Skincare

Skincare, with a closer look

Meet the makers behind the balms and creams, and take a closer look at what goes into each formula.

Editorial illustration of an unbranded skincare jar

British Skincare

A skincare jar tells only part of the story. The ingredient list, the way a product is made and the person developing it all help you understand what you are choosing.

Our edit begins with Fat Cow in Northumberland. Its range centres on prepared beef tallow, combined with other ingredients to make different balms and creams. The maker’s story follows that work from Ryan Porter’s early kitchen experiments to small-batch production.

We look at the products individually, because a balm and a face cream can have different formulas even when they share a main ingredient. Follow each maker’s current descriptions for the details of the product you are considering.

Cream sampling at a Fat Cow stall — Ed Telling / Telling Photography

The making behind the jar

Explore independent skincare makers, their ingredients and the work that turns a formula into a finished balm or cream.

 

THE LOCAL EDITORIAL

Why we love British Skincare

We are interested in the decisions behind a formula: why a maker chooses an ingredient, where it comes from and what the business does with it.

For Fat Cow, that means being clear about the distinction between rendering tallow and making skincare from it. The business buys tallow already prepared by a specialist supplier, then uses it in its own finished products. Those details make a maker’s contribution easier to understand.

Our starting point is a well-explained product and an honest account of the work behind it.

EDITOR'S Skincare PICK

Tallow-based skincare, made in small batches in Northumberland

Explore Fat Cow Skincare →
AI-assisted editorial still life of fat cow products, based on supplied photography.

Discover the people behind Britain’s best products.

CORNWALL
COTSWOLDS
KENNET & AVON CANAL
NORFOLK
SOMERSET
HAMPSHIRE

We don’t feature everything. Only the makers we genuinely believe in. Every producer is chosen for exceptional craftsmanship, thoughtful sourcing and a true connection to place—so you can discover Britain’s best with confidence.

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