Does Tallow With Zinc Oxide Actually Protect Your Skin From the Sun?

Short answer: not the way a sunscreen does. Zinc oxide is a genuine mineral UV filter — it's the active ingredient in mineral sunscreens — but a tallow moisturiser with zinc in it hasn't been SPF-tested or registered, so no one can tell you how much protection you're actually getting. Treat it as a moisturiser, not a replacement for sunscreen.

I'm Morgan, and I make Koa Shore Daily Defence — a grass-fed tallow and non-nano zinc moisturiser, made here in Australia. I get asked some version of "is this a sunscreen?" almost every week. Here's the honest answer, from someone who makes the stuff.

Why I put zinc oxide in a tallow moisturiser

When I built Daily Defence, I wanted one simple bottle instead of a bathroom shelf full of half-used products. I added non-nano zinc oxide because zinc oxide is a mineral that sits on the surface of your skin — it's the same mineral used as the active in mineral sunscreens — and I liked that quality in an everyday moisturiser, alongside grass-fed tallow your skin actually recognises.

I chose non-nano specifically: the particles are larger, so they sit on top of the skin rather than absorbing in — which is why a lot of people prefer it.

Does zinc oxide protect your skin from the sun?

On its own, yes — zinc oxide is a real, physical UV filter. That's why it's in mineral sunscreens.

But "has zinc oxide in it" and "protects you from the sun" are not the same sentence. How much a finished product actually shields you depends on the concentration, how evenly it spreads, whether it stays put — and, above all, whether it's been tested. Without an SPF test, a number is a guess. And UV damage is sneaky: you can be burning without feeling a thing.

Why my tallow moisturiser isn't a sunscreen

Because in Australia, "sunscreen" isn't a marketing word — it's a legal one. To call something a sunscreen, or put an SPF number on it, the product has to go through proper SPF testing and be registered with the TGA. That process is long and expensive, and as a small brand on a tight budget, I haven't done it.

Here's the part most brands won't say out loud: until a product has been through that testing, nobody actually knows its sun protection factor — not you, and not me. So I won't put a claim on a bottle it hasn't earned.

So should you use tallow and zinc instead of sunscreen?

No. Keep your sunscreen.

If you're spending real time in the sun, wear a registered, SPF-tested sunscreen — that's the job it's built and tested for. Daily Defence is a moisturiser: tallow and non-nano zinc for soft, looked-after skin and a light mineral feel, face and body.

I've had people tell me they'd swapped their sunscreen out for it because it's "got zinc." I always steer them back. I'd rather lose a sale than have someone get burnt on my word.

Two tallow and zinc myths worth busting

• "Tallow smells like beef fat." It doesn't have to. Ours is a light cream in Coconut & Lime or Strawberry — no beefy smell.
• "Zinc products are thick and heavy." Also not true. Zinc can absolutely be lightweight — ours sinks straight in without the greasy, pasty feel people expect.

The honest bottom line

Tallow and zinc make a genuinely good moisturiser — lightweight, no beef smell, a nice mineral feel for skin that's out and about. What it isn't is a tested, registered sunscreen. Use it as your daily moisturiser, keep your sunscreen for the sun, and you've got both bases covered.

If a simple, honest tallow + zinc moisturiser is what you're after, that's exactly what we make at Koa Shore. And if you're comparing options, here's my honest guide to the best tallow moisturisers in Australia.

Frequently asked questions

Is a tallow and zinc moisturiser a sunscreen?
No. Even with zinc oxide in it, a moisturiser isn't a sunscreen unless it's been SPF-tested and registered with the TGA. Daily Defence hasn't, so we don't call it one.

Does zinc oxide have an SPF?
Zinc oxide is a UV filter used in sunscreens, but a specific SPF number only comes from testing a finished product. Zinc being in the formula doesn't give you a known SPF.

Can I use tallow with zinc instead of sunscreen?
No — don't rely on it for sun protection. Use a registered sunscreen when you're in the sun, and use a tallow + zinc moisturiser for daily skin care.

Is non-nano zinc oxide better?
Non-nano particles are larger and sit on the skin's surface rather than absorbing in, which is why many people prefer it. It's what we use in Daily Defence.

Does Koa Shore Daily Defence have an SPF rating?
No. It's a moisturiser, not a registered sunscreen, so it carries no SPF claim.