Beef Tallow for Skin: Benefits, Uses & How it’s made

As we head into a new era of cosmetics, where people are more conscious of the origin of the cosmetic products, many people are considering using beef tallow for their skin. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

• What is Beef Tallow
• Benefits
• Uses
• How Oliba uses Beef Tallow

What is Beef Tallow?

What is beef tallow? Beef tallow is a rendered form of beef fat. It’s known for its rich flavor and its versatility: it’s widely used in cooking, skincare and traditional crafts.

What is Beef Tallow made from?

Beef tallow is entirely made of beef fat, oftentimes it is taken from the fat that surrounds the kidney or loin area of the cow. This fat is slowly rendered, meaning it’s melted and purified, over a low slow heat source. Once rendered, the beef fat becomes “tallow”, and it is a clean and shelf stable fat.

Beef tallow has been used for centuries in cooking, skin care, and even candle making!

Benefits of Beef Tallow

Beef tallow vs other fats and oils

As one of the most stable fats, beef tallow is amazing for cooking. Its high smoke point and rich flavor make it an extremely useful cooking fat that enhances the flavor profile of any dish.

While being one of the best fats for cooking, it also shines in the skin care realm!

Unlike other cooking oils like olive oil, sunflower oil and coconut oil, beef tallow is bioavailable. Beef tallow’s structure similarly resembles human skin’s natural oils, making it easy to absorb. It also helps lock in moisture without clogging pores.

The dangers of PUFAs

Most plant and seed oils are high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). These dangerous fats oxidize, inflame and irritate the skin, as well as impair metabolic function, among other things.

On the other hand, tallow, when sourced from grass fed, grass finished, free range cattle, is primarily made up of saturated fats, and is extremely nutrient dense: Tallow is rich in vitamins A, D, E and K and conjugated linoleic acid, powerful skin healing substances that promote skin elasticity, repair and inflammation reduction.

Tallow is TIME TESTED

For centuries, cultures around the world have used tallow as a primary ingredient in medicinal and cosmetic healing balms.

The oldest mention of tallow can be found in the Ebers Papyrus, an Ancient Egyptian text from 3500 years ago. This text contains over 800 medicinal recipes that use tallow and other animal fats as the primary carriers for various herbs.

Archaeological findings even show jars of preserved tallow based ointments and balms in tombs, suggesting tallow’s use not only for health, but also for rituals. 

Tallow’s global use

Tallow was not only used in ancient Egypt, it’s been a nutritional, medicinal and cosmetic stable of many medieval civilizations, appearing on multiple continents at the same time:

• In Europe, tallow was a staple ingredient in herbal balms during the Middle Ages, especially in France and across Slavic regions.
• In Asia, it was used by Mongol and other Steppe cultures as a protective layer against harsh weather.
•  In North America, Indigenous nations such as the Lakota, Cherokee, and Iroquois combined tallow with medicinal plants to treat sunburn, inflammation, and skin injuries.

How Oliba uses Beef Tallow

We use beef tallow not as a filler, but as a foundation, an ingredient trusted for centuries and perfectly aligned with our philosophy of skin health through nature.

At Oliba Cosmetics, we practice what we preach. We work exclusively with grass-fed beef tallow, carefully rendered in small batches to preserve its natural richness. Our sourcing ensures it's free from hormones and additives, aligning with our commitment to clean skincare.

We use beef tallow as the carrier for the various oils and herbs in our balms.

An example of Oliba’s use for beef tallow, in one of our signature products, the tallow royal jelly balm, tallow acts as the delivery system, driving royal jelly’s nutrients deep into the skin.

Explore our Oliba’s unique beef tallow products in our shop.