5 REASONS TO USE TALLOW ON YOUR SKIN

July 25, 2018

grass fed tallow in bowl to be used in tallow skin care

Tallow is a powerful moisturizer loaded with a wealth of nutrients, essential fatty acids and antioxidants.

For those who are not familiar with tallow, we do want to warn that the possibility of being turned off by the use of this nutrient-rich ingredient is high. 

We completely understand this and in fact, we were a bit squeamish when we first learned of it too, but not anymore.

For everyone willing to give it a try, we encourage you to read on to learn more.

 

Transform tallow moisturizer

 

What is Tallow?

Simply put, tallow is a purified fat that is rendered from cow suet. 

Suet is a nutrient-dense fat surrounding the organs of some ruminant animals, namely cattle.

Tallow is the result of a delicate and tedious process of rendering this suet to remove all impurities. What remains is pure, golden, magic!

(See below our process photos for rendering the tallow we use in our skincare)

tallow rendering process

While we've been made to believe in recent years that fats are bad, fats are actually very, very good.

Fats, along with proteins, are essential building blocks for every cell membrane, including the skin.

They provide energy, help absorb minerals, and carry a wealth of vitamins.

 

Why Would I Use Tallow on My Skin?

You would use tallow on your skin because it contains a wealth of nutrients, it absorbs quickly and is almost identical to the oil naturally found in your skin. 

In addition, using tallow can lead to glowing, youthful-looking skin as it replenishes lost firmness. (more on this shortly...)

 

happy woman after using tallow skincare

 

Not All Tallow Is Equal

Before we tell you about the 5 reasons you should be using tallow on your skin, let us caution you that all tallow is not created equally.

Tallow from cows from factory farms is full of junk - steroids, artificial growth hormones or sad cow vibes.

Whereas grass-fed, pasture-raised, cared for like our ancestors used to type cows produce a tallow that is rich in specific essential fatty acids not found in ANY modern-day skin care.

Here at Nefertem, we use only pure, grass-fed, premium-quality, beef tallow hand-rendered the old-fashioned way.

Then, we prepare tallow soaps, tallow moisturizers and tallow hand salves in small batches, right here in Park Forest, Illinois, USA. (shameless plug, we know).

Pictured below is our Strength Tallow Moisturizer.

 

Strength Tallow Moisturizer

 

5 Reasons to Use Tallow on Your Skin

If we haven't yet sold you on the idea of using tallow on your skin, take a look at our top 5 reasons tallow is essential to use on your skin!

 

#1 - Healthy Fats Lead to Healthy Skin

Tallow contains the same fats or lipids found in healthy, supple human skin.

Lipids are found in abundance in the membrane of every cell in our bodies.

They are responsible for the free flowing of liquids (aka moisture) in and out of our cells.

Lipids are beneficial because they create a protective, yet permeable barrier that prevents infection, maintains moisture, flexibility and structure of the cell.

Because of the lipids found in tallow, tallow is believed to prevent dryness at the cellular level without suffocating the skin's barrier like petroleum-based lotions do. 

 

tallow on skin

 

#2 - Promotes Youthful-Looking Skin

Beef tallow, rendered from grass-fed cattle, is loaded with vitamins A, D & K and antioxidants.

One of which is vitamin E, known to promote rejuvenation of the skin by fighting free radicals that can cause wrinkles.

Vitamin E has also been shown to prevent the breakdown of collagen.

"The intake of natural vitamin E products helps against collagen cross linking and lipid peroxidation, which are both linked to aging of the skin." (source)

Vitamin D has the ability to restore vibrancy in skin.

In addition, Vitamin D "induces the expression of antimicrobial peptide genes in human skin and plays a significant role in preventing opportunistic infections." (source)

 

skin diagram

 

#3 - Harmonious Balance Between Tallow and Sebum

Tallow and sebum (the oil in our skin) share many of the same lipids or fats in similar concentrations.

Some believe that it is this similarity that allows tallow to absorb deep within the layers of the skin.

I (Brittany, the founder of Nefertem) argue that tallow is the single best ingredient to use as a moisturizer!

It's 100% natural, shares many of the same fatty acids as our skin and absorbs very quickly.

Personally, tallow moisturizers and tallow soaps have transformed my skin from blotchy and rough to silky smooth and radiant. (That's me, below on the right, with a happy customer, at a local event.)

 

Brittany with customer at fair

 

#4 - Contains CLA - An Essential Fatty Acid

Cattle allowed to graze naturally on grass in the sunshine (like ours do) develop large amounts of Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA.

This CLA is primarily stored within the fat cells that surround the cows organs, namely the kidneys. 

Why do we care? Because "Conjugated linolenic acid, an omega-5 fatty acid, has significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and has been shown to stimulate keratinocyte proliferation and epidermal regeneration." (source)

In addition, "Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a naturally occurring compound found in ruminants products, has been shown to possess anticancer properties in vivo and in vitro." (source

So what does this mean? It means that the single best thing we could put on our skin to assist with a plethora of skin issues, is grass-fed tallow. 

 

cattle grazing on grass

 

#5 - Intense Moisturizer

Tallow packs a powerful moisturizing punch in a very small amount.

Just a pea-sized amount, rubbed between the palms of your hands, can effectively moisturize your entire arm! 

Because it's so rich in nutrients, and absorbs so well, tallow offers moisture that lasts all day long! 

When you use tallow skincare, you never have to reapply your lotion throughout the day.

One application of a premium quality, tallow moisturizer can keep your skin hydrated for an entire day.

AND BEST PART IS... it's good for EVERY skin type: oily, dry, combination, sensitive skin, ultra-sensitive, and all skin in between! Face, body, hands, feet, baby bums, you name it, it works!

 

man applying tallow to face

 

Bottom Line... Start Using Tallow on Your Skin!

There's a reason why tallow has been used for tens of thousands of years...because it works. 

Tallow is an intense moisturizer that assists in retaining the skins natural moisture.

It replenishes the building blocks of our skin that decrease with age.

It’s non-greasy, won’t clog your pores, is long-lasting and 100% natural.

It prevents dryness all day and only needs to be applied once.

Bottom line, it's time to start reaping the powerful benefits of using grass-fed tallow on your skin!

 

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