Beef Up Your Beauty Routine with Tallow

I was super skeptical about using beef tallow on my face. As a teen, I battled oily, acne-prone skin. Now in my 30s, it’s dry and showing signs of aging, and most days, I skip makeup. So, the idea of slathering on something that doubles as fryer oil? Sounds like a recipe for breakouts and regret. I assumed the beauty influencers I’d seen on TikTok were right—that tallow would clog my pores, wreck my skin barrier, and make fine lines worse.

But after digging into the science, I realized…I was wrong.

And I know I’m not the only one who thought this way! A quick Google search brings up article after article after article, published by trusted sources, that approach tallow with unnecessary hesitation.

It turns out that tallow is surprisingly biocompatible with human skin. It mimics our natural oils, making it a deeply nourishing natural moisturizer. Most dermatologists still hesitate to recommend it—not because it’s harmful, but because there isn’t enough research on it yet. Few medical professionals will recommend something they can’t back up with a lot of hard data.

That being said, the studies that have been done are extremely promising. Tallow might even have a therapeutic effect on severely dry skin and conditions like eczema and psoriasis.

Until then…here are some interesting things I learned about tallow:

Tallow cream, serum and facial skin care products in sticks. Trendy cream based on animal fat, concept of natural moisturizing, skin restoration, healthy organic fatty acids, vitamins beauty care.

What Is Tallow, Anyway?

Tallow is the hard fat derived from livestock, usually beef or mutton. It was once largely considered an agricultural waste product, but these days, it’s having a serious revival.

In its purest form, tallow has been used for generations as cooking oil. But now, it’s making headlines as a rich, high-fat natural moisturizer. When rendered and purified, tallow transforms into a deeply nourishing balm packed with skin-loving nutrients, and it plays surprisingly well with our skin’s natural oils.

But the uses don’t stop at skincare. Scientists have identified tallow as a low-cost, sustainable alternative to vegetable oils in biofuel production. It’s also been shown to boost vaccine effectiveness in dairy cattle by helping deliver tricky, water-resistant compounds into the bloodstream at higher rates than comparable vegetable oils.

Why Is Tallow Such a Great Moisturizer?

One of the biggest challenges in skincare is getting products to soak in without irritating or damaging the skin barrier. To do that, they need to sneak past the skin’s outermost layer—the stratum corneum—which must be protected to ensure healthy skin. That barrier works like a brick wall made of lipids like cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids.

Here’s where tallow really shines.

Tallow is naturally rich in triglycerides—especially oleic, palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids—which closely mimic the fats already found in human skin. Because of that, tallow absorbs easily, helps support the skin barrier instead of disrupting it, and delivers nutrients deep into the skin when applied topically.
Unlike plant oils used in skincare, tallow’s fatty acid profile is closer to our own skin’s natural sebum, making it incredibly nourishing and less likely to irritate. Also, unlike synthetic products, it can permeate the skin’s barrier without breaking it down with harsh chemicals, which can irritate the skin and cause damage with long-term use.

Tallow is also packed with Vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12—aka the superheroes for skin hydration, repair, and glow. It’s also unfractionated, which means that once it permeates the skin barrier, it retains its fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients, locking them in from the inside out.

One Very Important Note: Don’t go grab a jar of cooking tallow and start smearing it on your face expecting stellar results! Tallow skincare products are a bit different from cooking tallow. Even if you’re using a skincare product made with 100% pure beef tallow, search for tallow made explicitly for topical use. These products most likely underwent additional filtration processes, were whipped, or even mixed with other skin-safe ingredients to help make them lighter in texture, absorb more quickly, and smoother to apply.

Beef Tallow 101: Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Feature	Beef Tallow	Commentary
Texture	Rich, creamy, medium-thick	Melts with body heat, like shea butter
Comedogenicity	Low to moderate (depending on skin & formulation)	Less pore-clogging than people assume
Shelf Life	Long (when properly rendered and stored)	Naturally stable, especially with added antioxidants
Skin Type Suitability	Excellent for dry, sensitive, eczema-prone skin	May be too rich for oily/acneic types
Nutritional Content	Very high — rich in vitamins A, D, E, K, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and omega fats	Closest lipid match to human sebum
Moisturizing Ability	Extremely high — emollient and occlusive	Creates a barrier to lock in hydration
Processing Level	Minimal (if grass-fed, gently rendered)	Closer to whole oil than fractionated
Common Uses	Balms, body butters, healing salves, facial moisturizers	Popular in regenerative or ancestral skincare lines
Texture on Application	Initially thick, melts in, leaves a light residue	Extremely high—emollient and occlusive

Is Tallow Safe for All Skin Types?

Generally, yes—but it depends on your skin. As with any skincare product, it’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. How well it works really depends on your skin’s specific needs.

In its purest form, beef tallow is super moisturizing and well-tolerated by most people. Research shows it can boost hydration in healthy skin and even help soothe dry conditions like eczema and psoriasis. It’s also naturally antibacterial and antiseptic, which makes it great for supporting wound healing and reducing irritation. Tallow-based soaps have also been shown to be less drying than many other options, and they actually add moisture to the skin rather than strip it away.

And while tallow is marketed as non-comedogenic (aka it won’t clog pores), its high saturated fat content might be too moisturizing for very oily or acne-prone skin. In some cases, it can trap oil and slow cell turnover, which could lead to breakouts. On the flip side, if your acne is bacterial, tallow’s antimicrobial properties might help calm it down.

What are Some Downsides of Using Tallow?

Pure tallow can be amazing, but like any skincare product, it’s about finding the right fit for your skin. While tallow has many benefits, it’s not perfect for everyone. Here are some things to be aware of if you already use tallow, or are considering it:

Sun sensitivity: Tallow can make your skin barrier more semipermeable, which might increase your risk of sunburn or sun rash with extended use. If you’re using tallow regularly, be sure to pair it with sunscreen—ideally a higher SPF on days with lots of sun exposure.
Eye irritation: Tallow is excellent for skin, but not for your eyes. Some studies suggest it can cause mild conjunctivitis and irritation if it gets in your eyes. So please keep it on your face, not in it.
Possible inflammation: If you notice increased redness, breakouts, or irritation that doesn’t improve within a week of using tallow, it might not be the right fit for your skin.

Does tallow feel sticky, oily, or smell weird?

Pure tallow can be a little sticky and leave a slight oily residue. Yes, it has a natural scent that some people don’t love. But that’s where blends come in.

When tallow is mixed with natural oils like hemp seed oil or pumpkin seed oil, plus stabilizers and emulsifiers, the texture tends to get lighter, absorb faster, smell better, and have a longer shelf life. The tradeoff? These blends are usually more pore-clogging, less moisturizing, and not quite as nutrient-rich as pure tallow or high-tallow formulas.

So again, it’s all about finding the right mix for your skin type and personal preferences.

Beef dripping or Tallow a rendered form of beef or mutton fat used in cooking or as a traditional shortening.

Is Tallow Environmentally-Friendly?

In many ways, yes. Tallow is often seen as a sustainable choice because it repurposes a byproduct of the meat industry that would otherwise go to waste. It’s also a natural alternative to synthetic skincare ingredients that can be harsh on your skin and the environment. That said, like most things, it’s not without downsides.

While research on tallow’s possible environmental impact is limited, some studies have shown that tallow-derived substances can harm aquatic life in high concentrations. For example, certain fish experienced toxicity when tallow-based herbicides were applied to their skin, and frogs exposed to these substances showed birth defects due to disrupted microbiota.

That being said, let’s not forget some common-sense plumbing advice: Tallow is high in saturated fat and solidifies at room temperature. Like all oils, it should never end up down the drain. If it does, it can clog your pipes, cause major sewage problems, and potentially have a negative environmental impact in extreme quantities. So, if you’re using tallow products, be mindful of how you dispose of any excess. It’s safer for the froggies, fishies, and your plumbing.