INCI names / Tallow
Tallow INCI name
The INCI name for tallow is Tallow in a lotion or balm, and Sodium Tallowate in cold-process soap, where the oil reacts with lye and the oil itself is no longer in the finished bar.
| In lotions, balms and other cosmetics | Tallow |
|---|---|
| In cold-process soap (sodium hydroxide) | Sodium Tallowate |
| In liquid soap (potassium hydroxide) | Potassium Tallowate |
| Superfat share in soap (unreacted) | Tallow |
| On a US label | Tallow; in soap, Sodium Tallowate |
| In Great Britain and Northern Ireland | The same names as the EU. Northern Ireland uses the EU glossary cited below; Great Britain still uses the glossary it kept from the EU, where the same names have other entry numbers. |
| Also entered as | beef tallow, mutton tallow, sheep tallow |
Glossary citation: Sodium Tallowate #27052; Tallow #28235; Potassium Tallowate #22770 (Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175 on EUR-Lex).
CosIng defines Tallow as the fat from the fatty tissue of sheep or cattle, so beef and mutton tallow share the one name.
In the soap or skincare tool, put it on its own line with its weight, for example "tallow, 30", and the tool prints the right name for the product type and the region you choose.
Transcribed from the EU glossary of common ingredient names (Implementing Decision (EU) 2025/1175) and checked against it; the US names are the ones FDA's substance registry (GSRS) records. A labelling reference, not safety advice.