Why are people using beef fat or beef tallow on their faces? Yes, the face is a work of art, but culinary art? Maybe not.

Beef tallow is a meat byproduct. More specifically, it's rendered beef fat. “Tallow comes from the hard fatty tissue that surrounds organ meats, most often the kidneys and loins of the cow. Before it is rendered, this fat is called suet. When suet is melted slowly, the tough and grainy bits can be easily strained out, leaving behind a smoother, firmer, and more versatile product known as tallow in culinary arts,” but what about skincare?

Beef tallow has become increasingly popular amongst skincare hack fanatics. People have even used it for dry skin, eczema, and psoriasis, touting its anti-inflammatory benefits. 

Does it actually work?

People claim its benefits because supposedly, beef tallow closely mimics the skin's natural sebum. 

However, using raw beef tallow as a skincare ingredient can cause skin irritation, and it may also lead to pore clogging on some skin types. Plus, there are a variety of oils such as squalane, jojoba, and coconut oil that have been studied more extensively by dermatologists. There have not been many scientific studies or clinical trials to substantiate the idea that beef tallow is a “miracle ingredient.”

The beef tallow dilemma

Well, to begin with, beef tallow is unethical because the process requires cruelty towards animals. While some say, “Cows don’t have any self-awareness. They can’t truly suffer. They just respond to pain as a stimulus!” — this couldn't be further from the truth. 

Firstly, cows have a central nervous system, which is crucial in higher cognitive functions. And yes, cows are self-aware. What is meant by self-awareness? In the most basic sense, self-awareness means that you are able to distinguish yourself from your environment. You understand that you are an individual and that you are sentient. It also means you comprehend emotions and have emotions.

Rather than just your body responding to stimuli, self-awareness means you also perceive.

So, do cows truly feel pain, or is it all just a reflex?

“According to the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), nociception is defined as the neural process of encoding noxious stimuli.”

Yes, the response to noxious stimuli can be automatic like elevated blood pressure, withdrawal, or defensive behavior. But, scientists agree that cows feel pain, which is defined by the unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with damage.

Furthermore, cows are social creatures that form bonds, and indeed, they are capable of more than nociception. In fact, “Their physiological mechanisms for pain perception are very similar to humans, meaning they experience pain in a comparable way as mammals do, and this is widely accepted within the scientific community.”

So, when it comes to skincare products that require hurting other beings, it’s important to consider vegan alternatives. Here are a few.

Squalane

Squalene is already produced by the human body. Our sebaceous glands combine squalene with other fats and acids to create sebum, the oily substance that protects and moisturizes the skin.

Plant-based squalane comes from plants like olives, rice bran, and wheat germ, with many of the same benefits as squalene.

Plus, it has a a longer shelf life, and it's generally more skin-friendly due to how stable it is.

 

 

Baobab oil

Baobab oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, oleic, and linolenic acids. These fatty acids are similar to those found in the skin and can help moisturize, repair the skin barrier, and reduce inflammation. 

 

Skincare Balms 

Skincare balms create a protective layer on the skin, and they are calming, 

Skincare balms provide a more robust and nourishing protective layer to your skin, sealing in your skincare for optimal results while shielding from external elements such as cold or dry air. Balms are known to be healing, calming, ultra-hydrating, luxuriously thick, and are usually the final step in the skincare regimen.

This is a restoring ceramide skin balm, and it's great for those with sensitive skin. 

 

 

Shea butter

She butter is a smooth emollient that can also be occlusive (traps moisture) depending on how much you put on. 

However, some people have been using beef tallow overnight, when you could literally just wear a skincare face mask. 

This has hyaluronic acid and peptides which are both very hydrating. The shea butter gives the skin a wonderful, thick texture. It's so thick, it even maintains its shape when you put it on your hand.