What is Tallow Skin Care?
Tallow in itself is a type of animal fat. It is produced from suet in a process called rendering. Rendering is a process that involves melting the fat and simmering it for a long period. It is then strained and cooled and the process is repeated.
Suet is animal fat found in the kidneys and loins of animals. Normally, suet is derived from sheep or cows, but it is not rare in industrially produced tallow that pig fat be used to render tallow.
Tallow is kept in air tight containers to prevent oxidation. It can be kept at room temperature, unlike suet that requires refrigeration to prevent decomposition.
Tallow is often used as a skin care product. It is industrially produced to be used as an ingredient in beauty products.
This is because it contains a lot of nourishing products for the skin, which makes it a whole ingredient.
A lot of companies make use of tallow in their lipsticks and other such products but make no mention of it as tallow is a natural product and cannot be patented.
Unlike other ingredients with the word ‘natural’ stamped onto them whilst they have nothing to do with nature. These can be patented.
Tallow contains fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. They are naturally balanced within the fat and need no further addition.
These make it very nourishing to the skin. Natural healthy skin secretes sebum, which is a fat that helps the skin to repair itself and also prevents the escape of moisture from the skin.
Tallow contains triglycerides that have properties similar to that of sebum. Because our skin is an organ that naturally absorbs anything applied to it (that is why a lot of narcotics can be admitted through the skin), it readily absorbs tallow.
Tallow has also been seen to be especially compatible with the molecular structure of the skin, thus aiding in its absorption.
Tallow is very useful for chapped and rough skin caused by the weather. It is valuable for cleansing the skin and is also used as a foundation for various medical ointments. Ideally, the tallow has an optimal ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 of 1:1.
Why Use Tallow in Skin Care
Tallow contains the same natural fatty acids that are contained in youthful healthy looking skin. These fatty acids include the following:
1. Stearic and Oleic acid: both these acids are found in sebum in the skin naturally. They help in moisturizing the skin, softening, and providing anti-inflammatory properties. Stearic acid improves on skin suppleness and softness. It also helps the skin repair itself. Oleic acid is also known as omega 9. It aids the other active components of tallow to penetrate the skin.
2. Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): it acts as an anti-inflammatory agent. It also prevents the entry of harmful microorganisms to the skin.
3. Palmitoleic Acid: also known as omega 7. It is the most basic element found in sebum. It is the main component of human skin, but its production reduces with increase in age. Tallow hence serves to replace the depleted omega 7.
4. Palmitic Acid: also naturally found in skin. It helps in smoothing the skin and the general appearance of the skin. It is also produced less as one ages.
5. An optimal balance of essential fatty acids: these are alpha-linoleic acid (omega 3) and linoleic acid (omega 6).
These are crucial to the maintenance of the structure of the skin. They also aid in helping the skin serve as a barrier.
They also serve a big role in immune responses of the skin. They are balanced in tallow optimally in a ratio of 1:1
Tallow is naturally compatible with the natural biology of our skin because the skin is made up of lipids that are similar to those in tallow.
Risks and Side Effects
Despite all the positive sides of tallow, it does have side effects. They include the following:
- Vomiting: It has been shown to cause nausea with vomiting. It is not advisable to take tallow in excessive amounts.
- Obesity: Despite all the fats being healthy ones, they are still fats in the end. The increase in the skin does add to the amount of fat in the body. Excessive continuous use causes weight gain and eventually obesity.
- Smell: The smell of fats on you might not be as pleasant as that of botanical if you have a very sensitive nose.
It is clear that most of these side effects are a triggered by excessive use. Tallow, if well used in the right quantity, is a very useful skincare product that guarantees you effective results with minimal side effects.
Top Tallow Skincare Ingredients
The main ingredient in tallow skincare is the triglycerides in the fat. It has saturated and mono-saturated fats.
Our cells are made up of about fifty percent saturated fats and so is tallow. This is what makes it very compatible with the structure of the skin and the biology of the skin.
It also has omega 3 and omega 6, which are essential fatty acids that play a big role in nourishing the skin.
A company called Ecology Skincare makes their ecology creams with grass fed tallow as their main ingredient. This makes their creams high quality skincare products.
The creams can be purchased at their website ecologyskincare.com/organic-grass-fed-tallow. Their prices range between $7 and $ 49 for their creams.
Tallow Skin Care Ingredient Review Summary
Tallow is very recommendable to anyone with interest in skincare. It has numerous nourishing properties. It is also easier to use than lard. The fact that it is animal derived fat makes it almost completely compatible with the skin.
This is because its percentage of saturated fats is almost equal to that of the skin. Because it is a genuinely natural product, it does not have any unnatural side effects and its only known side effects only come from overindulgence.
Tallow is crucial for people with broken skin and stretch marks, as well those who wish to restore their skin or combat aging.
It is a natural whole ingredient that is recommendable to anyone with an interest in maintaining healthy, youthful looking skin.
