Well, I have been trying a new face goop. Supposedly for men, likely because it’s beef tallow (ignore the twee Japanese honey aspect- this is MANLY moisturizer. For Manly Men who eat beef, wear leather, and don’t hang out at bars called the Meat Rack. Or don’t tell anyone, anyway.)
My I am being snarky this morning, aren’t I?
In any case, I guess the idea is that beef tallow is supposed to be somewhat bio-identical to us, and since one can’t render people, this is the next best thing. Now, I do eat meat, and I do wear leather (Shoes. Regular everyday shoes.) The fact that it is grass-fed is supposed to be a plus, and Manuka Honey is supposedly, well, the bee’s knees (If you’ll excuse the expression)
Does it work? Well I do see a little bit of a difference, not that you can tell from the life threatening mega-closeup taken with my iPhone in crummy lighting. But there isn’t a lot of crepiness and for someone who is 100% British Isles DNA (According to tests, even) who has lived under the harsh California Sun for the better part of 40 years, drives a convertible, and is thisclose to Medicare I’ll take it. It does leave my skin feeling soft but seems to not over-do the moisturizing; I don’t get those little milia things that I can get with some other (pricier) moisturizer. Best part is that it’s $20 and the jar I have with almost daily use is only 1/2 empty after a few months.
Have you tried this, or any other tallow moisturizer? Does the thought gross you out? Let us know in the comments.
I purchased my jar from Amazon.
Photos: My iPhone, Pexels
I remember liking a few of these but it looks like from the (fairly indecipherable) website that only Epic Gardenia and the wonderful Musc Botanique are still around. I guess I can go to the store but that part of Venice is either a three bus (2 different agencies) trip or a parking nightmare if I drive. And once again I’m spam..
I’m not sure I could apply beef tallow to my face, but then, I have and use an impressive – some would say ” excessive” and they would have a point – quantity of skin care goop, so not judging at all.
I thought it was fairly ick making- like rubbing raw bacon on my face (I mean, cooked, fine, but raw?) but I really liked it. Enough so that I bought a back up.
I do not use beef tallow… but now I want to!
Because I NEED yet more skin goop!
I am coming to the conclusion (as I enter unwillingly into the leather years) that there can never be enough skin goop.
Tom, may I recommend the following: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides). It’s $9.90. Apply this after you shower/shave while skin is damp, then apply your tallow over it. The tallow locks in the moisture from your ablutions and the serum. I think Sephora may carry the serum but I order directly from The Ordinary. Been using this for nearly 10 years-no complaints. Ya can’t beat the price!
Ooooh thank you! I love The Ordinary, and I’ve never tried that.
I’m not a moisturising type human but do use after shave balm Tom. All over my face after a shave to create a proper barrier between my skin and drag make up. It means the colours don’t sink into my skin and fade over the evening.
Also, using Grape Seed Oil to take all my goop off after work probably does some good too.
Portia xx
Grape seed oil is good stuff. I use that or food grade castor oil as a first step washing my face at the end of the day (instead of the pricey Erno Laszlo phelytil oil). It emulsifies all of the crap on my face from the day and then I use the sea mud soap to wash. After that combo I don’t really need a heavy moisturizer.
We do love our ablutions, don’t we?!?
Grape seed oil is my favorite facial cleanser, especially in winter. Most of my friends can’t believe I use vegetable oil from the grocery store on my face.
If you’d eat it then why not? Oil emulsifies the makeup and schmutz making it easier for the cleanser to gently clean it all away. Especially with “waterproof” makeup- you’d need sandblasting to get it off otherwise..
Ha! I foolishly left my face cream at home when viztin High Desert Santa Fe. Damp skin/ a slicker of veg oil… saved me!
The high desert is eeeeevil! It’ll dry you out like the machines at Sun Maid do to grapes but you never think it does so. They should have emergency cetaphil at gas stations, like air and water.
Oh, lord, no.
Yeah, it’s not for everyone.
Ha! I do know about the tallow thing, but the thought gives me the icks — all those YouTubers rendering their own tallow for skincare. NO THANK YOU. Which is kinda funny considering that not one but two of my daily skincare products have snail mucin, so who am I to judge? Actually, the labels are in Korean, there could be bear poop in there, how would I know?
It does kind of give me the icks, but I do eat meat and wear leather, sooo. But render my own? What is this? “Little Gay Ghetto on the Prairie?” And why do I think some of those people wouldn’t eat a smash burger at sword point? I did have some snail mucin toner but I kind of didn’t like the texture (to put it nicely it was like putting Okra on my face) and I have come to the conclusion that I am past the toner years and firmly into the moisturizer ones.
I haven’t tried any beef tallow skin products, Tom, but this is not the first time I’ve heard that they’re good for the skin. Glad you found something you like. Do you follow up with an SPF? (You know you should, right?)
I lordy yes! I put this on as part of te morning routine. My commute is “walk downstairs” (I live in the building my office is in) so then if I am going to go out at lunch I have the La Roche Posay SPF 2375 in the office and that goes on 1/2 hour before I walk out the door. If I am out running errands I also have a comically wide brimmed hat. If I am out in the car I don’t take the roof off until the last stop and I am on my way home. With a different hat since the comically wide brimmed one is so comically wide brimmed it actually doesn’t fit, even with the top down.
The state of my hands I would try this. I imagine it to be quite occlusive.
Probably not on my face, I multiserum with actives then use a gel moisturiser & invisible SPF.
What SPF do you use? Curious..
Yes this would be great on the hands but I think there are other, cheaper, less trendy ones you could use on the hands.
At the minute I use Boots No7 Future Renew UV Defense Shield SPF50 or Garnier Vitamin C Daily UV Fluid SPF50+ Glow. The Garnier is tinted but not too yellow & has Vit C in it. Neither are sticky.
I like hand goo to be a barrier & watch water run off it but not be sticky.
Thanks for the tips!
For hands, Bag Balm.
Good to know!
I never thought you’d be writing about a tallow moisturizer and I’d be thinking anything other than – “what!”. About a month ago, my daughter passed on a moisturizer given to her because she doesn’t like the smell of lavender. It is Whipped Tallow Lavender – Vanilla by Bee Kind Homemade Creations. I thought ewww, so I put it aside. I finally tried it. It really moisturizes and feels great on my skin, and no hint of beef fat smell. I love this stuff. I’m not sure if it’s for face too. Looks like the business is tiny but I may email and check.
This really doesn’t smell at all. And no added fragrance that I can see. I know that some all-natural woo-woo places add frankincense as a preservative but I have heard that’s a big no-no on the skin. While I might get asked out more if I smelled mike braised beef ribs I think I’d rather risk being alone and smell of Serge Lutens.
Of course if he comes out with “Nuit de Bourguignon” all bets are off..
Ya, better be alone and smell of Serge Lutens! LOL. Besides you can always make an exception or two here and there…..
Well for the right guy I might put some barbeque sauce behind each ear. Now I want some brisket..
Stop making me laugh so much!!!
I cannot help that I am naturally hilarious. And modest.
I usually stick with the Skyn Iceland cloud cream for moisturizer in the winter and the cooling antidote in the summer. As dry as my skin is, it can’t take heavier stuff. How heavy is it? Does it sit heavy on the skin or smell kind of funny?
Nope, no smell. And it doesn’t sit heavy on the skin. If something doesn’t absorb I just rub it into my palms.
Oh interesting. I can see how tallow would be moisturizing, kind of like lanolin…but what does it smell like? And would my dog suddenly show a lot more interest in licking my face?
It actually doesn’t smell of anything at all, and. One of the dogs visiting the office have tried to lick my face. Yet.