Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin

Did you know that you can use beef tallow on dry skin to improve its texture and appearance? Sure, this may sound a little strange, but if your skin is as perpetually dry as mine is, I bet you’re willing to try anything!

What is Beef Tallow?
Beef Tallow Benefits for Dry Skin
Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin for Sebum
Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin for Vitamin E
Where Can I Find the Most Natural Source of Beef Tallow?
How to Make Beef Tallow for Dry Skin
How to Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin
Does Beef Tallow Smell Bad? (and how to make it smell good!)

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is basically beef fat, or lard, that is solid and waxy looking at room temperature but turns into a liquid when heated. It comes from the inside of cow bones.

Beef Tallow Benefits for Dry Skin

The biggest beef tallow benefits for dry skin are due to its sebum and vitamin E content.

(I found many sites that claim beef tallow has a long list of other vitamins, but I couldn’t find scientific sources that provided evidence of this! Seen and Green is committed to rounding up only the most reliable information from legitimate sources. See citations at the end of my articles.)

Let’s look at how the sebum and vitamin E found in beef tallow will benefit your dry skin!

Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin for Sebum

Sebum is an oily substance that our bodies create that prevents our skin from drying out. Some people’s skin naturally produces more sebum than others.

The benefit of having skin that produces a lot of sebum is that it is naturally moisturized and doesn’t dry out easily. However, the downside to having skin that produces a lot of sebum is that it can be prone to acne problems.

If your skin is dry like mine, you probably never had too many zits as a teen due to low sebum production. But, the downside to this is, well… dry skin! And, dry skin can have a tendency to itch, look dull, and magnify the appearance of lines and wrinkles on the face.

There needs to be a balance. Give me Goldilocks skin: not too dry, not too oily!

Beef tallow contains sebum very similar to the type of sebum that the human body produces. In fact, the word “sebum” is Latin for “tallow.”

That’s why I use beef tallow for sebum enhancement on my dry skin. If I can’t produce it myself, I’ll just rub it on!

Use Beef Tallow on Dry Skin for Vitamin E

According to dermatologist, Amy Kassouf, vitamin E behaves like an antioxidant that protects skin cells from damage. It also keeps the skin moisturized and soft.

There are many beauty products on the shelves that say they contain vitamin E, but there is a good chance it could come from synthetic sources. And, while there are different names for vitamin E that will indicate whether it is natural or synthetic, it always comes down to trust.

The FDA admits that “cosmetic products and ingredients do not need FDA premarket approval, with the exception of color additives.”

In other words, cosmetic companies could easily get away with lying about the source of vitamin E in their products. They could tell you it is naturally sourced when it is actually synthetic. If they get caught lying, then they may face fines or some other consequences, but until then, trusting a cosmetic company with your skin is a gamble.

The problem with synthetic vitamins is that they are made in a lab with harsh chemicals, and the body has a harder time absorbing them. What’s more, any amount of those chemicals that your skin does manage to absorb could be dangerous to your health when used in the long term!

Given this information, you may want to use beef tallow for vitamin E on dry skin, because you can trust that it is as safe as it is effective.

The reason I use so many edible things on my skin is because I am confident of the quality of nutrients, I know exactly what is in it, and I know exactly where it came from!

Where Can I Find The Most Natural Source Of Beef Tallow?

Now that we’ve discussed the importance of natural vs. synthetic vitamins for skin care, you may be wondering, “Where can I find the most natural source of beef tallow?”

Luckily for you, it’s easy to make, and you’ll get some super nutritional broth out of the process, too! Hello, homemade ramen from scratch!

How To Make Beef Tallow For Dry Skin

Find Bones

If you want to know how to make beef tallow for dry skin, you’ll need to start by finding some good beef bones from your local health food store, meat market, or farmer’s market. Try to find bones from healthy cows that lived a nice free-range lifestyle, ate gourmet non-GMO feed, and weren’t subjected to synthetic growth hormones.

Pressure Cook The Bones

Beef tallow is found inside of bone marrow, and it needs to be extracted for you to be able to use it on your skin.

For this task, you’ll need an Insta Pot or something similar to pressure cook the bones. In the past, I’ve tried to make beef tallow on the stove top and in a crock-pot, but it took all day, and the results were not good compared to the results I get with a pressure cooker.

Below is a step-by-step process for pressure cooking the bones:

Add the bones to the pot
Fill the pot with good, clean water up to the max fill line
Close the lid, and pressure cook on high for 2 hours

Allow The Bone Broth To Cool

Carefully release the steam when the pressure cooker is done. Don’t burn your face! Seriously, those pressure cookers aren’t playing around… Stand back and release the pressure carefully.
Allow the bone broth to cool in the pot for about 1 or 2 hours before placing in the refrigerator.
Place the pot in the refrigerator making sure to set it on a towel or something if the pot is still warm!
Allow the bones and broth to cool in the refrigerator for several hours.
The beef tallow layer will rise to the top of the broth once it has completely cooled!

Collect The Beef Tallow

After the pot has cooled off in the refrigerator for several hours, you should see a thick white-ish yellow layer of waxy beef tallow on the surface of the broth.
Using your hands, collect the beef tallow from the broth, break it into pieces, and place it into a plastic container.
Use a plastic container, because you’ll want to freeze most of your tallow, unless you plan to make tamales or french-fries with it soon!
Keep a small amount of beef tallow in a container to store in the refrigerator for dry skin relief. (About 2 tbsp. if you only plan to use it on your face and neck)

Keep The Broth And Marrow

Make sure to keep the broth and marrow! Strain out the bones by pouring the broth into another large pot over a mesh strainer. Use the broth for gravy, ramen from scratch, or any other recipe you like that calls for broth. Store it in the freezer if you don’t plan to use it within a week.

Your dog or cat will love the marrow and meat! Just scrape all of the meaty marrow mixture out from the inside of the bones and serve! (Be careful to check for and remove possible bone fragments to protect your pets digestive system!)

How To Use Tallow On Skin

Here’s a general guide for how to use beef tallow on dry skin:

Pull container of beef tallow out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter, so it will warm to room temperature.
Clean skin with soap (or face wash of choice) and warm water.
Apply beef tallow to face and neck with fingers. Make sure to rub it in really well!
For best results, mist afterwards with organic rose water or another hydrating mist of choice.
You may do this daily or even twice a day if your skin is as dry as mine!
(Feel free to test the beef tallow on a small amount of skin first to make sure it doesn’t cause pimples. I’ve never had a problem with it, though.)
Bonus use! Spread beef tallow on the palms of your hands and work it into your hair to control frizz and add a healthy natural shine!

Does Beef Tallow Smell Bad?

I’m sure you’re wondering, “Does beef tallow smell bad?!”

Well… It smells a little weird, (but I’m sure your dog will love it!)

I have a solution for the smell! Just add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the tallow, and mix it well. Make sure to use something that will not end up causing skin irritation.

I use organic vanilla and lemon extract, and it smells delicious!

Thanks For Reading!

If you made it all the way to the end of the post, I want to say kudos! It takes courage to think outside of the box for natural skin care remedies.

Thanks for reading!

See you next week!!

Sources:

“Sebaceous Glands,” Cleveland Clinic https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24538-sebaceous-glands#:~:text=Sebum%20is%20an%20oily%20substance,cleansing%20and%20moisturizing%20your%20skin.
“Sebum,” Dictionary.com https://www.dictionary.com/browse/sebum#:~:text=First%20recorded%20in%201700%E2%80%9310,Latin%20word%20s%C4%93bum%20tallow%2C%20grease
Health Encyclopedia, “Nutrition Facts, Fat, Beef Tallow,” University of Rochester Medical Center, https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=76&contentid=04001-2
Health Essentials, “Vitamin E for Skin: What Does it Do?” Cleveland Clinic, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/vitamin-e-for-skin-health/
“FDA Authority Over Cosmetics: How Cosmetics Are Not FDA-Approved, but Are FDA-Regulated,” FDA, https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/fda-authority-over-cosmetics-how-cosmetics-are-not-fda-approved-are-fda-regulated
“Organic VS Synthetic Vitamin Supplements, Which One is Better?” Aurora Medical Centre, May 18, 2022, https://www.auroramedicalcentre.com.au/post/organic-vs-synthetic-vitamin-supplements-which-one-is-better#:~:text=Synthetic%20vitamins%20and%20supplements%20are,body%20absorbs%20nutrients%20from%20food.&text=The%20body%20doesn’t%20as,absorb%20and%20use%20them%20efficiently.