I wish skincare ingredients came with a universally accurate little score telling us exactly what they would do on every person's face.
They don't.
Which is why the question “Is tallow comedogenic?” is harder to answer than the internet makes it sound.
There is no universal clogged-pore score
You will often see ingredients ranked from 0 to 5 on “comedogenic scales.”
Those charts can look very scientific.
They are not a guarantee of what will happen on your face.
Breakouts depend on the entire formulation, the amount used, your skin, your other products, your cleansing habits and your individual tendency toward acne.
An ingredient can work beautifully for one person and be too rich for another.
Tallow is a rich fat
That is the point.
It creates a substantial lipid layer on the skin.
For dry skin, that can be exactly what you want.
For someone whose pores clog easily, a very rich balm may simply be more than their face wants.
Neither response means the ingredient is objectively good or bad.
Formulation matters
Pure tallow is not the same thing as:
tallow + jojoba
or
tallow + wax
or
Texture, spreadability, concentration and the rest of the formula all matter.
So when someone says, “Tallow broke me out,” or “Tallow cured my acne,” I want considerably more information before deciding what happened.
If you're acne-prone
Introduce one product at a time.
Use a small amount.
Don't simultaneously start a new cleanser, exfoliant and serum and then attempt to conduct forensic skincare science three days later.
And pay attention to location.
If a richer moisturizer feels wonderful on your cheeks but congests your forehead, you are allowed to put it only on your cheeks.
A moisturizer still matters when you have acne
One mistake people make with breakout-prone skin is trying to dry it into submission.
Aggressive cleansing, acids and acne products can all leave skin dry and irritated.
Moisturizing isn't automatically the enemy.
The question is finding a moisturizer your skin tolerates.
Tallow may be that moisturizer.
Or it may not.
There is no morality involved.
New to tallow? Start with Tallow for Skin: What It Is, What It Does, and Who It’s For.