You opened the box and the jar that was supposed to be a fluffy whipped balm is a puddle, or a lotion that should be creamy is thin as milk, or a lip balm is stuck to the inside of its cap. First, the important part: it is not ruined. Tallow, shea butter and the other natural fats we use soften near body temperature and melt in a hot delivery truck, and they set right back up when they cool. Below is what happened, what to expect product by product, how to fix it in about an hour, and when to just email us for a replacement instead.
Why tallow products melt in shipping
Everything we make is built on beef tallow rendered from our own cattle, blended with shea butter, olive oil, sunflower oil and, in some products, natural beeswax. Those are real fats, and real fats have a melting point. Tallow and shea butter begin to soften around body temperature and turn fully liquid at temperatures a parcel easily reaches inside a truck, a warehouse, or a mailbox in the sun during a Texas summer. Beeswax melts much hotter, which is why the cream and the lip balm hold their shape better than the whipped balm, but even they will soften on a bad day.
We could make products that stay rigid at 130 degrees. It would mean adding petroleum waxes and synthetic hardeners, and that is the opposite of why you bought a tallow product. So we accept that a few summer orders will arrive soft, and we stand behind every one of them.
What to expect, product by product
| Product | What melting looks like | After it cools |
|---|---|---|
| Whipped tallow balm (tallow, shea, olive oil, essential oil) | Liquid, or a jar that looks half full, "deflated," or has a hole in the middle | Sets firm but dense. The air that was whipped in is gone, so the jar looks smaller. You have the same amount of product by weight, and a little goes further because it is concentrated. |
| Tallow cream (adds beeswax) | Soft or partly liquid, may look separated | Returns to a firm cream. May feel slightly grainy at first (see below). |
| Tallow lotions, including magnesium, Serbian clay and the sampler jars | Thin and runny, "like water in a jar" | Thickens back to a cream. Lotions contain water and an emulsifier, so they thin dramatically when warm and recover when cool. |
| Tallow lip balm (tallow, shea, coconut oil, beeswax) | Soft, tip flattened, or balm melted into the cap | Firms back up. If it settled unevenly, the first swipe may feel grainy or firm, and that passes. |
| Tallow soap and shampoo bars | Rarely affected. May sweat a little in the wrapper. | Nothing to do. Let it dry and use as normal. |
How to fix a melted jar
- Bring it inside and leave the lid on. Do not open a jar that has melted while it is still warm. Wipe the outside with a paper towel.
- Put it in the refrigerator for one to two hours. Fast cooling sets the fats smooth. Slow cooling on a counter is what causes graininess.
- Whipped balm: once it is firm, use it as a dense balm. If you want the whipped texture back, let it soften to room temperature and stir hard with a fork or a hand mixer for a minute. It will not be quite as airy as it left our shop, but it works.
- Lotion: if it looks separated, stir it with a clean spoon before chilling. It will come back together as a cream.
- Lip balm: stand the tubes upright, caps on, in the fridge for an hour. If balm is stuck in the cap, that piece is still good balm. Rub it on with a fingertip.
Why does it feel grainy?
Shea butter and tallow are made of several different fats that solidify at different temperatures. When a jar melts and then cools slowly, some of those fats form tiny crystals before the rest, and you feel them as grit. It is harmless and it is not spoilage. Warm a small amount between your fingers and the grains melt instantly on contact. To fix a whole jar, set it in a bowl of warm tap water until it is fully liquid, then move it straight to the refrigerator. Fast cooling sets it smooth again. Never use a microwave.
When to email us instead
If product leaked out of the container, a lid cracked, or you simply do not want to deal with it, email support@texastallowproducts.com with your order number and a photo. We replace it, 100 percent, no questions asked. That is the policy in summer and every other month. A melted jar that stayed sealed is fine to use once it cools. A jar that lost product in transit gets replaced.
Ordering in summer
- Ship to an address where someone can bring the box inside the same day, rather than a mailbox in full sun.
- If you know the box is sitting in a hot car or porch, get it into the fridge before opening.
- Order early in the week so the package is not parked in a warehouse over a weekend.
- Soap, shampoo bars and lotions travel best in heat. Whipped balms are the most sensitive, so if you are stocking up in July, a fall reorder for balms is a fair plan.
Does heat hurt the product long term?
No. Melting and re-setting changes the texture, not the ingredients. Our whipped balms and creams contain no water, which is why they need no preservative and are not a spoilage risk when warm. The lotions contain water and are preserved for that reason. Once the jar is back to room temperature, store it as you normally would: lid on, out of direct sun. A bathroom shelf is fine. If your house runs hot, the fridge is fine too, and many customers like a cold balm in August.
If this is your first jar and the texture has you second-guessing the whole idea, start smaller next time. The Tallow Lotion Sampler Pack ($29) ships four 2oz jars and lets you find your favorite before committing to a 16oz. Our Tallow Lip Balm 4 Pack ($16) uses natural beeswax for a firmer stick that handles heat better than any of the jars.