Our Story

Brian Smith with his wife and daughters — the family behind Moose's Tallow beef tallow skincare in Lebanon, PA

The family behind Moose's Tallow — Brian with his wife and daughters, who still test every batch.

Hi, I'm Brian — most folks call me Moose. Moose's Tallow is small-batch beef tallow skincare, handmade in Lebanon, Pennsylvania — it started in my kitchen as a way to make something better for my family. Here's the whole story.

Fifteen days in isolation changed how I think about what goes on my skin

A few years ago I was hospitalized with COVID and spent over two weeks completely isolated. Recovery didn't happen overnight — I dealt with long-COVID symptoms for nearly two years. Eventually I made a decision: I was going to take my health seriously and figure out how to heal.

I started eliminating heavily processed foods and shifted toward a simpler, more animal-based way of eating. Slowly, things changed. Over time I lost more than 100 pounds, my energy came back, and I started feeling like myself again.

That experience taught me something important: what you put in your body matters. And it led to another question — if what we eat matters this much, what about what we put on our skin? That question led me into traditional tallow skincare, something people quietly used for generations before modern lotions filled store shelves.

From my kitchen to yours

As part of changing how I ate, I started rendering my own beef tallow for cooking. One day my daughters mentioned they were already using tallow on their skin. Like a lot of dads, I wanted to make something special for my kids — so I made them a tallow balm.

They gave me feedback right away: textures, scents, what actually felt good. The first big batch, I filled jars for everyone and brought them to a family dinner. That was the beginning of something bigger. My daughters are still my honest critics, and my wife tests everything — our popular Sleep Tight magnesium balm was originally made for her. Most of the feedback that shapes these products still comes from the women in my life.

The label that made everything click

We'd been using a "high-end" lotion — over $20 for a small bottle. One day I flipped it over: 52 ingredients, and the first one was water. Why was I paying premium prices for mostly water, held together with preservatives and stabilizers? If I wouldn't put certain things in my body anymore, why was I comfortable putting them on my skin?

Why beef tallow became the foundation

Tallow isn't magic. What it offers is simpler: a fatty-acid profile close to the oils our skin naturally produces. Properly rendered and thoughtfully formulated, beef tallow absorbs well, supports the skin barrier, and leaves skin nourished — not greasy. You don't need dozens of ingredients. You just need the right ones.

The right ingredient, not the cheapest

I choose skincare ingredients the same way I now choose food — not the cheapest option, but the one that belongs in the formula. For example, I use Fractionated Coconut Oil alongside tallow: it costs more than common filler oils, but it's stable, fast-absorbing, and it lets the tallow stay the star.

How these products are made

I start with fresh beef suet from a local butcher, then run it through a slow, multi-stage rendering process that takes days — heating, cooling, filtering, and refining. (I ruined my first two batches; my wife's sniff test made that very clear.) She still smell-tests everything before it goes into a jar. If it doesn't pass the "would I give this to my daughters?" test, it doesn't make it in.

Giving back

After my own health journey, it felt right to give some of this work back. We donate skincare to ministries that run residential programs helping women rebuild their lives — a small encouragement while they focus on getting back on their feet.

The idea behind Moose's Tallow

Moose's Tallow didn't start as a business. It started as a way to make something better for my family — simple, thoughtfully made natural skincare built from ingredients I can actually explain. No unnecessary fillers. No ingredient lists that need a chemistry degree. What began in my kitchen with my wife and daughters testing batches is now something I'm proud to share with other families who want the same thing.

What we make

Everything we make starts with that same standard — real ingredients, simple formulas, whipped and poured in small batches:

Come see us in Lebanon, PA

What began at my kitchen counter now has a home — our flagship store at 535 Prescott Road, Lebanon, PA 17042. Stop in to say hi, or explore everything we make online.

Every order is backed by our 30-Day Love It Guarantee.

— Brian ("Moose") Smith, Founder, Moose's Tallow