About Courtney | Founder of Simply Traditional Tallow Skincare

Founder of Simply Traditional Tallow Skincare

Courtney didn’t set out to build a skincare brand—she set out to solve a problem she knew all too well.

In 2011, after years of struggling with eczema and severely dry skin, Courtney found herself being prescribed topical steroids just to manage the constant irritation -- an approach that never fully aligned with her naturally minded lifestyle. Living on a small hobby farm, she had always valued natural, intentional choices for her family. While the steroids offered temporary relief, the long-term effects became impossible to ignore. Her skin had become increasingly thin and prone to tearing, and she knew there had to be a better way. That search ultimately led her to tallow.

What began as personal research quickly turned into hands-on experimentation. Courtney started formulating her own balm -- something simple, effective, and safe enough to use on her own skin and her family’s. As her results improved, so grew the interest from others. Friends, neighbors, and eventually customers at local farmers markets and makers fairs began asking for the same products she had created for herself.

From the beginning, her approach has been grounded in quality, not scale.

Over the years, Courtney has explored different production methods, including larger batch processes. But she always returns to the same conclusion: the highest-quality product --the kind she is willing to use on her own family -- can only be achieved through small-batch production. This allows her to maintain the texture, consistency, and integrity that mass production often compromises.

Like many small businesses, her journey hasn’t been linear. Around 2020, a combination of supply chain challenges and family priorities led to a pause. But the foundation she built, and the belief in what she created, never went away.

Today, Courtney is relaunching Simply Traditional with renewed clarity and purpose.

In a market increasingly filled with heavily marketed products and inflated pricing, she remains committed to a different path: honest ingredients, thoughtful processes, and accessible pricing. Her goal is not to compete on hype, but to build trust through consistency and results.

She also measures success differently.

Rather than focusing on one-time purchases, Courtney is building a brand around long-term relationships. She often says the goal isn’t for customers to need more product over time -- but less. As skin improves and restores itself, usage naturally decreases. That outcome, more than anything, reflects the effectiveness of what she creates.

At the heart of Simply Traditional is lived experience. Courtney understands what it feels like to live with constant itching, discomfort, and frustration -- and how meaningful it is to finally find relief. That perspective continues to shape how she formulates, produces, and stands behind every product. It’s a standard rooted in experience -- and one she continues to uphold with every batch.