Devorah “Dee” Pendergrass ~ Founder of SageTallow
Like many meaningful things, SageTallow started at home—as a family experiment in our kitchen.
I was permed for most of my life, with most people describing my hair as angry, unmanageable, or needing to be tamed. Frequent relaxers caused a great deal of damage and breakage. After years of frustration, my husband had enough!
He told me it was time we found another way. He drove me to Barnes & Noble so we could research curly and coily hair and finally learn how natural hair is cared for properly.
We spent hours at Barnes & Noble that day…
Fast forward to early 2010.
I made the decision to do the BIG CHOP. As my husband held the mirror for me, I cut my hair down to less than an inch.
From that point on, as I became more acquainted with my natural hair texture, I discovered that the type of hair I had always wished I had—the type I had seen on other women and admired—was the type growing out of my own head!
I had simply never been given the opportunity to see it.
I fell in love.
However, the journey had just begun.
Like many women with curly and coily hair, I struggled with dryness, breakage, and maintaining length. For years, I searched for answers. Eventually, two major realizations changed everything.
The first was my admiration for the way many Indian families traditionally maintained thick, healthy hair well into old age. I became fascinated by the herbs they used and the science behind those traditions. I spent years researching ingredients such as amla, bhringraj, brahmi, fenugreek, and other botanicals that had been trusted for generations.
Furthermore, I realized that what is applied to the skin can enter the body and potentially influence overall health outcomes—including hair health. Who knew it could have such an effect?
From that point on, I had a strong desire not to put anything on my skin that I would not be willing to ingest. All of that research gradually led to what we now call our Nourishing Hair & Scalp Serum.
Some time later, while I was away visiting family, my husband was planning something special for me. Knowing my interest in the science and power of natural ingredients, he obtained beef suet from a local farm, rendered and purified it into grass-fed tallow, and surprised me with it upon my return home.
This was something I had been eager to experience for a long time.
I was so excited.
I immediately began experimenting.
The tallow was incredibly nourishing, and I wondered:
“What would happen if I found a way to combine its properties with the properties of the serum I had already created?”
Eventually, the answer became what is now known as SageTallow.
A family brand dedicated not only to healthy hair, but to restoration.
Born from our love for the natural world and our love for each other, the new formulation was far superior to what I had been making in the past.
As time went on, my husband documented the entire process. He would take pictures of me, share them with others, and speak to people about the product whenever he met someone with curly and coily hair—in supermarkets, banks, and professional settings.
One such professional, after seeing my picture, asked what I used.
My husband explained that I personally made and formulated the product.
Not long after trying it, she told us that it had completely transformed her view of her hair. She said nothing had ever worked like it before, that it restored her confidence, and that it stopped her from cutting all of her hair off.
She insisted:
“You must share this with the world. You need a company.”
Ultimately, that encouragement became the beginning of SageTallow.
This company was born from patience, dedication, love, and hope.
Today, SageTallow is a family-owned company based in Westchester County, New York, just 45 minutes from Manhattan. What began as a family experiment in our kitchen has now helped more than 40 customers on their healthy hair journeys.
Our mission is not only to create products, but to educate. We believe there is beauty in self-care and empowerment in knowing how to care for your own hair.
Through our products, educational classes, and growing community, we hope to help people better understand their hair, reconnect with nature, and embrace the beauty of patience through lipid barrier science.
We believe that natural ingredients represent powerful science, that healthy hair begins with education, and that transformations rarely happen overnight.
True beauty is created in time, not in a rush.
We believe in: Ingredient purity, Honoring coily and curly hair in its natural form,
Nourishing the body instead of fighting it, And Allowing hair to grow on its own timeline
We understand that all great things take time
That’s why — SageTallow is more than just another product…
Thankyou for trusting us to be apart of your journey.
Sincerely,
Devorah “Dee” | Founder of SageTallow
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