How It Started
The beginning of this journey started with a newfound relationship with the most unexpected companions: conifer trees. From there, it was all a matter of curiosity and experimentation, and each step with a question, then led to action.
“What’s the purpose behind this sticky stuff that comes off of pine trees? And are the hardened parts useless?”
First it was a sugar scrub infusion, then deodorants, and finally after mustering up some courage, soap making.
None of this happened with the idea of making this a business (initially), but the more encouragement I got, the more confident I felt to make it happen.
Why Tallow?
Since having gotten started back in 2023, a number of products have been developed. Some became popular, while others didn’t stand out so well. But if there’s one ingredient that’s added unexpected value to our products, it’s beef tallow.
Whether it’s food, cosmetics, commercial industry, or clothing, beef has served and remains to be an incredible asset in cultures throughout history. As far as tallow is concerned, this form of fat provides incredible benefits to the human body. Our soaps here at Seven Resins were originally made with vegetable fats such as olive, coconut, and castor oil, and produced some nice results. However, the outcome of experimenting with tallow in our most recent Beard Balm line, along with some experimental tallow soap bars, produced results that far exceeded our expectations.
Here's What We Discovered:
- Like jojoba oil, tallow is a natural oil that mimics our skin’s natural oil. When our bodies recognize a food ingredient thats familiar to the human body, it often absorbs the ingredient without concern (unlike artificial chemicals that give our bodies an allergic response).
- Tallow is naturally loaded with vitamins such as A, D, E and K, which all greatly benefit our skin.
- The purpose of soap is to clean, and vegetable-based soaps do a very good job with that, but sometimes to the point where it can dry our skin out. Thanks to the naturally occurring Vitamin E, Tallow-based soap naturally hydrates the skin, leaving your skin feeling more nourished than before bathing.
- One of the amazing benefits of tallow is it’s immune system boosting properties. Some believe that the result of applying this fat to your skin helps strengthen the natural barriers of your skin from infection and irritations.
- Unlike vegetable soaps, tallow soap can be used not just on your body, but also on your face and hair! This is significant because tallow soap, even though will remove the unwanted gunk from your skin, won’t remove the naturally-occurring fats from your skin or hair!
- When compared to vegetable soap, the tallow difference can be FELT. Creamy and rich in texture, bathing with tallow soap gives a unique and luxurious feel to your bathing experience.
Scriptural Influence
This journey began from a dream I had one night, given to me by the Lord. Those subsequent months of research led me to experiment with the oleoresins from trees such as the Norway Spruce, White Sugar Pine, Ponderosa, and Hemlock, but the start off point of my research started with the Bible.
At their core, some of the products produced through Seven Resins have a story to tell that can be found both through my personal life experiences and from various parts of the Bible. In fact, I believe these stories and words of wisdom intertwine in a way where an important message surfaces:
The Bible isn’t just some book. It's an ongoing story that includes not only people from the distant past, but each of us who are living today. It's fertilizer for the soil of our brains and hearts, guiding us to an understanding about our connection with the Lord, with our natural environment, with ourselves, and much, much more.
The current products, and all subsequent products produced continue to expand on a story that’s unfolding in the world around us today. It brings me great pleasure and fulfillment to express my passion for Scripture, both through my writings and through creating sophisticated results in the form of simple, effective products we use on a daily basis.
May the Lord continue to bless the works of our hands.
- Gabe
