Beef tallow is a simple animal fat women have used on their skin for generations, and a short-label tallow balm with no retinoids, synthetic preservatives or synthetic fragrance can fit into a pregnancy routine. Check any essential oils on the label with your provider. No cream is proven to prevent stretch marks, but daily moisture keeps stretching skin comfortable.
My mom told me she woke up one morning and they were just there. Stretch marks, across her belly, and she's had them ever since. My sister got them too. So when I found out I was pregnant, I feel like part of me was already bracing for it, like it was coming down the family line whether I wanted it or not.
When I told my mom I was putting balm on my belly every day, she said back in the 90s she didn't know about skincare the way she does now. Nobody ever told her to keep her skin moisturized, and it wasn't something she thought about at the time.
I didn't want stretch marks. I've cared about my skin for as long as I can remember, and so I decided I would do the one thing I could control, every single day. I'm 36 weeks now, and I don't have a single one.
What I did every morning and night
Our Tallow Balm 4 oz, twice a day. I'd warm a little between my fingers until it melted and press it into my belly, once in the morning and once before bed, even on the nights I was too tired to do anything else.
I can't promise you the balm is why I don't have stretch marks. I can tell you it's the one thing I never skipped, and so far my skin has held up in a way my mom's and my sister's didn't.
What the research says about stretch mark creams
I went looking for this part on purpose, because I didn't want to tell you something that isn't true. Stretch marks affect somewhere between 50% and 90% of pregnant women, according to a 2022 Cochrane review, and that same review found no cream or oil that was proven to prevent them.
The NHS lists having a family member with stretch marks as one of the things that makes them more likely. Reading that, it makes complete sense that I was nervous. My mom and my sister were the two people I'd most expect to look like.
And so I'm holding both of those things at once. No jar can promise you anything, and I'm 36 weeks with my family history and none so far. I'm telling you what happened to me, not what will happen to you.
No cream can promise you no stretch marks, but you can choose a jar you never have to second-guess.
Is beef tallow safe during pregnancy?
When you find out you're pregnant, the lists start. No retinol, look up this acid, double-check that preservative. The InfantRisk Center says topical retinoids should be avoided during pregnancy and even before you conceive, and the NHS says not to use retinoid creams while you're pregnant. I spent those first few weeks reading every label in my bathroom.
The tallow balm was the one thing I didn't have to rethink. Here's everything in the jar:
- Organic beef tallow, from one family farm in Pennsylvania
- Jojoba oil
- Arrowroot powder
- Frankincense oil
- Rosemary oil
Five ingredients, and you can read the whole label in about ten seconds. No retinoids, no synthetic preservatives, no synthetic fragrance. Tallow has vitamin A in it naturally, in the form your skin already recognizes, which is a different thing from the retinol on those pregnancy lists.
The test every ingredient has to pass
Grai, my co-founder, started making this in her own kitchen after a lawsuit in 2022 made her look hard at the "natural" products she'd trusted for years. Every batch got tested on her and her three kids before it ever went in a jar.
She holds every ingredient to one rule. If she wouldn't eat it, it has to earn its spot on your skin, and most things don't make it. That's why the list stops at five.
About the two essential oils
If you're pregnant and unsure about any ingredient, in our jar or anyone else's, show the label to your provider. That's what a short label is for.
Why one farm in Pennsylvania matters
"Grass-fed" on a skincare label can mean almost nothing. Most tallow brands can't tell you where theirs came from, and a lot of the grass-fed beef sold in the U.S. is imported. Ours comes from one family farm in Pennsylvania, rendered in small batches, and we know exactly where it's from. When you're putting something on your belly twice a day for nine months, you want to know that. If you're still on the fence about tallow, I wrote about the biggest myths about beef tallow.
Tonight will look like every other night. The jar open on my nightstand, a little balm warming between my fingers, and about four more weeks to go.
Where I'd start if you're pregnant
If you want to try what I used, it's the Tallow Balm 4 oz. If your lips are taking a beating too, the Night Routine Set pairs the same 4 oz jar with our Moonlight Repair lip balm for nighttime.
Questions moms ask us
Is beef tallow safe to use during pregnancy?
Beef tallow is a simple animal fat women have used on their skin for generations. Our Tallow Balm has no retinoids, no synthetic preservatives and no synthetic fragrance. As with anything new during pregnancy, check the ingredient label with your provider.
Does tallow prevent stretch marks?
No cream or balm is proven to prevent stretch marks. A 2022 Cochrane review found no topical product that prevents them, and genetics play a big role. Olivia used the 4 oz Tallow Balm twice a day and had none at 36 weeks, which is her experience, not a guarantee.
What's in the Oceanic Organics 4 oz Tallow Balm?
Five ingredients: organic beef tallow from one family farm in Pennsylvania, jojoba oil, arrowroot powder, frankincense oil and rosemary oil. There are no retinoids, synthetic preservatives or synthetic fragrance.
Why should I avoid retinol during pregnancy?
Health guidance from the NHS and the InfantRisk Center says topical retinoids should be avoided during pregnancy. Tallow contains naturally occurring vitamin A, which is not the same as a retinol or retinoid cream. Ask your provider if you're unsure about any product.
How often should I use tallow balm on my belly?
Olivia used it twice a day, morning and night, warming a small amount between her fingers before pressing it into her skin. A little goes a long way, so a pea-size amount is a good place to start.
Where does Oceanic Organics tallow come from?
It comes from one family farm in Pennsylvania. The tallow is grass-fed, rendered in small batches and fully traceable, not bought from a network of suppliers or imported.