare ingredient, herbalists prepared its flowers in infused...
Mom + Baby Tallow Skincare 101: Simple, Nourishing Choices for Delicate Skin
Becoming a mom has a way of making you look at ingredients differently. Suddenly, you’re not only thinking about what you put on your own skin. You’re thinking about what...
From desert farm to skin: The story behind our Arizona Jojoba
At OCASA, every ingredient has a reason for being in our formulas. When it came to choosing a carrier oil for our botanical infusions, we didn't simply look for organic....
From two pounds of beef suet to a national magazine feature
A reminder that small beginnings can grow into something beautiful. Thank you, Willow and Sage, for sharing the story behind OCASA. When I received the Autumn issue of Willow and...
The perfect tallow skincare routine: morning & night guide
One of the questions I get asked most is: "How do I actually use tallow in my skincare routine?" The good news is that you don't need a complicated 10-step...
The best products to pair with tallow for healthier skin
A good skincare routine doesn't have to be complicated. In fact, we believe the best routines are often the simplest. Choose products that support one another: A gentle cleanser to...
Handmade vs. mass-produced tallow skincare: what's the difference?
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 beginner's guide to herbalism books: my top picks as an herbalist
When people ask me where I learned about herbalism, they're often surprised that I don't point them to one single source. Becoming an herbalist has been a journey of studying,...
How to keep your skin hydrated during the summer heat naturally
Long summer days invite us outside. We spend more time in the sunshine, swimming, gardening, hiking, and soaking in every golden hour we can. But while summer brings plenty of...
Essential oil free skincare: why we use herbal infusions in our skincare instead
A lot of skincare brands reach for essential oils because they're fast, concentrated, and easy to formulate with. We do the opposite on purpose. Every one of our tallow products...
plastic-free skincare & zero waste self-care essentials
Plastic shows up in more of a self-care routine than most people realize - tea bags, toothpaste tubes, deodorant, even hair ties. Most of what we carry has been plastic-free...
Can tallow help with acne, eczema or rosacea?
Tallow skincare has exploded in popularity, and it's natural to wonder if it can help with something you're actually dealing with acne, eczema, or rosacea. The honest answer is: it...
5 swaps for a more natural, non-toxic home
Our homes are where life unfolds. They're where we prepare nourishing meals, gather with loved ones, wind down after long days, and create daily rituals that bring us back to...
tallow 101: how to use tallow for healthy, nourished skin
For something that's been used for centuries, tallow has found itself back in the spotlight. Once a staple in traditional skincare, it's now making its way into modern routines and...
best clean summer essentials for skin & hydration
Summer asks more of your skin than almost any other season - sun exposure, sweat, bug bites, and long days outside all add up fast. Here are the products we...