Here we go again with TikTok’s latest beauty trend. The advice floating around the video-sharing app: some are recommending that you smear your face in beef fat. It allegedly works as a moisturizer and cure for acne. Technically, it’s beef tallow, a rendered fat that’s been cooked down to remove impurities.
Tallow skincare is not a new concept. People have been using animal fat as a moisturizer for centuries. According to Health News, it dates back hundreds of years, when men and women would use tallow to nourish dry skin and treat wounds.
What can beef fat do for the skin?
Apparently, it’s mainly made up of triglycerides and is high in vitamins A, D, E, and K. Also, it can help soothe and treat everything from eczema and burns to diaper rash and can also be made into high-quality skincare products such as anti-aging creams and serums.
In the comments beneath the viral video, a staff member at a Nashville butcher shop said that scores of Southern women line up to purchase beef lard for the purpose of using it on their skin. EGOT-winning actress Viola Davis famously uses Crisco, a vegetable shortening commonly used as an animal fat alternative, on her bunions.
However, not everyone is sold on the trend. “Skinfluencer” Charlotte Palermino recently shared that this Victorian beauty practice does not “moo-ve” her. She explained that there is something about applying suet to your face and that she’s trying to consume less animal products.
Is beef fat good for your skin?
While beef tallow contains properties that are beneficial to the skin, it also comes with a few concerns. Dr. Steven Devos, a dermatologist at Misumi Luxury Beauty Care said that there are precautions and downsides to using tallow for skin. Also, it’s not a cruelty-free option, and it smells bad.
Here are 6 foods you can use on your skin.