Discover what is beef tallow used for and how to use it

Beef tallow is rendered beef fat, and it is used for four main things: skincare balms and creams, hard and long-lasting soap bars, high-heat cooking, and traditional household jobs such as candles and leather care. What makes it useful in all four is its fatty acid profile: roughly half saturated fat (palmitic and stearic acids) and a large share of oleic acid, which gives it a firm texture at room temperature that melts on contact with skin.

This post is about the uses, with the practical numbers I work with as a cosmetic formulator. If you want the basics of what tallow is and how it is rendered, start with my guide what is beef tallow. If you mainly want to make whipped balm, my step-by-step whipped beef tallow balm guide goes deeper on that one use.

What tallow is made of, and why that decides its uses

In one published analysis of pure beef tallow (Youssef and colleagues, 1993), saturated fatty acids made up about 52.6% of the total and unsaturated fatty acids about 45.4%. Oleic acid was the single largest fatty acid at about 46%, stearic acid about 16.4%, and linoleic acid about 3.4%. Palmitic acid is the other major saturated fatty acid in tallow, although that paper's abstract did not give its percentage. Exact numbers vary with the animal's diet and which fat is rendered.

You will often read that tallow is "identical to human skin oil." That overstates it. Human sebum is a mix of triglycerides and fatty acids (about 57.5%), wax esters (about 26%) and squalene (about 12%), according to Picardo and colleagues (2009). Tallow is almost entirely triglycerides, with no squalene or wax esters to speak of. What they share is a similar family of fatty acids, which is why tallow feels familiar and comfortable on skin.

Use 1: skincare balms and creams

This is the use most people are searching for now. In skincare, tallow works as an emollient and occlusive: it softens the feel of rough skin and slows water loss from the surface, so dry areas look and feel more comfortable.

Where it works best

• Dry hands, elbows, knees and heels
• Very dry or weather-exposed cheeks in winter
• An overnight seal over a water-based serum

Where I would be careful

• Oily or easily congested skin: tallow is rich and occlusive, so test a small area for 2 to 4 weeks first.
• Sensitive skin: patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours before using it on the face.
• Fragrance: add essential oils sparingly, or not at all, if your skin is reactive.

A simple tallow face and body balm

Because this balm contains no water, it does not need a broad-spectrum preservative. Keep water and wet fingers out of the jar. Recipe for a 100 g batch:

1. Melt the tallow in a double boiler at about 60 to 65°C (140 to 149°F). Do not overheat or it starts to smell meaty.
2. Remove from heat, stir in jojoba and squalane, then vitamin E once it has cooled to about 45°C (113°F).
3. For a whipped texture, chill until it is opaque and soft-set (about 20 to 30 minutes in the refrigerator), then whip with a hand mixer for 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Spoon into a clean jar, label with the date, and store in a cool, dark place. Use within 6 months, and discard if it smells sharp or crayon-like, which is a sign of oxidation.

Prefer it ready-made? Our Glow Up Whipped Tallow Balm is made with 100% grass-fed beef tallow and honey in a whipped, unscented 4 oz jar.

Tallow in a lotion or cream

Tallow can also go into the oil phase of an emulsified lotion, where it adds body without the heavy feel of a pure balm. Use it as part of the oil phase (for example 10 to 15% of a body lotion), melted together with the emulsifier at about 70 to 75°C, and remember that any formula containing water needs a broad-spectrum preservative. My body lotion guide shows the full process.

For a candid look at the viral whipped tallow trend, including what I would and would not expect from it, see my honest take on whipped tallow balm.

Use 2: soap making

Tallow was the traditional soap fat for good reason. Its stearic and palmitic acids make a hard, white, long-lasting bar with a creamy, stable lather. On its own it lathers less than coconut oil, so most soap makers blend it.

Important: I am giving the oil percentages only. The amount of sodium hydroxide (lye) depends on the exact oils and the superfat you choose, so always run your recipe through a reputable lye calculator and weigh everything to 0.1 g. Wear goggles and gloves, add lye to water (never water to lye), and let cold-process bars sit and harden for 4 to 6 weeks before use.

Use 3: cooking

In the kitchen, tallow is valued for high-heat frying, roasting vegetables and potatoes, and seasoning cast iron. Its high saturated fat content makes it more heat-stable than oils high in linoleic acid, and it adds a savory, beefy flavor. For cooking, buy food-grade tallow and keep a separate jar from your skincare supply.

Use 4: household and traditional uses

• Candles: tallow candles were common before paraffin. They burn with more smell and smoke than beeswax or soy, so most people blend tallow with beeswax today.
• Leather: a thin layer of tallow, often mixed with beeswax, conditions and water-resists boots and saddles.
• Wood and tools: a light coat on wooden spoons, cutting boards and garden tools helps keep moisture out.

Beef tallow vs plant butters for skincare

If you prefer to avoid animal ingredients, shea and mango butter can stand in for tallow in the balm above at the same percentage.

How to choose and store tallow

• Source: grass-fed suet is popular for skincare. Ask whether it was rendered from suet (kidney fat), which gives the firmest, mildest tallow.
• Smell: well-rendered skincare tallow should smell faintly clean, not like a roast. Wet rendering with salt water and a second strain reduces odor.
• Color: white to pale cream. Yellow often reflects a grass-fed diet and is not a defect.
• Storage: airtight, cool and dark. Refrigeration extends shelf life for bulk tallow.

Frequently asked questions

Is beef tallow good for your face?

It can be very comfortable on dry skin as a rich moisturizer. Because it is occlusive, people with oily or easily congested skin should test it on a small area for a few weeks first, and sensitive skin should patch test on the inner arm.

Does tallow clog pores?

There is no good human study I can point to that answers this for tallow specifically. Approach it like any rich balm: use a thin layer and see how your skin responds over 2 to 4 weeks.

Does tallow skincare smell like beef?

Well-rendered tallow has only a faint scent. A noticeable meaty smell usually means it was rendered at too high a temperature or not strained enough.

How long does tallow balm last?

An anhydrous balm with added vitamin E typically lasts about 6 months in a cool, dark place. Discard it if the smell turns sharp or crayon-like.

Can I add peptides to a tallow balm?

Not directly. Most peptide boosters are water-based and will not blend into an anhydrous balm. Apply a peptide serum first and press tallow balm on top as a seal.

Sources

1. Youssef H, Rashwan MRA, Fathi SM, Ahmed S. Detection of lard adulteration in pure beef tallow. Assiut Veterinary Medical Journal. 1993;28(56):222-232. doi:10.21608/avmj.1993.186605 (fatty acid analysis)
2. Picardo M, Ottaviani M, Camera E, Mastrofrancesco A. Sebaceous gland lipids. Dermato-Endocrinology. 2009;1(2):68-71. PMC2835893
3. Skin Perfection, Glow Up Whipped Tallow Balm product label.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.