Is it Time to Beef Up Your Skincare Routine with Tallow?
By Joy Stephenson-Laws, J.D., Founder
There is yet another viral skincare trend on TikTok. Beef Tallow. People are slathering it on like it’s liquid gold and comes from the fountain of youth. Some even say that it rivals retinol (a powerful form of vitamin A that is applied topically to fight signs of aging and acne). One user claims that ditching face cleansers and following a regimen of just dry brushing her face, rinsing with warm water and then moisturizing with beef tallow completely cleared her acne. There are countless videos of people applying beef tallow to their skin straight from the jar.
I was skeptical about the viral flaxseed trend, and now I am most definitely skeptical about this. Also, does putting beef tallow on your skin make you smell?! Nevertheless, let’s explore this further and also see what dermatologists online are saying about putting beef tallow on the skin, the body’s largest organ.
What is beef tallow?
Beef tallow is rendered beef fat. When it is heated, the tallow is in liquid form, however, when cooled it turns into a solid (kind of like the consistency of hardened coconut oil). Along with cooking, beef tallow can be used to make candles, soap and cosmetics. You can make your own beef tallow at home or simply buy a jar of it, but there are so many beef tallow skincare products readily available online that may have essential oils or other ingredients added to it like honey. This is most likely to get rid of the smell. It’s pretty overwhelming to see how many beef tallow balms there are on Amazon. It’s clear that companies have noticed that people are interested in this ingredient and believe it will address their skin woes whether it’s acne, eczema, aging and more. Beef tallow is rich in nutrients such as vitamin E and fatty acids, but I’m still not convinced this is something I should apply to my skin.
Let's see what the dermatologists say.
Dermatologist Dr. Geeta Yadav pretty much said a lot of what I think I needed to hear.
This is not nature's botox.
“I’ve been seeing some videos where people are talking about using beef tallow as a moisturizer for the skin and claiming that it has some incredible properties including even mimicking botox. Well, sorry to break it to you world, but no. Beef tallow does not have those properties. It is really just an oil. Actually, McDonald’s used to use it to fry their fries in,” Yadav states in this TikTok video.
She also mentions that the oil will most likely break down and go rancid. It’s not going to smell good.
“Use a product that is designated for your skin to hydrate and moisturize it,” Yadav said
In another video, Dermatologist Dr. Reza T says, “It does have a lot of things that might be beneficial for your skin. It’s got vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E, B12. It also has things called oleic acids and palmitic acid.”
“If you have aging skin, this might actually have some benefit, but guess what? It’s the same stuff that’s found in a lot of skincare products out there that are commercially manufactured. Unfortunately, beef tallow is not as pure. This is basically beef fat. It’s also unstable, so if it sits on the shelf it can actually degrade and become rancid. Eww, and what that can do it also can clog your pores and cause acne.
Vitamin F?
Beef tallow does contain vitamin F. Generally speaking, you do not hear much about vitamin F.
“Vitamin F isn’t actually a vitamin. It’s made up of two kinds of polyunsaturated fatty acids. These fatty acids are alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and linoleic acid (LA). ALA is an omega-3 fatty acid, and LA is an omega-6 fatty acid. Scientists discovered ALA and LA in the 1920s and mistook them for a vitamin they called vitamin F. The label stuck even though they were later found to be fats,” according to the Cleveland Clinic.
“Your body needs vitamin F to perform many vital functions. Vitamin F plays a major role in your cell structure. The fatty acids within vitamin F provide structure and flexibility to the outer layer of your cells.”
Vitamin F is actually one of my favorite ingredients that you want to be using in a product that sort of the final step in your skincare routine, said Dermatologist Dr. Whitney Bowe.
This does not mean that you have to get vitamin F from beef tallow. There are plenty of products out there that contain vitamin F. Speak with your dermatologist about what might be best for you.
Although it might not be that common, using beef tallow on your skin could put you at risk for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). Beef tallow is not FDA-approved for use on the skin.
It doesn’t look like we are going to see these TikTok skin trends go away anytime soon. I think it’s just important to be skeptical and be curious. If someone is telling you they found nature’s botox, this, in my opinion, is a red flag.
The good news is that there are so many ways to help maintain youthful and healthy skin. Lifestyle and taking advantage of technologies such as red light therapy can have a major impact.
To learn more about what you can do for your skin, check out these pH Labs blogs:
Flaxseeds Are Not Nature’s Botox. Here’s How You Can Be Proactive About Maintaining Youthful Skin
Help Your Skin Recuperate From a Year of Video Calls, Stress and Neglect
Collagen Supplements Are Trending, But What Are They And Do They Really Work?
Enjoy your healthy life!
