Botanical Tallow Cleansing Bar
Sometimes, soap just needs to be good soap
The Botanical Tallow Cleansing Bar began with something very simple: I wanted a soap that cleans properly, feels good to use and doesn't turn everyday washing into something unnecessarily complicated.
Made with tallow and carefully chosen plant oils and botanicals, it produces a satisfying lather that lifts away everyday dirt, oils and what we don't want left sitting on our skin.
I haven't tried to make it antibacterial. Ordinary soap already does an excellent job of cleaning when used properly, and I don't believe everyday washing needs to become an exercise in trying to sterilise our skin.
At the same time, the botanicals and oils weren't chosen simply to make the ingredient list more interesting. Some are there specifically for what they bring to the skin — to condition, nourish and support it while the soap does the cleansing.
Some of the botanicals also have traditionally recognised antimicrobial properties. I see that as a welcome additional quality, but that's not their primary purpose here, and I don't rely on them to make the soap clean effectively. Ordinary soap already does that job.
For me, that's enough.
A good soap should clean well, rinse away easily and leave your skin feeling comfortable afterwards.
That's the job this one was created to do.
Why tallow?
Why tallow?
Tallow was actually where Nurturing Skin began.
I regularly render beef fat at home and, for a long time, I disliked seeing the excess go to waste. I started wondering whether there was something useful I could make with it.
Soap was one of the obvious answers.
Tallow has been used in traditional soapmaking for generations. It makes a firm, long-lasting bar with a rich, creamy lather, and its fatty-acid profile makes it particularly well suited to soap.
But I didn't want to make a bar simply because I had tallow to use. If I was going to make soap, it still had to be a soap I genuinely wanted to use.
So tallow became the foundation rather than the whole story. I combined it with carefully selected plant oils and botanicals, choosing ingredients not only for the qualities they bring to the soap itself, but also for what they can contribute to the skin.
What began as a practical question — “What can I do with this tallow instead of throwing it away?” — ultimately became the starting point for an entire range I certainly hadn't planned to create.
What’s in it — and why
What’s in it — and why
A cleansing bar still needs to clean well, lather properly and hold together. But when I chose the ingredients for this soap, I also wanted to think about the skin being washed — not just the dirt being removed.
Tallow — the foundation of this bar and an ingredient I value for what it brings both to the formulation and to the skin.
Tallow has a naturally rich fatty-acid profile, particularly stearic, oleic and palmitic acids. These fatty acids help explain why tallow is so useful in soapmaking, contributing to the hardness and longevity, the dense creamy lather and a less stripping feel on the skin. This helps to create a bar that cleans effectively while still being pleasant and comfortable to use.
That combination is precisely why I chose it: it isn't simply there to make soap. It is there because of the kind of soap it helps me make.
Olive Oil — included for its conditioning qualities and contribution to a gentler, more skin-friendly bar.
Coconut Oil — contributes cleansing power and helps produce a satisfying lather.
Castor Oil — supports a creamy, stable lather while adding further conditioning qualities.
Calendula, Chamomile & Lavender — infused into the oils and chosen for their traditional skin-soothing and skin-supporting qualities. They are there because I wanted the formulation to consider the skin as well as cleansing it.
Frankincense Essential Oil — chosen for its traditional use in botanical skincare preparations and its warm, resinous aroma. I included it as part of the overall botanical formulation, rather than simply adding fragrance to an otherwise basic soap.
Wild Potato Bush Australian Bush Flower Essence — included as the flower-essence component of the formulation, chosen around themes of renewal, vitality and moving forward.
More than a base with a fragrance added
There are plenty of perfectly good soaps available, including inexpensive natural soaps. I didn't create this one because I thought the world needed another basic bar of soap.
This isn't simply a soap base with one or two essential oils added for fragrance.
The tallow and plant oils have been chosen for the structure, cleansing qualities and conditioning character they bring to the bar. Calendula, chamomile and lavender are infused into the oils for their traditional skin-supporting qualities. Frankincense is included for what I wanted it to contribute to the skin, not simply for its scent. Wild Potato Bush Australian Bush Flower Essence adds another intentional layer to the formulation.
Some of these ingredients cost considerably more than would be necessary to make a perfectly functional bar of soap. I chose to use them because I wanted more from this formulation than simply getting clean.
That doesn't make it a miracle soap, and it doesn't need to be one. It still has a very ordinary job to do — clean the skin well.
But if I was going to make a soap for Nurturing Skin, I wanted the ingredients surrounding that cleansing function to have a reason for being there too.
It isn't about adding more. It's about making what is there count.
How to use
Wet the bar and work into a creamy lather between your hands or directly onto wet skin.
Massage gently over the skin, then rinse thoroughly with water.
Suitable for everyday cleansing of the hands and body.
To help your bar last longer, allow it to dry between uses on a well-drained soap dish rather than leaving it sitting in water.
For external use only. Avoid contact with eyes. If irritation occurs, discontinue use.
Two sizes, same formulation
The Botanical Tallow Cleansing Bar is available in two sizes. The formulation is exactly the same — only the size differs.
Medium — approximately 40 g - $8.95
A smaller bar for those who would like to try the soap, prefer a more compact size, or want something convenient for travel or the guest bathroom.
Full-Size — approximately 80 g - $16.95
The larger everyday bar and the better-value choice for regular use.
Whichever size you choose, you're getting the same tallow-based formulation, botanical-infused oils, frankincense and Australian Bush Flower Essence.
Not sure whether this soap is right for you?
Not sure whether this soap is right for you?
The Botanical Tallow Cleansing Bar is included as the seventh item in every Discovery Collection, alongside the six minis you choose yourself.
It's an opportunity to try the soap before deciding whether you'd like to purchase a full-sized bar.
Explore Our Personal Care Collection
Explore Our Personal Care Collection
Would you like to learn more about the thinking behind our personal care range and discover the other products in the collection?
Considering Purchasing This Product?
The Botanical Tallow Cleansing Bar is available in two sizes, both made with exactly the same formulation.
Have a look at the options below. You can click Quick View on your preferred size to see the product details and, if you decide it's right for you, add it to your cart.
