Beef tallow is regaining attention as a natural skin treatment. It’s a traditional moisturizer and protectant made from beef fat that’s been rendered (heated until it forms a liquid), then resolidified as it’s cooled.
But is it smart to include beef tallow as part of your natural skin care routine? Here’s the scoop:
The Case for Beef Tallow
The consistency of beef tallow is much like solidified coconut oil, lard, butter, or other fat. That makes it easy to smooth over your skin. And like any oil-based ointment or cream, it will help protect your skin’s barrier function and hold in natural moisture.
Since it is made from beef, it is full of nutritious, fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, and essential nutrients like B12. Because of this, many believe it not only protects skin, but can nourish it as well.
You can make it at home, although it can take a long time to melt down beef fat so that it breaks down into a clear liquid. You can also buy beef tallow pre-prepared by cottage industries and natural food providers.
The Reasons You might NOT Want to Use It
Like any new health trend, there are lots of stories traveling around the Internet about beef tallow having healing powers for troubled skin. Unfortunately, solid evidence just isn’t there yet to show that beef tallow is effective for treating skin conditions like eczema, TSW, psoriasis, or acne.
Because it’s a food source, it’s not regulated by the FDA for topical use. Unfortunately, this means you may not always know if the product you’re getting is pure or made in sanitary conditions. Cows can also carry germs that are transmissible to humans, so care in processing tallow is important.
Dense oils or fats, like beef tallow, aren’t the best choice for some skin types. It can easily clog pores, or make the skin tacky or greasy, and more susceptible to picking up external dirt or germs. It will make also skin more vulnerable to sun damage if the skin is exposed to sunshine.
Another risk with beef tallow is an allergic reaction. What many people don’t know is that beef can be an allergenic food. However, some people can have an allergic reaction to beef tallow on their skin even if they are not allergic to eating beef itself.
It also goes without saying that tallow is not suitable for those who wish to maintain a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
Advice Before Trying Tallow on Your Skin
If beef tallow is a natural product you’d like to try to nourish and moisturize your skin, take a few simple precautions:
First, buy your tallow from a high-quality source, which in this case may mean going to a reputable health food store, a butcher you trust, or making it yourself. If you purchase a premade tallow product, check the label. Some add other natural ingredients like honey, but some may contain fragrances, dyes, chemicals or preservatives.
Be sure to store it in an airtight container in a cool, dark place, or consider refrigerating it. An earthy, slightly “animal fat” smell is normal. However, if your tallow smells bad or looks discolored, moldy or spoiled, chances are it wasn’t rendered or stored properly. This mean the fat has gone rancid and is no longer okay to use.
Secondly, treat tallow as you would any other new skincare product: test a small amount on a patch of skin first – not on your face. If, after several hours, there is no bad reaction, try a bit more. If your skin breaks out or show signs of inflammation, stop using it right away.
Conclusion
Our use of natural animal fats, like beef tallow, is a part of traditional skincare that’s as old as time. While we’re excited when new skin health trends incorporate natural care, we hope that more research will follow to establish whether beef tallow really does offer healing benefits beyond soothing and protecting dry skin.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Dr. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Dr. Olivia is passt chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.