The Many Wonders of Beef Tallow: In Soap, Skincare, and the Kitchen

Beef tallow, a time-honoured fat rendered from beef suet, is making a strong comeback in both traditional and modern households. Once a staple in kitchens and apothecaries, this nourishing fat has been rediscovered by natural soap makers, DIY skincare enthusiasts, and even health-conscious cooks. If you’re curious about how to incorporate beef tallow into your skincare routine—or even your dinner—read on!

What is Beef Tallow?

Beef tallow is simply rendered beef fat, typically sourced from the suet around the kidneys. When properly rendered and filtered, it becomes a creamy, shelf-stable fat that has a wide range of uses. It’s prized not only for its versatility but also for its natural nourishing properties.

Why Use Beef Tallow in Cosmetics and Soap?

Beef tallow has a similar fatty acid profile to human skin, making it an excellent ingredient for natural skincare products. It's rich in vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which is known for its anti-inflammatory properties.

Here’s how beef tallow is used in cosmetics and personal care:

🧼 Soap Making

Beef tallow creates a hard, long-lasting bar with a rich, creamy lather. It’s a fantastic base fat, offering gentle cleansing and skin conditioning. Traditional tallow soaps have stood the test of time and are still popular for their simplicity and skin benefits.

🌿 Moisturising Balms & Body Butters

Tallow can be whipped into a nourishing balm or combined with essential oils and other butters like shea or cocoa butter for a luxurious body butter. It deeply hydrates and helps repair dry or cracked skin.

💄 Lip Balms

Its rich texture and high-fat content make beef tallow an ideal base for lip balms, offering protection and healing properties without synthetic additives.

🧴 Face Creams & Serums

When purified and lightly scented, tallow can be used in face creams that nourish and balance the skin barrier—especially for those with sensitive or dry skin.

👶 Baby Skincare

Natural, non-toxic, and incredibly gentle, beef tallow is a go-to for many parents creating salves or nappy creams for their little ones.

How to Store Beef Tallow

Beef tallow is incredibly shelf-stable when properly rendered and stored. Here’s how to keep it fresh:

• Cool, dark place: Store tallow in a glass jar or tin in your pantry away from direct sunlight.

• Refrigeration: While not necessary, keeping it in the fridge can extend its shelf life.

• Freezing: For long-term storage (12+ months), beef tallow can be portioned and frozen.

Shelf life: At room temperature, tallow can last up to 12 months (for consumption) or up to 2 years for cosmetics, if stored correctly. 

Products You Can Make with Beef Tallow

Here’s a look at the versatile range of items you can create using tallow:

• Cold process soap bars

• Shaving soaps

• Lip balms

• Healing salves

• Whipped body butter

• Solid lotion bars

• Baby rash cream

• Beard balm

• Face cream and night balm

• Cuticle and foot salves

• Hair pomade or styling wax

Whether you’re making simple soap bars or launching your own tallow-based skincare line, the possibilities are endless.

Cooking with Beef Tallow: A Brief Note

Tallow isn’t just great for your skin—it’s also an old-school gem in the kitchen. It has a high smoke point (~200°C/400°F), making it perfect for frying, roasting, and sautéing. It adds a rich, savoury flavour to food and is completely free of trans fats and artificial additives.

Benefits of cooking with beef tallow include:

• High in healthy saturated fats

• Rich in fat-soluble vitamins

• Supports hormone and cell function

• Adds depth of flavour to food (especially potatoes and meats)

• Seed oil free