Tallow can wait until your provider says it's time for regular moisturizer. Microneedling punctures the skin. A resurfacing laser removes layers of it, so the first days are wound care, and your aftercare sheet outranks any blog, ours included.
Your dermatologist or provider leads on aftercare. I make the balm I'm about to recommend, and once you're cleared, I'd reach for Bare Silk Unscented ($34 as of October 5, 2026).
What do microneedling and laser do to skin?
The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (ASDS) describes microneedling as controlled puncturing of the skin at a set depth with fine needles. The needles leave channels, and that's by design. Your body answers with its wound healing response, which builds new collagen and elastin over time. Makeup and sunscreen can go on after 24 hours. Downtime runs two to seven days, and skin can look like a mild sunburn or a peel.
Laser resurfacing goes further. It improves skin by removing layers of it, the ASDS says, and the treated area is usually dressed afterward. Patients apply ointment and re-dress the area daily. Recovery takes three to 10 days, depending on the laser and how deep it went. That's wound care.
Can a tallow balm stand in for Botox?
Some posts sell tallow that way, and the claim doesn't survive a look at how the injections work. Neuromodulators are injections of botulinum toxin. A tiny amount goes into the muscle under the skin, the ASDS explains, and the muscle relaxes. The skin over it gradually smooths, typically for about three months.
A balm stays on the skin's surface, a long way from the muscle doing that work. It holds water in the top layers. Fine lines look softer while it's on, and that's the whole job. The ASDS adds a rule for after injections: don't rub the treated areas, since rubbing could move the toxin somewhere else. Ask your injector how long that lasts before you massage anything into those spots.
When can a tallow balm go on?
Once your provider clears regular moisturizer, and only on skin that's intact. Needling opens channels through the skin's thick outer layer, a 2017 review by Iriarte and colleagues explains, so topicals absorb more readily. The ASDS counts an allergic response to topicals applied right after treatment among the rarer side effects.
So start plain, with no essential oils or fragrance. Tallow doesn't screen UV, so once your provider clears sunscreen, it goes over the balm every morning. It's cosmetic care, not a treatment, and your provider's plan comes first.
For the dry, tight weeks after you're cleared, the jar I'd hand you is Bare Silk Unscented. It smells like nothing.
If you'd rather not read five product pages, Find my balm asks two minutes of questions and hands you the jar.
Questions we hear
Can I put tallow on my face after microneedling?
Not right away. Wait until your provider clears regular moisturizer and the skin's intact again. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says makeup and sunscreen can go on after 24 hours, with two to seven days of downtime. Then start unscented.
What should go on my skin after laser resurfacing?
Follow your aftercare sheet. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery says the treated area is usually dressed, and patients apply ointment and re-dress it daily. Recovery takes three to 10 days, and a tallow balm doesn't stand in for that ointment.
Does tallow work like Botox for fine lines?
No. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery describes neuromodulators as botulinum toxin injected into the muscle, which relaxes it for about three months. A balm stays on the skin's surface. It holds water in the top layers, so fine lines look softer while it's on.
Why start with an unscented balm after microneedling?
Skin that's just been needled lets more of whatever you put on it through. The American Society for Dermatologic Surgery counts an allergic response to topicals applied right after treatment among the rarer side effects of microneedling. That's why plain comes first.
Go deeper
The beef tallow for skin guide covers tallow on intact skin. Our petrolatum comparison explains the ointment side, and our post on tallow and wrinkles covers what a balm can't do for lines. Tallow with tretinoin and Accutane covers the prescription version of the same dryness, and gua sha and facial massage what to leave alone while the skin settles.
Sources
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (2026). Microneedling, an undated page for the public on asds.net, read October 5, 2026. ASDS.
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (2026). Laser resurfacing, an undated page for the public, read October 5, 2026. ASDS.
- American Society for Dermatologic Surgery (2026). Neuromodulators, an undated page for the public, read October 5, 2026. ASDS.
- Iriarte C, Awosika O, Rengifo-Pardo M, Ehrlich A (2017). Review of applications of microneedling in dermatology, including how the needles raise absorption of topicals. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol 10:289 to 298.
Brian is the founder of Craft Tallow, a small-batch tallow skincare line shipped from Cottonwood Heights, Utah, built on 100% grass-fed suet. Questions? Reply to any email from us; it lands with him.