How far are you willing to go for your skin? This new skincare trend might just test your limits!

In the quest for the fountain of youth and the perfect skincare routine, some beauty enthusiasts are turning to an unconventional ingredient that's causing quite the stir.

This age-old moisturizer is being touted as a miracle cream capable of delivering a dewy, radiant complexion.

But before you raid your local butcher's shop, let's carve into the meat of the matter and see if this trend is worth the hype or just another beauty blunder.



Tallow, the rendered fat from cows, has been making waves on social media platforms, where influencers praise its natural properties, likening it to nature's Botox or a plant-based retinol alternative. To these people, it’s become the new “holy grail moisturizer.”

Devotees of this meaty moisturizer claim it has transformed their skin, providing nourishment and a noticeable improvement in their complexion—even if it comes with a slightly “beefy” scent.

Sascha Green, 28, has been using tallow to soothe dry skin, bug bites, rashes, and burns. She shares, “I made my own to start, just by getting meat from Costco and stripping the fat off the meat and rendering it.”

Meanwhile, Rachel Ogden, 48, claims that it makes her skin feel “nourished.” Morgan Helm, 24, supports this claim by saying that she “sees a ‘huge difference’ in her complexion after using it.” It seems as if the beefy smell is being overlooked at the “cost of having a glowing face.”


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Tallow, or rendered bovine fat, is being used by some as a moisturizer and a claimed solution for various skin conditions, but dermatologists remain skeptical about its benefits. Image source: Amazon.



The trend has been a cash cow for entrepreneurs like Mary Heffernan, who has seen her tallow-based skincare products fly off the virtual shelves, with sales reaching a staggering amount overnight.

Mary makes tallow products on her 1,800-acre ranch in Northern California. She shares, “Thanks to TikTok and social media for really promoting tallow as trendy. When we released it on our website, we sold $42,000 in tallow overnight. Sold out.”

It seems that the promise of glowing skin is enough to make consumers overlook the greasy origins of this controversial cream. So is it really a skin savior or a slick slip-up?



Despite the glowing testimonials, dermatologists are serving up a healthy dose of skepticism. Dr. Zakia Rahman from Stanford University School of Medicine gives the product a thumbs down, saying, “It could potentially cause acne flares or cause irritation.”

She's not alone in her reservations. Dr. Mary L. Stevenson from NYU Langone Health and board-certified dermatologist Dr. Muneeb Shah also expressed doubts about tallow's efficacy and safety.

They cite a lack of scientific data and the availability of better-researched skincare alternatives.

“There is little data for it, and there are so many alternative options,” said Dr. Stevenson. She also adds that it can cause acne.



Meanwhile, Dr. Shah says that while it’s “not necessarily unsafe, it wouldn’t be my first choice.”

The experts point out that, “There’s so many great skincare products out there now that are affordable and widely available that it just wouldn’t make sense to me to take a chance on an ingredient that we don’t know works or not.”


Source: @sash_green / Tiktok.​


Before you consider swapping your tried-and-true moisturizer for a jar of beef fat, it's essential to weigh the pros and cons.

Key Takeaways
  • Tallow, or rendered bovine fat, is being used by some as a moisturizer and a claimed solution for various skin conditions, but dermatologists remain skeptical about its benefits.
  • Enthusiasts of tallow claim it nourishes the skin and produces a noticeable improvement in their complexion, despite the possibility of a beefy smell.
  • The trend has gained traction on social media platforms, leading to a surge in sales for producers of tallow skincare products.
  • Medical experts warn that tallow may not be ideal, as it could potentially cause skin irritation or acne, and recommend products with a higher linoleic acid to oleic acid ratio instead.

Have you tried tallow in your skincare routine, or are you sticking to more conventional products? What are your go-to ingredients for maintaining a youthful glow? Join the conversation and let's discuss the best ways to achieve radiant skin at any age in the comments below!
 

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