The “Naughty” Skin Care Ingredient You Absolutely Must Try!
Pop Quiz! What Beauty Ingredient . . .
Do many beauty product manufacturers vilify while selling you on their expensive, patented formulas? If you compare labels between the “naughty” skin care product and theirs, which one would have a toxic slew of chemicals including, say, 5 ingredients linked to cancer, 3 penetration enhancers that may increase exposure to carcinogens, parabens and 20 chemicals that have not been assessed for safety?¹
Most importantly, which product is uniquely compatible with our skin’s biology, leaving it supple and nourished after use? If you haven’t guessed yet, it’s time to let you in on a little beauty secret I’ve been keeping for the past few months. Are you ready to see what’s underneath those bags?
Ta Da!
On the left we have Sample A (which we won’t mention for liability reasons), and on the right we have beef tallow! Now, I’m not picking on Sample A specifically, it’s just they they happen to claim on their “dirty little secrets” page that tallow leaves scum on skin, boasting that they never use it in their soaps, lotions, etc. What is this scum, you ask? And why do cosmetic manufacturers make a big deal about not using tallow?
Good questions! I’ll get into the no-good, horrible, make-your-skin-so-soft-you-won’t-believe-it “scum” in just a minute, but first I want to say that many companies do use tallow in lipsticks and such. For the most part they like to keep that quiet, because quite frankly tallow is a natural product that cannot be patented. Fractionated compounds that don’t remotely resemble nature with the word “natural” slapped on the label – now THAT can be patented!
Marketers who sold the public soy as a viable “alternative” to meat have made very convincing arguments that plant-based products are generally better for us and the environment, but it’s simply not true. As we’ll discuss soon, knowing the source of each product is vitally important for making that determination. But first, let’s talk about that “scum” Dove mentioned – saturated and monounsaturated fats - which I happen to believe is . . .
The Perfect “Food” For Skin
Awhile back I wrote about coconut oil for radiant skin, a supercharged metabolism and preventing stretch marks. It’s what I’ve been using for years and I’ve been very happy with it. Thanks to a botched interstate road trip, though, my precious coconut oil ended up in a 10×20′ storage unit, so I cooked up a short-term solution: lard.
Aside from a few chuckles on Facebook about smelling like mashed potatoes, I wasn’t expecting much from the lard experiment. Oh, how wrong I was! The next morning I did – and I’m not exaggerating here – a doubletake of my own face in the bathroom mirror. There I am, toothbrush halfway to my mouth, trying to figure out what elf came and scrubbed the last three exhausting months off my face while I was sleeping.
Now, as you may have noticed, I said earlier that tallow is the perfect first food for skin, not lard. That’s because as I continued to experiment and study I discovered a few things:
- Tallow is uniquely compatible with the biology of our cells. About 50% of the structure of our cell membrane comes from saturated fats, with remaining amounts consisting of monounsaturated and to a lesser degree polyunsaturated fats. According to Nourishing Traditions, it is the saturated fats that give cell membranes the “necessary stiffness and integrity” necessary for proper function (p. 11). In a research article which I was privileged to preview before publication, I recently learned that:
“Healthy, ‘toned’ skin cells with sufficient saturated and monounsaturated fats would undoubtedly make for healthy, toned skin.Interestingly, tallow fat is typically 50 to 55 percent saturated, just like our cell membranes, with almost all of the rest being monounsaturated, so it makes sense that it would be helpful for skin health and compatible with our cell biology.” (emphasis mine) There are other points of biological compatibility, too, such as the fact that tallow and sebum consist primarily of a type of lipid called triglycerides. (“Sebum” actually means “tallow” in Latin, so we are not the first to make this connection!)
-
Tallow is much easier to use than lard – Because it’s composition is so similar to our own it absorbs very easily, leaving skin soft and supple. In contrast, lard has less saturated fat (what “tones” cell membranes) and more polyunsaturated fats (which our diets tend to have in overabundance).
-
Tallow contains skin nourishing ingredients that plant-based oils do not – Though I am still a huge fan of coconut oil (which by the way, has an excellent saturated fat ratio) and continue to plan to use it as sunscreen and a whole body moisturizer (because it spreads more quickly and I’m always in a hurry!), the skin on my face is visibly more toned with tallow. I think that may be because of the abundance of fat soluble vitamins (A,D,K and E) that naturally occur in pastured tallow, along with the potent anti-inflammatory conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and anti-microbial palmitoleic acid.
What about “organic” and “natural” skin care lines? How do they stack up to pure, one-ingredient products like tallow and virgin coconut oil? Unfortunately, I have to agree with this Organic Consumers Association press release, which says:
A visit to any health food store unfortunately reveals that the majority of products in the personal care section with ‘organic’ brand claims are not USDA-certified and contain only cheap water extracts of organic herbs and maybe a few other token organic ingredients for organic veneer. The core of such products are composed of conventional synthetic cleansers and conditioning ingredients usually made in part with petrochemicals. According to market statistics, consumers are willing to pay significantly more for products branded ‘natural’ or ‘organic’ which they believe do not contain petrochemical-modified ingredients or toxic contaminants like 1,4-Dioxane…. When it comes to misbranding organic personal care products in the US, it’s almost complete anarchy and buyer beware unless the product is certified under the USDA National Organic Program
Carcinogenic 1,4-Dioxane Found in Leading “Organic” Brand Personal Care Products
Ready To Give Tallow A Try? Great!
If you’re interested in making it yourself, follow these instructions. I highly recommending using only only suet from grass-fed cows/sheep – not only will the finished product be richer in minerals, fat soluble vitamins and micronutrients, it will also be much more pure. Pesticides, antibiotics and synthetic hormones are stored in fat, so animals raised using factory/conventional practices are not recommended!
A couple of quick notes: Tallow obtained by scooping off the top of a chilled container of beef broth will likely have more moisture than traditionally rendered tallow. For that reason it tends to go bad quickly. Stick with the traditional process and your finished product should last 6 months to a year at room temperature. Also, you’re going to want to blend your tallow with an oil – preferably extra virgin olive oil – to make it more spreadable. About 1 part olive oil to 10 parts tallow should be about right. Coconut oil is solid at room temp, so you’d have to increase the ratio to make it spreadable.
OR -
You can buy it!
Where To Buy Tallow Infused With Skin Soothing Essential Oils (First listing)
Do you know a mama who would love to know about this? Share it with her, and maybe you can schedule a tallow making party. 
Brooke
I have a farmer that I can buy tallow from, but I don’t know what form it comes in (is it solid?) or how to store it. If I were to purchase from her, is this something I can store in the bathroom or does it need to be in the fridge or something? In a glass container? Also, do you think I could put in the EVOO and/or essential oils myself once I bought it? Thanks!
Heather
Yes, you can definitely add EVOO and essential oils yourself! If it is rendered properly it will last at room temp for at least six months – maybe more than a year!
Teresa
Silly question… how can you tell if it’s gone bad? I live in south Orange County, CA and have no air conditioning so it can get quite hot Aug-Oct. I notice your lotion recipe seperates after a month or so, depending on how hot it is. Love it by the way! Best lotion!
Heather
Hi Theresa! The tallow balm should stay good for about a year. The lotion from another post should not really be kept in a warm environment since it doesn’t contain preservatives, and it’s not always obvious when it’s gone bad. During the cooler months I’ve found it can be stored at room temp for about 2 weeks. If you don’t think you can use it all you could put half on the counter an then keep the rest in the fridge for up to a few months. During the warmer months I’d keep it in the fridge.
Teresa
Thank you so much!!!!!
Angela
Hi Heather! I went to click on your link to purchase the tallow lotion and its saying that it’s no longer available?? Are we not able to purchase this anymore? It would be easier for me to do so than to make it on my own right now.
Heather
So sorry about that, Angela! Here it is: http://www.vintagetradition.com/mommypotamus.php
Susy
Whether or not it was intentional, this article is extremely misleading about basic biology. Your statements contain fallacious implications and assumptions about biological compounds and their function. Your references are a cookbook and an unpublished article, neither of which can be considered legitimate scientific references, especially when the article uses the phrases “undoubtedly” and “makes sense”. While I’m sure your use of tallow did have a positive effect, you should present your findings for what they are: anecdotal, not evidential.
Heather
Hi Susy! Admittedly I am not a trained biologist, but common sense tells me that coating my skin with a substance very similar to the protective sebum my skin makes for itself is a good idea. On the other hand, coating it “patented technologies” containing harsh chemicals known to cause reproductive problems and/or cancer – not so much. I fully agree with you that my article is more anecdotal than evidential, but I felt it would be helpful to explain what I’ve discovered as I tried to understand why tallow has worked so well for me. Thanks for joining the conversation!
S Hilton
Oh yay! I just rendered tallow yesterday for the first time! I was wondering what I was going to do with a quart size jar of it
Surprisingly my daughter was slurping it off the spoon…lol…but I think I’d rather put it on my face. I’m not a fan of the taste so much unless I can hide it in food 
Heather
I love that your daughter is eating it! So awesome!
Tiffani Beckman via FB
looooove our tallow balms!
Erin
ooooh! Do you make them yourself? Any recipes to share? What do you use them for?
Heather
Erin, the recipe would be similar to the one I shared above. They’re great as a face and body moisturizer as well as a balm for cracked lips, rashes/eczema and dry skin.
Jill
So you just rub it on your skin and then rinse? How exactly do you use it?
Heather
Hi Jill! Just rub it in as you would any moisturizer. Easy peasy!
Carrie Blaesing Dadey via FB
Ok, I am sold. Wish it came in a bigger jar for my belly!
Tammy Carter via FB
oh! exciting- rendered some tallow a few months ago! It is mostly being used
Tammy Carter via FB
To make the most delicious tortillas. Would you use this at night only or morning, too? I made some up using jojoba as the carrier oil since that is what I have been using for my face.
Jessica
I have read nourishing traditions and I would take their “findings” long before I would many other health professionals!!! Do you have a prefered place to buy the tallow infused with the essential oils?
Heather
Yes, Vintage Traditions! I link to them in the post
Leah
Yay! now I have something to do with all the suet sitting in my deep freeze. My husband and I were talking about making soap but this sounds like more fun for me… (Hilton..nice to see someone else’s lil one is like mine. my daughter fights me for the marrow and fat whenever I’m cooking.)
Heather
I hope you’ll come back and let us know what you think, Leah!
jill
Can you clarify which resource (from your link to the resource page) sells the tallow products?
thanks for the post!
Heather
Sure – It’s Vintage Traditions
..
I’ve also read on a hair forum or two that bone marrow is a great wash out deep conditioning treatment. It’s just difficult to do a follow up google search outside of comments made on those hair forums; because most search results are related to scientific articles on human bone marrow… Has anyone ever tried bone marrow as a deep conditioning treatment?
Heather
I haven’t, but that is very interesting! Thanks for sharing
ash
I’ve never used bone marrow, but I’ve used many other natural remedies with high-fat ingredients, such as straight olive oil, avocado, and eggs. You can mix any of these in a blender and leave as a deep conditioner on your hair and they work wonders. The best one I have done is a mix of olive oil and avocado…it’s a little lumpy, but it’s a terrific moisturizer for hair!
ash´s last [type] ..I just got some CRAZY new shoes…Pluggz grounding shoes!
Korina
Do you think this would be good for acne? I have tried everything, and I’ve also tried doing nothing and everything in between! I have completely changed my diet and lifestyle, yet still have a terrible case of acne on my face. It’s very dissapointing:( By looking at my face you would think I didn’t take care of myself at all, but it’s quite the opposite! Right now I am trying nothing but oil cleansing in the evenings with jojoba and castor oil, but I might give this a try. Could it be used as a cleanser?
Dawn
I have been having problems with acne for about 2 yrs now. Nothing has worked until 2 weeks ago. After I wash my face I put one part apple cider vineger(Braggs) 3 parts water on a cotton ball wipe on my face. Smells gross but it goes away quick.
Heather
HI Korina! I am not sure. It does have anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties, but I haven’t heard whether anyone has used it for acne with success.
Annie Walsh via FB
Great article!! Just read this yesterday and saw a link to buy tallow balms, now I can’t find that link anymore. After reading this would definitely like to try tallow on my skin.
Mommypotamus via FB
Tammy Carter – Sorry, I just saw this! I used it morning and evenings
Mommypotamus via FB
Thanks for letting me know, Annie Walsh! I’ll figure out what’s going on with that listing asap, but in the meantime you can click through to the giveaway and enter. When you do your first entry it will take you to the site!
Annie Walsh via FB
Hey thanks, I was able to get on the site through the raffle entry. Can’t wait to try this!!
Tara
Thanks for the idea! Today I’m rendering some tallow with fresh mint and dried lavender thrown in during the rendering. We’ll see how it turns out! I’ll measure out the final liquid tallow and then add olive oil. I guess you add it while the tallow is still liquid and warm?
Heather
Yes, add it while it’s warm!
tara
Ok, I rendered the tallow and added olive oil. The only problem is it’s quite gritty and still smells very ‘cow’ even though I added oils. Maybe someone can ‘perfect’ this and post a tutorial.
Heather
Thanks for the feedback, Tara! I’m sending a question over to the expert to see what he says
Heather
Here’s what he said! “It could be the quality of the suet – I wonder what the grittiness consists of. Also…nothing red or pink goes in.
We have found that it is smoothest if it is solidified in the fridge. And if it smells “cow”, she might need more essential oils. Even the “almost unscented” gets a healthy serving of oils.
)”
dave
I dunno. Smelling “cow” ain’t that bad, is it? I mean shoot, parfum de vache could be the next big thing. Confidence goes a long way.. (heh heh heh)
Britt
Can’t wait to try this! I’ve just been making the shift to natural body/skin care products and have been loving the coconut oil… but have felt I might need something a little “heartier” for my face… Already put this on a birthday wish list
What do you use to wash your face? I’ve done the coconut oil for make-up removal but feel like I should “wash” it with something different? Not sure what to try!
Heather
HI Britt! I use homemade soap to wash my face, but I’m working on a recipe that’s simple to make at at home!
Britt
Can’t wait to see it!
Alexis D
I have a whole bunch of homemade rendered tallow (from grass-fed cows, of course) in my freezer that is now going to have even more uses
Friday Finds: Breaking Down and being SICK! | sarah linnell
[...] try this! The “naughty” skincare ingredient that’s actually stellar for your complexion! I have a feeling I’ll be making my own [...]
Linky Links: July 2012 | OUR NOURISHING ROOTS
[...] you think tallow is “naughty”? Not me! I love this idea to use tallow as a beauty regimen. Wrinkles, be gone! I need to try that and do before and after photos or [...]
Dave
I’ll tell you what: I don’t have proof beyond anecdotal evidence but I believe in beef tallow.
I had a severe skin problem on my hands. Don’t know what it was related to, but it started when I had a chem tank full of broadleaf herbicide douse when I was working at a golf course in high school. (yuk!) My skin would continually peel and flake off, and it’d look disgusting (and I even lost job opportunities because of this…) Anyhow, I ended up getting a job at Wild Oats Natural Foods in the meat dept.
Let’s just say I cut a lot of meat and even though I wore gloves I had beef tallow on my skin for 8 hours per day. In a very short time (a month?) my skin problem went away. I only worked at that place for 8 months (it was a resting place on an extended road trip) but I’ve never had the skin problem again– that was in 2005.
So yeah, I pretty sure Beef tallow is one of the best things for your skin.
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Victoria
Very intrigued!! Can’t wait to try! Thanks for sharing MommyP
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[...] What are you putting on your skin? Read this post by Mommypotamus: The “Naughty” Skin Care Ingredient You Absolutely Must Try [...]
michelle
What about the fat from making bone broth.. Is that suitable as a cream too?? Or is that tallow?? Am using the greenpastures fermented cod liver oil/x factor butter cream now, works miracles too!
Heather
In my experience, the tallow scooped off the top after making broth is not a good choice. I’s almost impossible to keep from getting a little broth in the jar and the extra moisture causes it to go bad really fast. I keep tallow rendered that way in the fridge and use it for cooking, but I only use the stuff rendered straight from suet for skin care because I want it to last a long time at room temp (it’s not spreadable when I keep it in the fridge!)
Hope that helps!
Candice
Interesting! I have been using coconut oil exclusively on my face and as a sunscreen. I have been happy with it but have a few large brownish age spots and was wondering whether tallow would help with those. The IPL and laser options are soooo expensive and also definitely not natural.
-C
Heather
HI Candice! I can’t say I’ve heard of tallow helping with spots but lemon essential oil has a natural bleaching effect
dianna
hi! I was on here researching lard for skin use because I had started using it on my skin and was AMAZED! It works better than anything I have ever used! It virtually banished all my wrinkles AND my saggy neck in 2 days! I am still totally shocked!
How I started using it was I had noticed that 100% lard soap that I make was the only thing my face liked. It also seemed to make my skin firmer and I could feel it getting firmer after use.
One day I was making soap and looked at the lard and thought – hmm it looks just like my home-made cold cream! So I scented some with lavender oil and used it as night cream! HOLY PIG FAT!
After a few days I talked myself out of using it – because if I think too much about it I get icked out… and my skin stayed smooth for days (from the few days use!)… but today I decided that I am going to keep using it. My wrinkles and saggy neck are coming back and I know the lard will vanish them!
So glad others are doing this
dianna
ohh – forgot to say i’ve never tried tallow but if it is even better i may not be able to stop myself…
Heather
Haha! Well, I like it more because it absorbs better, but I’m still a huge fan of lard too!
Marianne Le Fevre
Hi Heather
You have inspired me with your post to create a new soap recipe with beef tallow, coconut and calendula. This is the most fabulously nourishing soap I’ve created so far and I absolutely love it.
My partner, who is the soap expert in our household, thinks it’s one of my best creations and even uses it as a shaving soap.
Thanks a lot for the great post and keep up the good work.
Cheers
Marianne
Marianne Le Fevre´s last [type] ..Banana Coconut Pancakes with Mixed Berries
Marianne
Hi Heather
I finally got round to post the recipe for my calendula infused tallow and coconut soap.
http://thegoodlife.com.au/body-mind/calendula-soap/
Thanks for the inspiration and keep up the good work.
Marianne´s last [type] ..Calendula Tallow Soap
Gini
Hi, I don’t see the link to where you can buy the tallow already made and infused with essential oils, and I’ve looked through the article 3 times. lol Maybe I’m just missing it- but if not, would someone reply with the link? THANKS!
Heather
Hi Gini! You can get it at http://www.vintagetradition.com/?source=MP
Thanks for letting me know about the link – I’ll fix it right now!
Lani
If you don’t mind the smell is it ok to use the tallow straight on your skin?
Heather
Yes, it is! It’s kind of hard to spread without a little olive oil, though
Leah
I’ve been meaning to follow up my previous comment. I’ve rendered quite a bit of our lard and all of the suet I had. I find the lard is more oily and better suited for cooking. maybe its just our pigs. as for the suet. i’d never rendered straight suet before. just used the tallow from broth and marrow bones for cooking. well this stuff is so GREAT! its replaced coconut oil as our lotion. my husband is in construction and is actually stuccoing our house right now which really dries his hands out. once he got over the idea of slathering fat on himself he loved it! even my lil one loves it (mostly to eat from the jar.)
Heather
So glad to hear that! I like tallow for skincare more, too
kotoula01
Hi there, do I just go to the butcher and ask for ‘suet’? What if he doesn’t know what that is? And if I can’t get grass fed suet, can I use the fat that comes from my nitrate free bacon? The bacon comes from ethically raised pics that are local. Is bacon fat the same thing as lard? If not, what is the difference?
Heather
I believe you can buy grassfed suet online if you can’t get it locally – I personally wouldn’t use suet from conventionally raised beef since toxins accumulate in fat. You can use the bacon fat but it will not be pure since bacon is usually cooked in sugar, salt and other spices
Hope that helps!
Barb
You can buy beef tallow from grass fed cows at U.S. Wellness Meats. I just received a 5 gallon bucket…shipping was extremely fast. I broke it down in to manageable containers, froze some, refrigerated the rest. I plan on using for facial care needs. Can’t wait to see results.
Melissa
Heather, Did you post the recipe for your homemade face soap somewhere? I’ve been using Dr. Bronner’s baby mild soap diluated with water in 5:1 ratio in a foaming dispenser, and it seems to be drying my face out quite a bit. (I have tiny red bumps on my forehead) I’d love to hear what you use!
Heather
I have two favorites that I rotate based on time of year (winter seems to be more drying so I boost the moisture content) – will be sharing them in an ebook of 50 DIY Beauty Recipes that REALLY WORK soon! Homemade shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion, tooth whitener and more
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Babbs
Hi, Heather! Would you recommend buying the suet and rendering yourself or buying the tallow? Prices are different, of course, and I don’t know how much tallow would be rendered from…say, a pound of suet?? I would think a farmer would charge more if he has to process more. Thanks!!
Juss
You may have already answered this question, but what do you do to cover up the faint “mashed potato” smell? I made some tallow yesterday, cooked my eggs in it this morning and am excited to utilize its many other uses. Just wanted to know how to make it smell good if you apply it to skin. =)
Thanks.
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Blast XL
Marvelous, what a web site it is! This weblog provides valuable facts to us,
keep it up.
Blast XL´s last [type] ..Blast XL
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Georgina
Hi Heather!
I loved this article and I loved the tallow face cream that my sister and I made! Thanks for sharing!
P.S. Loved your diplomatic response to Suzy!)
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[...] read many bloggers that I trust posts on using it to tighten their skin, remove wrinkles, etc. http://www.mommypotamus.com/tallow-for-skin-care/ This woman swears by it. Her post also does an awesome job describing WHY it may be more [...]
Stefanie
Heather, when I click on the link to purchase it, the website doesn’t have it anymore. Any other places you would recommend for purchasing tallow?
Heather
Sorry about that, Stefanie! You can get it here
Stefanie
Great! Thanks Heather!
Liz
I have lamb lard I bought from US Wellness. It says “lard” but on the cheeseslave link it says that lard is only from pigs. Wondering if my lamb “lard” has the same benefits as tallow, any idea?
Heather
In my opinion it would most definitely have benefits. Not sure if it is rendered quite the same way, but I’ll bet Google does!