Why Tallow is the Ultimate Skincare Superfood: Benefits and How to Use It.
You’ve probably been hearing about this Tallow craze happening all over the internet and wondering what its all about. You might not be all on-board with tallow or you may have zero clue what this stuff even is, so today, I am going to break this down for you. Go grab some herbal tea, and your fave slippers and keep reading.
In this blog post I am going to be sharing all things tallow
If you’re looking for a more natural approach to living, then you’re in the right place. Your routine is about to change for good.
In my personal experience, alongside many others, I was sold the lie that fats are BAD. We were all told to avoid fats and we couldn’t escape the conditioning. This message came about everywhere I looked. Magazines had bold headlines outlining how low fat diets could slim my waistline, and how eating low fat could lower cholesterol. Commercials on TV advertised low fat yogurts. I personally grew up eating a low-fat diet as this mentality had crept into the mind of my mother who passed this mentality on to me. All of this low fat brainwashing created a fat phobic society.
Luckily, that is all changing. I’m sure by now, you’ve come across new research that outlines how good fat is actually for us. For us women especially, we require fat in our diets to help brain function, and to regulate hormones. Eating healthy fats helps our skin glow and our hair shine. I’m going to share another little tidbit that may challenge your beliefs as well. Fat is actually amazing for our skin when we use it topically. There are actually a whole variety of healthy fats that are great for the skin, but you came here to learn about tallow, so that is the fat I am going to be telling you about today.
What the heck is tallow?
Tallow is the rendered fat from ruminant animals. Essentially, during the butchering process, the large amounts of pure fat are cut off and set aside. This is then heated, the cracklings are strained, and the fat is purified to create a clean, low odor, solid, white fat!
Why tallow is gaining so much popularity
I think it’s safe to say that tallow has gained a TON of popularity in a very SHORT amount of time. So many of us are over the toxic “wellness” products that are actually just a scam and ruining the largest organ on our bodies as well as our endocrine system. The search for better, more natural products, has landed many of us in a place of discovering foods and ingredients that the people before us used every single day. These are often more affordable and even fun to make at home!
The different ways to render tallow
Rendering tallow can be done in two main methods. The wet method, and the dry method.
The dry method is the method I use when rendering tallow for cooking purposes. It requires melting the fat in a crock pot or over low heat on the stove. Once the fat is all melted and the cracklings are separated from the fat, it can simply be poured over a cheesecloth lined strainer and then portioned out into jars for cooking!
The wet method is the method I prefer to use and it’s the way I purify tallow for the Tallow Body Butters and Salves that I offer in the shop. This method is similar to the dry method, however there are some extra steps involved. Salt and water are added to the tallow as it melts to extract any impurities. It draws out much of the “beefy” scent and leaves a clean, white, and practically odorless final product. I take extra care to remove any residual moisture after this rendering process as leftover water can cause the tallow to become rancid.
Not all tallow is created equal
Tallow is pretty easy to come by these days, but making sure you source your tallow well is key. I choose to purchase tallow from local, grass-fed farms, since there isn’t a guarantee that buying tallow from large marketplaces online is going to result in obtaining a quality product. There are so many benefits from grass-fed fat that just isn’t present in conventionally raised animals. This is because grass-fed animal fat contains a better ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6. It also contains a higher amount of antioxidants and vitamins. This means, whether you’re using it internally or externally, it’s going to serve your body better to opt for grass-fed tallow and tallow products.
A little bit goes a long way
Another great benefit to tallow is that a little bit goes a long way. You just need about a pea-sized amount to rub onto your face when the wind has been a little bit too brutal. To be completely honest, one of my favorite moments is after showering when I pretty much slather myself head to toe with tallow and I’m always blown away at how little I have dipped into my jars of tallow body butter at home.
Ways tallow can be used
Tallow is so versatile and that’s why I love it so much! Tallow makes a great cooking fat and I love using it to fry potatoes and plantains when I’m in the mood for some “junk” food. This way, I can skip the seed oils and opt for the more beneficial fat.
Have you seen tallow soap on the market yet? One way I have played around with tallow is by using it as the main ingredient as soap for my household. It’s incredibly hydrating and soft, and my daughter loves using it during bath time.
Although there is little research to support this, I have found that anecdotally, improving my diet and incorporating more whole, healthy and well sourced animal fats, I have found my skin to better tolerate sunshine and maintain healthy, plump skin without drying out.
When it comes to tallow, I hope I have educated (convinced?) you on the benefits of this amazing ingredient. If anything, it’s worth trying it out and seeing for yourself the amazing benefits. If you love tallow or are eager to try it for yourself, drop a comment below and share your experience!
