What Are The Benefits Of Tallow For Skin?

Discover this Ancestral Secret to Healthier, Clearer, More Radiant Skin 

If you’ve heard of tallow, you might connect it to traditional methods of making soaps and candles. But did you know this emollient has been used as a natural skincare remedy for thousands of years? As with so many ingredients now used to replenish, protect, and beautify skin, tallow has returned to the forefront of dermatologic science for its multiple benefits for a healthy complexion. Let’s look at the history of this remarkable natural skin treatment, learning about its composition, its nutrient content, and how it impacts our skin.

Tallow Through the Ages

So what is tallow? In short, it is a purified form of fat that comes from animals, mainly ruminant animals, or in other words, grazing herbivores. More specifically, tallow is what remains after the fat has undergone the rendering process, which removes the moisture from the fat. 

What Did Our Ancestors Know About Tallow?

While our predecessors didn’t have access to published scientific medical journals or the Internet for DIY skincare, they certainly figured out how valuable tallow was to their health and wellness. 

It may sound dramatic, but in times when skin injuries, diseases, insects and even the environment posed potentially lethal threats to their existence, people often relied on tallow for their wellbeing. After all, if a skin condition or infection got out of control, it could be the end of someone’s life, not just their complexion.

Consider how three different civilizations each used and prized tallow for skincare concerns.

Ancient Romans

Thousands of years ago, the Romans[1] thrived by being able to identify and leverage regional natural resources to their advantage. Specifically, Romans used natural ingredients – including tallow from animals – to clean and moisturizetheir skin.

As the well-known phrase goes, “When in Rome, do as the Romans. But you don’t need to be in Rome to begin taking care of your skin! Do yourself a favor and start now – and include tallow-based skin care products in your approach. 

Middle Ages

Much like today, women’s health and beauty became prized during this era. In the absence of modern medicine, society had to rely on available resources to provide remedies for skin conditions and beautification. 

By the Middle Ages[2], people had begun compounding skin care salves using tallow to treat abscesses, sunburn, and windburn, as well as purely for facial beautification. One might even call it a Middle Ages midlife crisis!

More Recent Ancestors

Local legend, family lore, and written history indicate that people kept tallow on hand for skincare as recently as a few generations ago. These earlier generations spent much more time outdoors and exposed to the elements than we do today, in turn leaving their skin more vulnerable to environmental damage. 

While this might not have been the best for the complexion, a more rugged and natural lifestyle would lend itself to knowledge of as well as access to the skin remedies provided by nature, the land, and the farm, including tallow. For example, pioneers and Native Americans[3] used tallow as mosquito repellant, sunscreen, chapped or burned skin antidotes, and other medicinal uses.

By this time, people had discovered many of the secrets tallow held for healthier, more beautiful-looking skin, thanks to the wisdom passed down by those of the past.

But what is it about tallow that makes it so beneficial as a natural skincare ingredient? Breaking down the ingredients and properties of tallow will help illuminate its benefits for skin.

Properties and Benefits of Tallow for the Skin

While the civilizations and generations before us might not have known how tallow helped their skin, they certainly understood that it did, as shown by the many stories and medicinal recipes they left behind. Today, we know just how right they were, thanks to modern understanding of the composition of tallow and the scientific properties of the fatty acids, vitamins and minerals it contains.

Fatty Acids

Tallow is 100% fat, not a protein, carbohydrate or water droplet in sight. As such, it is comprised of several fatty acids that contribute to its skincare benefits. Below are its three most prominent fatty acids found in tallow[4].

Stearic Acid

This saturated fatty acid makes up 14% of tallow[5]. In terms of skincare results, stearic acid[6] has shown promising results in reducing eczema symptoms and inflammation as well as helping the skin to retain moisture.

Oleic Acid

Tallow contains 47% of the monounsaturated fatty oleic acid. Studies[7] have suggested that oleic acid may promote wound healing as well as increase the skin’s ability to absorb Vitamin A (retinol).

Palmitic Acid

Another saturated fatty acid, palmitic acid[8] comprises 26% of the fat found in tallow. Thanks to these film-forming fatty acids, tallow makes an excellent skin emollient, attracting and maintaining moisture, as it softens and soothes skin. 

Vitamins

In addition to the fatty acids above, tallow is a robust source of some of the most skin-beneficial vitamins[9]: namely, vitamins A, D, K, and E, each of which is vital to a healthy skincare routine.

Vitamin A

More commonly known as retinol in skincare, Vitamin A[10] is a fat-soluble nutrient that can enter the skin transdermally. At active concentrations, it has been shown to provide many benefits to the skin, including promoting moisture retention, collagen production and cell turnover.

In addition, as an antioxidant, Vitamin A has been shown to protect skin from free radicals and sun damage. This skincare powerhouse is also known to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, photodamage, and acne blemishes.

Vitamin D

You probably know that sunlight is a good source of the natural Vitamin D found in tallow. But did you know that with age our ability to produce Vitamin D decreases? Vitamin D is vital for many body functions, but in skin, it helps prevent premature skin aging and even induces DNA repair.

These benefits of Vitamin D[11] have been shown to occur when applied topically at active levels, making tallow even more valuable as part of a healthy skincare regimen.

Vitamin K

In the body, Vitamin K[12] is a key component for blood clotting, helping to slow and stop the flow of blood from wounds. 

When it comes to skin care, Vitamin K has been shown to reduce the time needed for healing by supporting collagen maintenance and blood vessel health. Topical applications can also offer anti-inflammatory benefits and reduce the appearance of dark circles and spots.

Vitamin E

The quintessential antioxidant, the Vitamin E[13] in tallow helps to safeguard the skin against damaging free radicals and reinforce the skin barrier. This layer of natural environmental protection has even been shown to help inhibit photodamage and reduce the visible signs of aging.

Minerals

In addition to its notable fatty acid and vitamin content, tallow also contains a variety of minerals[14] that play valuable roles in promoting healthy skin. Below, we explore three of the powerhouse minerals found in tallow.

Magnesium

This essential nutrient may become one of your all-time skincare favorites. Applied topically at adequate levels, magnesium[15] has been shown to help soothe redness and inflammation, ease skin irritations and acne breakouts, and normalize oil production.

Zinc

This mineral found in tallow helps protect skin against UV damage. Like vitamin K, studies also show that zinc may promote wound healing and fortify skin against harmful pathogens.

Iron

While iron is a relatively new skincare ingredient, recent studies[16] suggest that forms of topically applied iron could play a role in skin protection and wound healing. It’s not surprising that tallow, long known to promote glowing, supple, and hydrated skin, does contain trace amounts of  this fortifying mineral.

Include Tallow in Your Skincare Toolbox

When it comes to tallow-based skincare, we can almost hear those that came before us saying “we told you so!” – and rightfully so. Thanks to their real-world, survival-driven ingenuity, we can take what they knew about the benefits of tallow for skin and turn it into a modern skincare miracle – or close to it! This natural, low-comedogenic emollient can offer so many benefits for the skin, from hydration to protection to rejuvenation. We invite you to see the difference for yourself and experience a new level of clarity, radiance, and skin wellness with SVEDA skincare. 

Resources:

[1] King, A. (2024, June 11). Drugs & pharmaceuticals in ancient Rome. World History Encyclopedia. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2479/drugs–pharmaceuticals-in-ancient-rome/
[2] University of Pennsylvania Press. (2022, March 19). The Trotula. https://users.pfw.edu/flemingd/Green%20_TheTrotula_Selections.pdf
[3] Esmaeili D, Salas KR, Luker HA, Mitra S, Galvan CJ, Holguin FO, et al. (2024) Rancid rumors or Native wisdom: Evaluating the efficacy of animal fats as insect repellents attributed to historic-period Native Americans. PLoS ONE 19(7): e0301677. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0301677
[4] National Research Council, 1976, Fat Content and Composition of Animal Products, Printing and Publishing Office, National Academy of Science, Washington, D.C., ISBN 0-309-02440-4; p. 203, online edition
[5] Wikipedia contributors. (2024, October 25). Tallow. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallow#:~:text=Tallow%20is%20a%20rendered%20form,criteria%2C%20including%20its%20melting%20point
[6] Rees, M. (2023, June 13). What is stearic acid? benefits, side effects, and use. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/stearic-acid#benefits
[7] Poljšak N, Kreft S, Kočevar Glavač N. Vegetable butters and oils in skin wound healing: Scientific evidence for new opportunities in dermatology. Phytother Res. 2020 Feb;34(2):254-269. doi: 10.1002/ptr.6524. Epub 2019 Oct 27. PMID: 31657094.
[8] National Center for Biotechnology Information (2024). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 985, Palmitic Acid. Retrieved October 25, 2024 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Palmitic-Acid.
[9] Russell, M. F., Sandhu, M., Vail, M., Haran, C., Batool, U., & Leo, J. (2024, May 24). Tallow, rendered animal fat, and its biocompatibility with Skin: A scoping review. Cureus. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11193910/
[10] Zasada M, Budzisz E. Retinoids: active molecules influencing skin structure formation in cosmetic and dermatological treatments. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019 Aug;36(4):392-397. doi: 10.5114/ada.2019.87443. Epub 2019 Aug 30. PMID: 31616211; PMCID: PMC6791161.
[11] Vitamin D and skin health. Linus Pauling Institute. (2024, January 2). https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-D
[12] Vitamin K. The Nutrition Source. (2024, May 9). https://nutritionsource.hsph.harvard.edu/vitamin-k/
[13] Vitamin E and skin health. Linus Pauling Institute. (2024b, January 2). https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/health-disease/skin-health/vitamin-E
[14] Ali, Muhammad & Ali, Waqar & Ahmed, Saeed & Ullah, Ikram. (2008). Mineral Composition, Quality and Physico-chemical Parameters of the Local Tallow of Pakistan. Pakistan Journal of Nutrition. 7. 717-. 10.3923/pjn.2008.717.720.
[15] Magnesium – good for your skin and body. Space Coast Education Center. (2018, January 26). https://spacecoast.edu/blog/magnesium-good-for-your-skin-and-body.html
[16] Ramadoss T, Weimer DS, Mayrovitz HN. Topical Iron Chelator Therapy: Current Status and Future Prospects. Cureus. 2023 Oct 26;15(10):e47720. doi: 10.7759/cureus.47720. PMID: 38022031; PMCID: PMC10675985.