Growing up suffering from eczema, 22-year-old Jack Kerstiens (pictured left) tried everything to relieve his discomfort. The ointments, creams and even prescriptions never provided much comfort, so Jack looked for a more natural solution and found tallow.

Tallow is rendered, clarified beef or sheep fat, mostly from around the animal’s organs. It has a unique fat profile, primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It is solid at room temperature. Tallow has historically been used in cooking and in manufacturing as a lubricant, but it has made a resurgence in skincare in the past few years.

Jack discovered that tallow eased his eczema symptoms. “It helped my skin like nothing else had,” he said. Jack began whipping up his own small batches, but soon it turned into something bigger. He launched Tall Owl Skincare in October 2024.

Jack strives to keep his products as clean and natural as possible. He sources only grass-fed beef tallow from around the country. “We’re super picky about what goes into our products—quality is everything,” he stated. Other top ingredients include organic jojoba oil and organic calendula flowers.

Because tallow is an animal product, it is close to the natural oils our skin already produces. It includes vitamins A, D, E and K, all nutrients our skin loves. “Once I saw how well it worked for me, I knew I had to share it,” Jack said.

Tall Owl is a family affair, with production happening in the Kerstiens’ Hidden Pointe home. The basement bar kitchen has been repurposed for small batch production, but they are outgrowing that space to keep up with demand. Jack’s younger brothers Reagan (19) and Riley (18) often help with packing orders and running them to the post office. Parents Rick and Kathy have provided support to Jack and Tall Owl with advice, encouragement and patience with the occasional kitchen takeover.

The name Tall Owl was born during one of the many creative sessions Jack shared with his dad, where they tossed around name ideas and tried to land on something that felt just right. “We were playing with different words and variations when my dad suddenly said, ‘Tall Owl’,” shared Jack. “It was a clever twist on ‘tallow’ – the core ingredient in our products. The owl, a symbol of wisdom, gave it soul. That’s ultimately how we landed on Tall Owl with a tagline of ‘Wisdom in Skincare.’”

Whipped Organic Tallow is their original product and the best seller. Tall Owl also has body balm and lip balm. An ultra clean and super gentle balm for newborns is in the works, too.

Jack graduated from Rock Canyon High School and then attended the University of Arkansas, where he graduated top of his class in information systems, with a business analytics concentration, and a minor in blockchain enterprise.

Jack recently moved home to pursue his entrepreneurial dreams full time. “Starting something from scratch at my age has been a wild ride. We’re just getting started, and I’m beyond excited for what’s ahead,” Jack exclaimed.

Tall Owl Skincare is currently available online, with sales from all 50 states. Additionally, Jack is looking to get Tall Owl on shelves in local stores.

To learn more, visit tallowlskincare.com.

 

By Celeste McNeil; photos courtesy of Jack Kerstiens