Should We REALLY Be Smearing Beef Tallow On Our Skin?

So, if you haven’t heard, beef tallow is all the rage when it comes to skin care products. Beef tallow is made by skimming the fat off beef and has been touted as a fantastic moisturizer, helping to prevent wrinkles and acne. This was news to me, and I found it alarming, given that the concept of rubbing beef fat on my face to prevent wrinkles seemed counterintuitive. Isn’t a central component of acne caused by an overproduction of lipids in the skin? 

According to Farah Moustafa, Assistant Professor of dermatology at Tufts University School of Medicine and a dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center, beef tallow will moisturize your skin, given that it contains linoleic and oleic acids, both of which are fatty acids found in moisturizers. So if you’re cooking up a pot roast and are looking for a quick moisturizer because you have NOTHING else available, then skim off the fat and rub it on your skin. Your skin will be well-moisturized, but be careful going for a walk after dinner, as you may smell appetizing to the neighborhood dogs. 

Regarding the prevention of wrinkles or acne, Moustafa notes that there is limited clinical evidence to support this claim. In addition to fatty acids, beef tallow also contains vitamin A, which has been shown to stimulate collagen production, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. “But there’s no evidence that beef tallow has the same effect on wrinkles that retinol does,” Moustafa said.

As for an acne treatment, beef tallow is also highly comedogenic, which will likely exacerbate acne-prone skin rather than improve it. If you’re looking for a more natural acne treatment, you may be better off reaching for the witch hazel. 

Finally, beef tallow doesn’t necessarily have a pleasing smell, so many manufacturers add essential oils to mask the smell, which may lead to skin sensitivity reactions, creating another cumbersome skin conundrum. 

Moustafa recommends that when considering skin care fads, especially those popularized by social media, consider the credentials of the “expert” and refer to credible sources, such as peer-reviewed journals and professional societies like the American Academy of Dermatology. 

Reference: https://medicine.tufts.edu/news-events/news/whats-deal-beef-tallow

Lakshi Aldredge is a board-certified dermatology nurse practitioner who has been practicing at the VA Portland Health Care System for 35 years. In addition to her passion for treating immune-mediated skin conditions, Lakshi is equally passionate about cooking, traveling, karaoke, and challenging anyone to music trivia (limited to the late 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s—she’s useless after that).