People Are Now Smearing Beef Fat on Their Faces To Improve Their Skin

By Danielle Pergament, Allure

(Photo: Liam Goodman)

If you're a vegetarian, you'll probably want to stay away from a new crop of beauty products: balms and creams made out of tallow, a.k.a. rendered beef fat.

"We're honoring and dignifying every part of the animal," says Anya Fernald, a co-owner of Belcampo, an organic farm that makes tallow-based skin products. FatFace Skincare also uses tallow in products, including deodorants. And no, these products don't smell like strip steak. Many are mixed with natural moisturizers, like coconut oil, and scented with essential oils.

"You need to source tallow from happy, pasture-raised animals," says Ryan Byrd, the culinary director at Fleishers, a butchery in Brooklyn. "Science proves that [in] pasture-raised animals, there are higher levels of nutrients like omega 3's, vitamin C, and vitamin E."'

Products containing the ingredient tend to have a rich texture that's ideal for dry skin. Plus, "beef tallow is a source of stearic acid, which hydrates skin and repairs the barrier," says dermatologist Leslie Baumann, who notes that the acid can also be found in vegan-friendly argan oil and shea butter.

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