Aussie Tallow began on our family farm in Mount Barker, Western Australia, with a love of Jersey cows, traditional ingredients and a passion for creating things with my own hands.
I'm Samantha Steed, the founder of Aussie Tallow. I've always loved farming, animals and making things myself. Long before Aussie Tallow existed, I was interested in natural living, growing my own food and being mindful of the ingredients I used on my skin.
My journey into skincare began with my Jersey cows and the beautiful, rich milk they produce.
With an abundance of fresh milk available on the farm, I started experimenting with handmade soaps for my family. I loved the creative process and began exploring different ingredients, including herbs and other traditional additions.
It was during this time that I came across something that would eventually change the direction of my little hobby.
One evening, while watching SBS Food, I heard about the traditional use of beef tallow.
Although I'd been around cattle for much of my life, I'd never really considered using rendered beef fat in skincare.
Intrigued by the idea, I decided to give it a try. I sourced some beef suet, rendered my first batch of tallow myself and began experimenting with making a simple skincare cream.
When I first applied it to my own skin, I was absolutely amazed by the results. My skin looked and felt so beautifully nourished, soft and healthy that I could hardly believe something so simple could make such a noticeable difference.
That experience sparked my curiosity. I wanted to understand why tallow seemed to work so beautifully on my skin, so I began researching its composition and traditional uses.
I was fascinated to discover that tallow contains fatty acids also found in our skin's natural lipids and has a long history of use in skincare for its rich, moisturising and protective qualities.
Having experienced eczema throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was particularly interested in its potential for dry and sensitive skin.
It was only later that I began using my homemade tallow cream on my daughter Isabella's eczema-prone skin. I was delighted by the improvement I observed, which encouraged me to continue experimenting, researching ingredients and refining my formulations.The more I experimented, the more fascinated I became.
I began developing different formulations, learning about the properties of various ingredients and refining my rendering process. I wanted to understand exactly what went into my products and have control over their quality from beginning to end.
What started as a personal hobby gradually grew into something much bigger.
As more people began trying my products and sharing their experiences, Aussie Tallow began to take shape.
Today, our skincare is still made here on our family farm in Mount Barker, Western Australia.
We source our beef suet from grass-fed and finished cattle raised on our farm and other local farms, and I personally render the tallow used in our skincare.
The fresh Jersey milk in our handcrafted soaps comes directly from our own cows, just as it did when I first began making soap for my family.
As the business grew, I transformed an existing farm shed into a dedicated skincare workshop, allowing me to continue making our products on the property.
From rendering tallow and developing formulations to handcrafting and packaging our products, I remain closely involved in the process.
Although Aussie Tallow has grown into a range of skincare, raw Jersey milk soaps, shampoo and conditioner bars and other personal care products, my philosophy has never changed.
I believe in creating beautiful, effective products using carefully selected ingredients, thoughtful formulations and traditional methods wherever practical.
I'm proud that something which began with my Jersey cows, a little curiosity and a love of making things has grown into a business that allows me to share products made here on our farm with families across Australia.
Aussie Tallow isn't simply inspired by farm life. It was born from it.