Beef tallow for eczema: Grade A prime or just another bum steer?
By Andrew C. Krakowski, MD, FAAD
June 18, 2025
Vol. 7, No. 24
Beef tallow, which is simply rendered cow fat, has been a versatile staple across civilizations. Since the Bronze Age, it has served in cooking, candle-making, and skin care. Ancient Egyptians mixed tallow with herbs for balms, while Greeks and Romans used it as a moisturizer or soap base — hence “stearic” (from Greek stear, meaning fat or tallow). In Roman bathhouses, tallow-based ointments soothed irritations. By medieval times, European apothecaries blended it with herbs for wound healing, and tallow salves protected against harsh winters. Some Native American tribes applied buffalo or deer tallow as a barrier against sun and wind. In traditional Chinese medicine, animal fats have served as a vehicle to deliver herbal remedies. In the Victorian era, tallow was a household go-to for softening hands, with recipes passed down like treasured heirlooms. Ultimately, the Industrial Revolution’s development of synthetic cosmetics culled tallow’s use, putting it out to back pasture.
Tallow’s recent resurgence, fueled by a rejection of “toxic” science-based skin care and a fondness for skinfluencer wellness fads, has it back in the spotlight. To be fair, tallow is natural, free of synthetic preservatives, cheap, and potentially sustainable when sourced from local, ethical farms. Its occlusive nature corrals moisture, making it potentially useful as an emollient. Tallow’s lipid profile — it is rich in oleic, palmitic, linoleic, and stearic acids — also aligns with human skin, potentially aiding barrier repair and helping to reduce transepidermal water loss. Tallow contains small amounts of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, which may offer antioxidant and skin-supporting benefits. So, on paper, at least, tallow has some potential.
Direct comparisons of tallow versus science-formulated emollients are rarer than a steak cooked “Pittsburgh black and blue.” I was unable to find a single randomized controlled trial pitting tallow against gold-standard emollients like ceramide-based creams or petrolatum. What I could locate is largely anecdotal or preclinical. A 2020 study in Nutrients found that a tallow-containing mixture reduced atopic dermatitis symptoms in mice, lowering serum IgE levels, mast cells, and B-cell markers. (2) Likewise, a 2021 study showed reduced eczema-like lesions in mice after repetitive applications of 2% or 5% conjugated linoleic acid. (3) In terms of human trials, a 2017 study investigated a mutton tallow and walnut oil emulsion on 78 female subjects “with dry and sensitive skin.” The study focused on enzymatic interesterified fat, not pure tallow, and showed only modest skin humidification potential. (4) A 2024 scoping review in Cureus determined that tallow “is biocompatible with and beneficial to healthy skin.” It also concluded that tallow may offer skin hydration and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the authors state that “after thorough analysis, the side effects of tallow applied topically need to be researched” and conducting future research “will provide more evidence on the efficacy of topical tallow as a skincare ingredient.” (5)
As a dermatologist with a nose for evidence, I have become adept at sniffing out B.S. when it comes to overhyped skin trends. Tallow’s history is rich, and its moisturizing potential is plausible. However, the argument for using it over science-formulated and industry-regulated products is thinner than beef carpaccio. For now, my advice is to steer clear of the meat heads pushing this TikTok trend.
Point to Remember: Dermatologists must take the bull by the horns and inform patients that beef tallow for eczema is far from being an optimal moisturizer.
Our editor’s viewpoint
Warren R. Heymann, MD, FAAD
Dermatologists confront the latest social media trends daily. Dr. Krakowski’s brilliant commentary on the use of beef tallow for eczema is an excellent example of how to differentiate truth from BS. Clinicians must advise patients based on evidence in peer-reviewed literature, always asking, “Where’s the beef?”
References
Martens MA, Bleeke MS, Leopold VA, Farmer DR. Toxicology and human health risk assessment of polyethoxylated tallow amine surfactant used in glyphosate formulations. Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2019 Oct;107:104347. doi: 10.1016/j.yrtph.2019.03.014. Epub 2019 May 10. PMID: 31082430.
Lee YS, Yang WK, Jo EH, Shin SH, Lee YC, Park MC, Kim SH. NCM 1921, a mixture of several ingredients, including fatty acids and choline, attenuates atopic dermatitis in 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene-treated NC/Nga mice. Nutrients. 2020 Jan 7;12(1):165. doi: 10.3390/nu12010165. PMID: 31936050; PMCID: PMC7019988.
Tang L, Cao X, Li X, Ding H. Topical application with conjugated linoleic acid ameliorates 2, 4-dinitrofluorobenzene-induced atopic dermatitis-like lesions in BALB/c mice. Exp Dermatol. 2021 Feb;30(2):237-248. doi: 10.1111/exd.14242. Epub 2021 Jan 6. PMID: 33206422.
Kowalska M, Mendrycka M, Zbikowska A, Kowalska D. Assessment of a stable cosmetic preparation based on enzymatic interesterified fat, proposed in the prevention of atopic dermatitis. Acta Pol Pharm. 2017 Mar;74(2):465-476. PMID: 29624253.
Russell MF, Sandhu M, Vail M, Haran C, Batool U, Leo J. Tallow, rendered animal fat, and its biocompatibility with skin: A scoping review. Cureus. 2024 May 24;16(5):e60981. doi: 10.7759/cureus.60981. PMID: 38910727; PMCID: PMC11193910.
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