Beef Tallow Is Moving From Cooking to Skincare
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The Trend: After making waves as a cooking fat this year, beef tallow has jumped from the kitchen to the bathroom cabinet. Jars of rendered cow and bison fat are showing up at farmers’ markets and beauty expos alike, marketed as an all-natural moisturizer. The fat is now one of the buzziest ingredients in “natural” beauty circles.
What People Are Saying: Fans love the “natural” and “chemical-free” branding and say the fatty acid profile of animal fat closely matches our own skin, which supposedly helps it absorb more readily than plant-based creams. Tallow indeed contains stearic and oleic acids that can help trap moisture, plus trace amounts of vitamins A, D, E, and K. Still, dermatologists say research on beef tallow as a skincare ingredient is limited — it isn’t regulated and can clog pores or irritate sensitive skin.
What to Know: If you’re curious about beef tallow, do a patch test first. Also, temper your expectations because it probably won’t outperform your tried-and-true moisturizer.
