The Incredible Power of Beef Tallow

Written By Jaden Dennis

Tallow, from a number of animals has been used in soap for thousands of years. In fact it is widely regarded as one of the original ingredients used in ancient soap recipes. Recently, tallow has been making a comeback, but do tallow based products really live up to all the hype? In this article we’ll break down everything you need to know about tallow as it pertains to skincare.

What is tallow? Tallow is rendered or melted suet, which is the fatty portions that are cut away from an animal as it as being processed. Essentially, tallow is fat that has been melted and strained many times so that the end product is pure animal fat. Tallow has been used for thousands of years as an ingredient in soap, and early skincare remedies, as well as to cook with by many ancient people.

Beef Tallow Composition

Beef tallow is composed of palmitic, stearic and oleic fatty acids as well as vitamins A, D, E and K. The nutrient profile of tallow also closely mirrors the oil which our skin naturally produces, sebum. In fact the word tallow in latin actually translates to sebum. This close resemblance means that tallow is generally agreeable for most people’s skin.

The Breakdown

Beef tallow is packed with fatty acids and vitamins. Oleic acid makes up nearly half of the fatty acid profile of tallow at around 47%. Oleic acid is known for rehydrating dry skin by penetrating past surface level into the dermis of the skin, replenishing lost moisture and stopping additional moisture loss. Tallow does this all while not clogging up pores, preventing breakouts from occuring in the future. Oleic acid is also packed with antioxidants that can fight off free radicals (atoms with broken electron bonds making them unstable and reactive.) This results in potentially anti aging effects by preventing cell damage through oxidation.

Palmitic acid is widely used in the skincare industry as an emollient or skin softener by forming a layer over your skin to seal in moisture. When added as an individual ingredient coupled with cleaners that have high pH levels, some individuals may find that palmitic acid strips their skin leaving them feeling dry. However, tallow is packed with other nutrients that should not make this a problem.

Stearic acid is another type of fat found in tallow in high amounts. Stearic acid is used in many cosmetics as a surfactant to reduce surface tension resulting in a “gliding” effect. Stearic acid is also used as an emulsifier to hold ingredients together without separating such as different oils or water etc. Beef Tallow contains a healthy mix of saturated and unsaturated fats. In soap, saturated fats generally aid in producing more lather, while unsaturated fats generally provide moisturizing properties.

Fat Soluble vitamins beef tallow contains the fat soluble vitamins A,D,E and K. Vitamin A has been linked in studies “to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by stimulating collagen production. (healthline)” Vitamin E is crucial in the skin’s natural defense. According to Dr. Michels of Oregon State, “vitamin E is an integral part of the skin’s antioxidant defenses, primarily providing protection against UV radiation and other free radicals that may come in contact with the epidermis. (LPI,OSU)” Vitamin D is vital to skin health and has had promising results in studies treating psoriasis. Vitamin D also has been shown to modulate inflammation possibly promotion wound healing. (LPI.OSU). Similar to vitamin D, vitamin K has been shown in studies to have wound healing effects and antioxidant properties according to the National Institute of Health.

Keep in mind, all these vitamins are fat soluble which means they will have no effect unless delivered through a fat source. This makes beef tallow the perfect applicator, because the fats these vitamins are administered through are packed with nutrients. Tallow really seems to be nature’s miracle for a comprehensive skincare ingredient.

Jaden Dennis
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