Tallow: Rediscovering Traditional Skincare
What is tallow?
Tallow is beef fat that has been rendered, or cooked down, to remove impurities and make it shelf stable. It is a traditional fat, similar to lard, that lost popularity with the advent of seed oils. As more and more people learn about the detrimental effects of seed oils, tallow is being rediscovered as a healthy, nourishing fat. Tallow from grass-fed, grass-finished cows is best, as it is richer in many of the vitamins and nutrients that make tallow so nutritious.
Okay, but beef fat for skincare?…
In addition to its use in cooking, tallow has traditionally been used to moisturize and heal the skin. Tallow is incredibly similar to our skin’s natural oils. It is made-up of 50-55% saturated fats, the same proportion of fat as our cell membranes, making it extremely absorbable. The deep, nourishing hydration that tallow offers is unlike any other oil. It is also naturally antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory, and rich in antioxidants which offer our skin protection. Tallow is non-comedogenic and when used in a proper amount (a little goes a long way!), it will not clog pores. And don’t worry… when rendered properly and infused with herbs, it loses its beef smell completely!
A deeper dive into the nutrients in tallow:
Vitamins A, B12, D, E, and K are extremely nourishing for skin. This particular combination of beneficial vitamins is only found together in animal products.
Alpha linoleic and linoleic acids in almost a perfect ratio of 1:1. These are also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, and they maintain the structure and barrier function of skin. They are also helpful for anti-inflammatory and immune responses in skin, including eczema and rosacea.
Stearic acid and oleic acid are fatty acids that are found in the outer layer of our skin, and in our sebum. They are softening, moisturizing, regenerative, and anti-inflammatory. Stearic acid helps to repair skin, improve the flexibility of skin, improves skin’s barrier function. Oleic acid helps the various beneficial nutrients penetrate deeply into skin.
Conjugated linoleic acid or CLA has powerful anti-inflammatory properties, and is also antimicrobial.
Palmitoleic acid is a very active antimicrobial in our skin. It is also one of the basic building blocks of our skin, but it decreases as we age.
Palmitic acid helps improve the smoothness of skin, and helps with skin’s barrier function, and decreases as we age.
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If you’re sold on tallow and want to try it out, check out our Whipped Tallow Butters!