About
The story behind Carnivina—why I started making tallow skincare, how the brand came to be, and why every product is handcrafted to order.
Why I started making my own skincare
When I moved to Utah in spring of 2024, the desert climate really affected my skin. It became dry, itchy, and my face couldn't seem to balance its oil and moisture. I tried so many different skincare products, including expensive serums, and nothing seemed to work.
The answer wasn't more products.
It was fewer ingredients.
Eventually, I started researching traditional and home remedies and found tallow. I made my first face cream in the summer of 2025 and for the first time in a long time my skin wasn't so blotchy and red.
How Carnivina was born
I couldn't believe how effective tallow was for my skin. I was so excited that I started gifting as often as I could, trying to 'convert' my friends and family to use tallow like me. After a while, friends began placing 'orders'.
So I started a small side hustle. The name Carnivina comes from 'carnivore' (our family's general approach to diet and nutrition). Basically, we believe God designed nature as the ultimate system for nourishing our bodies, and that extends to what we put on our skin.
Why tallow as the primary ingredient
Tallow (rendered and filtered beef fat) has been used for generations for skincare and is literally one of the closest things to human sebum. That means it absorbs easily and because it's full of fat-soluble vitamins, it's deeply nourishing for skin.
I choose ingredients based on their benefits, not how they sound on a label.
I source 100% grass-fed tallow because healthier cows produce better fat, and that shows in the final product. The same goes for every oil, butter, and botanical.
Every part of Carnivina is made by hand
As an artist by trade, and someone who values handcrafted goods, I wanted to make everything myself by hand (and yes, I do plan to render the tallow myself someday!) so I started with small batches, made to order, and I don't plan on changing that any time soon.
I also drew the logo, typography, illustrations, and icons. All of our product photos, recipe videos, and social media content are shot and edited on my iPhone 15. My husband even made the website, every feature and function, from scratch.
I do all of this because I love doing it, I believe in it, and most of all, it makes my life fun, beautiful, and full of purpose.
Where I think Carnivina will go
My husband told me to 'have fun and let the chips fall where they may' so that's what I'm doing. But somehow I find myself envisioning a future where Carnivina could be something huge. What that looks like, I'm not sure, but I know I'm here for the long haul.
I'm not chasing scale or trying to become a household name overnight or anything. I want to grow slowly, intentionally, and stay true to what makes Carnivina what it is: honest, handcrafted, and made to order. I want to build something that will last.
My hope is to reach more people who've struggled to find skincare that actually works for them.
If that resonates with you, I'm glad you're here and look forward to sharing this journey together.