By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.
Broadcast version by Nadia Ramlagan for Arkansas News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboration

The all-natural beauty world has a new darling. In an effort to turn away from “toxic” cleansers and “chemical-filled” moisturizers, some celebrities and content creators are now touting the wonders of a new and unlikely skincare product. It’s beef tallow, also known as rendered cow fat.

But what does slathering cow fat on your skin really do? And is it worth the cost to the environment and animals? Unfortunately, this seemingly natural and wholesome skincare solution is just another facet of factory farming. And on top of that, it isn’t particularly effective as skincare.

What Beef Tallow Is and Why It’s Marketed As Wholesome

For centuries, people have rendered fat from animals for a variety of uses, from cooking to making candles to skincare, like balms and soaps. Beef tallow is simply rendered beef fat, made by cooking down cow fat slowly into a liquid. Tallow’s first use dates all the way back to the Bronze Age.

Today, tallow promoters often reference its long history, associating the product with traditional farming methods. Some tallow products are also marketed as ethical or sustainable. But as Pamela Vesilind, associate professor of law at Vermont Law, explains to Sentient, “‘sustainable’ and ‘ethical’ remain [legally] unregulated terms” in the United States. Practically speaking, she adds, the term “ethical” in advertising “is so subjective it is meaningless.”

The tactic of marketing tallow as wholesome and natural is presented in contrast to other products made in labs. It’s a rhetorical strategy you might recognize, also used to market “natural” animal meat in opposition to “processed” plant-based alternatives. This tactic can be traced back to the meat industry, and conveniently ignores the fact that animal products, whether meat or skincare, must also go through substantial (and grisly) processing in order to become usable.

How Beef Tallow Is Made

Many tallow skin products today are labeled and marketed as “grass-fed,” or “handmade in small batches.” Some tallow producers promote, and even label, their products as specifically “not vegan” — in some cases as part of the broader “trad wife” and/or homesteading trend. While some tallow beauty products sold online may originate from a maker’s own cows, this is not the norm across the market. After all, 99 percent of livestock farmed in the U.S. are raised on factory farms.

Beef tallow is made from parts of the cow that are not sold as meat, and are transported instead to rendering plants. It’s made by melting the fat to separate it from impurities, proteins or water. As a result, tallow is often touted as an eco-friendly byproduct of the meat industry.

In reality, however, sales of rendered animal fat actually bolster the meat industry, which is anything but eco-friendly.

The U.S. market for rendering and meat byproduct processing is worth $7.3 billion. Not only does the sale of the rendered fat bring in additional revenue, it also cuts the additional costs of having to otherwise safely dispose of the leftover fat as biowaste. In other words, the rendering industry props up the business of factory farming.

To dispel the wholesome tallow myth even further: nearly 95 percent of the U.S. rendering market is collectively controlled by two massive corporations, Tyson Foods and Darling Ingredients. Tyson claims to control 20 percent of meat production in the U.S., with 38 percent of revenue derived from beef production. An investigation by the Guardian earlier this year also found that Tyson Foods’ slaughterhouses dumped 371 million pounds of pollutants into U.S. waterways between 2018 and 2022.

Beef production is one of the worst types of farming for the planet, thanks to methane-spewing cow burps, and massive land use for pasture and feed crops. In this way, buying tallow from factory-farmed cows contributes to environmental degradation, just like buying factory-farmed beef to eat does.

Does Beef Tallow Skincare Even Work?

On top of tallow’s connection to factory farming, it turns out that the benefits of slathering cow fat on your skin are largely unremarkable.

Beef tallow skincare is more fad than fact, Desiree Stordahl, director of applied research and education at research-based skincare brand Paula’s Choice, told Elle magazine. “While it’s true that beef tallow contains some antioxidants and omega fatty acids that could have potential benefits for skin, there are much better ways to get those kinds of ingredients that were developed and tested specifically for skin.”

Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Raja Sivamani agrees. He tells Sentient that while tallow does have some vitamin A, which contains retinol, the amount of retinol is not standardized, and is not likely to be as concentrated as it is in conventional products.

Standard retinol has far more evidence to back it up than tallow. In one of many studies, for example, a clinical trial of women between 40 and 55 years old who applied retinol every day for a year found it reduced the appearance of crow’s feet by 44 percent and skin discoloration by 84 percent.

While tallow’s high saturated fat content may work with some skin types, for issues such as acne, Sivamani says, “it could make it worse. It’s not one size fits all.”

Cruelty-Free Alternatives to Beef Tallow

According to Sivamani, the skincare industry is now “overwhelmingly moving toward cruelty-free” products. Consumers are demanding it, and “there is a huge push for vegan products.” There are many vegan alternatives to tallow-based moisturizers, even for consumers seeking natural, one-ingredient products. Sivamani suggests cold-pressed pumpkin seed oil, virgin olive oil, coconut oil and jojoba oil. And for those looking for an effective alternative to retinol, he suggests bakuchiol-based serums.

The Bottom Line

Though for some online influencers, beef tallow may seem like an easy sell,, from a dermatological perspective, Sivamani says tallow is “just moisture.”

Ultimately, tallow beauty products are largely produced using unsustainable farming practices, and offer little in terms of proven effectiveness.


Jessica Scott-Reid wrote this article for Sentient.


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Nearly half of Americans age 50 and older are using credit cards to pay for basic living expenses, according to a new AARP survey, and a Minnesota expert has tips on how to keep that debt from becoming a major problem.

In the same national survey, almost nine in 10 respondents say unexpected expenses have contributed to their credit card debt.

Kevin O'Laughlin, a certified financial advisor at TruMix Advisors in the Twin Cities, said the results aren't surprising, since rising consumer costs take a bite out of savings and Social Security payments can't always keep pace.

He encouraged older adults concerned about their balance going up to do some careful planning.

"I think it comes down to taking a real hard look at where are there opportunities to supplement one purchase for another," he said.

That means, if possible, holding off on non-necessary purchases. Other tips apply to people of any age, including paying more than the minimum monthly amount due on cards. O'Laughlin said you can also call the credit card company and request a lower interest rate or see about transferring your balance to one that has a more desirable rate.

If you're still paying a mortgage, O'Laughlin said seeking a refinancing deal shouldn't be ruled out. As these challenges escalate for seniors, he said, it's a reminder to prioritize the basic needs of this demographic.

"Whether that's through an increase to Social Security checks, or maybe just streamlining the ability to work, part time or in some limited capacity, in retirement to supplement their cash flow needs."

If it all seems overwhelming, he said there are financial planners and programs willing to guide older adults at no charge. O'Laughlin's firm takes on pro bono cases, and he pointed to Lutheran Social Services as another resource. The Minnesota Financial Planning Association also does outreach for these services.

Pennsylvania residents who need assistance filing their income tax returns can use the free services of the AARP Foundation's Tax-Aide program.

You do not have to be an AARP member or a senior citizen to get help.

Kathleen Hoffer, program coordinator for AARP Pennsylvania, said the full-service tax program assists Pennsylvanians with federal, state and local returns. She added their main focus is to serve individuals with low to moderate incomes.

"We helped nearly 74,000 people in Pennsylvania last year and it resulted in $52 million in refunds for those folks," Hoffer reported. "We're doing as best we can, but we could do better especially if we had more volunteers."

Hoffer emphasized the volunteers are trained and IRS-certified to ensure they are up-to-date on the latest changes to the tax code. The nationwide program is available through mid-April. Volunteers have helped 1.7 million people secure nearly $1.3 billion in total refunds.

Hoffer noted individuals in rural, underserved areas may struggle with tax preparation access and adds they are working to assist them through virtual appointments. She explained the program offers several options such as in-person and drop-off services for taxpayers to get assistance.

"We also have assisted tax preparation," Hoffer pointed out. "We have where they can come in and bring their tax documents. They basically work on their tax return themselves. But then we have a counselor who can advise them or answer questions. As they are doing their own returns."

Hoffer emphasized their biggest challenge is recruiting more volunteers. With additional help, they can serve a greater number of people. She added volunteers are needed for administrative tasks, greeting clients, communications and technology support.

Activists who believe Tesla CEO Elon Musk is overstepping his role in the Trump administration will protest today at a Tesla dealership in New Mexico's Sandoval County. Similar protests have taken place in Albuquerque and at Tesla dealerships nationwide.

Musk, the world's richest person, leads the so-called Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with saving money by firing federal employees and dismantling agencies.

Terry Eisenbart with Sandoval County Indivisible said many who have lost their jobs live in New Mexico.

"It is time to stand up and fight back with whatever is at our disposal," Eisenbart contended. "Peaceful protests are a huge way to gain the traction of the people that want to express themselves but don't even know where to begin."

Despite his previous vilification of electric vehicles, President Donald Trump went to bat for Musk's beleaguered car company on Tuesday. He showcased five Tesla vehicles in front of the White House and announced he had purchased one for $80,000. Musk donated $270 million to Trump's 2024 election campaign.

Eisenbart is especially concerned federal services she believes Americans want and need are being eliminated. She cited the closure of the Consumer Federal Protection Bureau on Feb. 8, which, Russell Vought, director of the Office of Management and Budget, called a "woke" and "weaponized" agency. Eisenbart stressed the closure hits close to home.

"The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, when they shut it down the other day -- my sister has personally benefited by that -- and it made the whole difference in her life, by the actions that organization took on her behalf," Eisenbart explained.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., was instrumental in establishing the independent agency after the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. DOGE claims total government savings of at least $105 billion so far but news agencies have not been able to verify the savings.


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