What Dermatologists Have to Say About Using Beef Tallow for Your Skin
On TikTok, there's a place for everything, especially skincare. The latest trend is all-natural beef tallow, or rendered beef fat, to hydrate, prevent blemishes and more. This is part of a movement to return to basic care and chemical-free products.
While you may be used to beef tallow as a kitchen staple (it's most commonly used as an oil for frying, giving your dishes a light beef flavor), this simple product can be used for many other things as well. It's been tested as a household product over the years, and social media has now brought it to the masses.
However, it hasn't been studied closely as a skincare ingredient, so as with any new product that you want to try, do so with caution and consult your dermatologist before jumping on the bandwagon.
Below, learn more about all the buzz around beef tallow, including the potential benefits and drawbacks.
Read more: Easy Ways to Improve Your Skin's Glow
What is beef tallow?
Beef tallow is the product of clarifying fatty tissue from around the organs of a cow. At room temperature, it's solid and often used in cooking. It can also be used in things like soap, candles and other skincare products because of its creamy texture and oiliness.
According to the Mayo Clinic, beef tallow is primarily made up of saturated fats due to its solid nature. It also has saturated and polyunsaturated fats. Beyond fats, beef tallow contains fat-soluble vitamins and essential fatty acids, which has made it an attractive cooking ingredient.
Beef tallow rave on TikTok
Beef tallow has recently surged in popularity, thanks in large part to social media. Content creators on TikTok have been touting its claims, saying the natural product is giving them incredible skin. One user posted a video in January saying beef tallow "healed my skin barrier."
The belief is that beef tallow can hydrate skin and help protect the skin barrier. Some even believe it can act as an anti-inflammatory and help relieve blemishes. This can vary greatly, though, depending on each person's skin -- as with any skincare product and regimen. The benefits of your beef tallow can also vary based on your cows. The Mayo Clinic states the grass-fed cows will have a more robust vitamin profile in their tallow than those on a conventional diet.
Tallow has a similar texture and appearance to coconut oil, and as a beauty product, it's almost balm-like. Some of these beauty fans are even making their own beef tallow products at home, rendering the tallow themselves, as it just requires boiling down the fat over the stove. You can also get the fat from your local butcher. If you don't want to DIY, you can buy premade beef tallow products online for under $20.
What experts have to say about beef tallow
Dr. Teresa Song, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical, sees some benefits in using beef tallow as a skincare product but cautions most people against trying it.
"It is probably better tolerated for dry skin and should be avoided in those with sensitive skin, combination, acne and oily skin types due to potential worsening of breakouts," she tells CNET.
However, for those who can tolerate it, Dr. Song notes that it can be a worthwhile skincare product if chosen carefully and used properly. Though it hasn't yet been widely studied, it is believed to mimic human vitamin profiles -- A, D, E, K and B12 -- which may offer benefits for certain skin types. She also highlights its role in promoting hydration for very dry skin, making it worth considering for those with the right skin type.
AleksandarNakic/Getty Images
As some on TikTok have experienced, the thick texture of beef tallow can be problematic. That's why Dr. Song doesn't recommend it for sensitive skin, as it can lead to breakouts rather than help with acne. She also stressed the fact that it is an animal product and that some people may have an allergic reaction.
Beyond the risk of an allergic reaction, the animal-based nature of tallow is another concern, Dr. Song notes, as it has a higher potential to spoil. In contrast, plant-based moisturizers like shea or cocoa butter are more stable.
"Modern ingredients are also more studied and processed as compared to beef tallow," she adds, continuing, "Modern skincare ingredients like hyaluronic acid, squalene and ceramides tend to offer targeted hydration without greasiness as compared to beef tallow. Sources of the beef tallow need to be more standardized and use should be individualized."
Sustainability and ethical considerations
Though vegans and vegetarians would disagree with using beef tallow, those who believe in not letting any part of an animal go to waste would support using pieces that might normally be thrown out. Fat isn't often valued, and finding an additional use for the beef tallow (beyond just cooking with it) creates less waste.
However, it is a meat product, and the most ethical way to source it is to find cows that are farmed responsibly and taken care of in a sustainable environment. These cows are usually grass-fed and pasture-raised. Plus, when you get tallow from cows raised this way, they're often healthier, which means a higher quality of tallow.
For vegans and vegetarians, the alternative is to find a plant-based product, which is what many of the other beauty products on the market already are.
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