Do you TALLOW?!
OH Tallow. This topic has been gaining popularity over the last few years as more and more people are looking for safe and natural alternatives to everyday products. Especially in beauty products and skincare. I am so glad that people are waking up and realizing all the harmful chemicals and synthetic dyes, preservatives and fragrances that are in our products. Our skin is our biggest organ and needs to be taken care of. I will say I am a product of the Bath and Body Works generation so when I switched to a more organic natural lifestyle years ago it was hard to give up my beloved products.
I started with my food and quickly moved onto my skincare. My skin is VERY sensitive and can’t handle fragrances or pore clogging things. I keep my skincare routine to a bare minimum of oils and most recently TALLOW!!!!!!
So, what is Tallow?! Well short answer… rendered beef fat. Now hear me out… for hundreds of years before the cosmetic industry and civilization, people were living off the land. That meant they found ways to stay clean and moisturized, naturally. Tallow has been used as a natural moisturizer for centuries and is just now gaining popularity to us “normal” folk.
Let me educate you on some of the benefits of using Tallow:
Its moisturizing and full of oleic acid (natural fatty acid) stearic acid (natural saturated fatty acid) and palmitic acid (natural saturated fatty acid) which hydrate and nourish skin. It also creates a barrier on the skin that helps with trapping moisture.
It is anti-inflammatory and can help with soothing skin from irritations and sometimes eczema and psoriasis
Good natural source of vitamins A, D, E, and K
Promotes skin healing and promotes collagen
How to use Tallow:
You can apply pure Tallow directly to the skin. It can be very greasy this way
You can use it in skincare (like I do) such as balms, lotions and creams
*I make my own Tallow products that can be Purchased on my Etsy page and The Painted Tree Boutique*
CONS-
Tallow can be comedogenic (pore clogging) for some people with oily or acne prone skin but on the other hand it can be beneficial to those same people
DO NOT use if you are allergic to beef products or are Vegan
Tallow is a great way to moisturize your skin with little to no additives. It is not for everyone, but it is definitely worth trying! I suggest that you may want to patch test for your face. Just because it works great on your body doesn’t mean it will on your face. It may take a while for your skin to detox from your other products so don’t get discouraged. Give it a solid 2-3 weeks before you throw in the towel. it can be a great alternative and supplement to your skin care routine.
Note-
Your Tallow should NOT smell like beef. It shouldn’t have a scent other than the essential oils that are put in it. Unless you are using un-rendered Tallow. If it smells, then it has not been rendered properly.
