Beef Dripping or Tallow

When I was writing A Real Food Alphabet, the children’s book I recently published, I debated about what foods to include to illustrate the letter T. I ended up chosing turkey and tongue, because I’d already listed other traditional fats such as ghee, butter and lard. Tallow was definitely one I seriously considered though!

Beef tallow is comprised of 50% saturated fat, 42% monounsaturated fat and 4% polyunsaturated fat. It is made from rendering suet, which is the hard, white fatty layer that surrounds an animal’s organs, specifically the loins and kidneys. The tallow of pork is called lard, rather than tallow.

Grass-fed beef tallow, as pictured above, contains antioxidants, vitamins such as A, D and K, anti-microbial palmitoleic acid, and the anti-inflammatory essential fatty acid called Conjugated Linoleic Acid, or CLA, which has been linked to cancer prevention, improved brain function and fat loss. Tallow also contains the same lipids or fats that are present in healthy, supple human skin oil. Therefore, tallow is thought to prevent dryness at the cellular level without smothering the skin’s barrier like petroleum-based lotions can.

Benefits of Tallow

  • Improves the protective barrier function of the skin (palmitic acid aids in doing this)
  • Prevents moisture loss
  • Regenerates the appearance of healthier, more youthful looking skin
  • Antibacterial
  • Antimicrobial
  • Anti-inflammatory
  • The omega 9 (oleic acid) in grass fed tallow also helps the other active components to penetrate deeply into the skin
  • Stearic acid in tallow improves the skin’s suppleness and flexibility (aiding in damage repair and barrier function)
  • Also contains palmitoleic acid (omega 7) – a basic building block of our skin, but production of this declines with age
  • Contains vitamins A, D, E, K, and B12 – all highly beneficial to the skin, and are only naturally found together in animal products

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One of our community members who serves as a volunteer moderator, Cheryl Casale Huftalen, makes Stripped Body Care tallow balm that she sent me last year as a token of her appreciation. She sent me 2 four-ounce jars and I liked them so much, I purchased another 2 of the eight-ounce size a few months later. I love that we have many options for nourishing foods and products available to us! What I really like about Cheryl’s tallow balm is that it is whipped, and while that process does include a little less tallow, I find it is so much easier to apply. It feels silky and luxurious to me. I really enjoy the scents she uses as well. I experience them as so refreshing and clean. The essential oils added can be made to order and she recommends up to 2 or 3 at a time, which I’ve really liked. I can more easily discern what essential oils are used that way. Cheryl only uses grass-fed tallow from an Amish farmer she knows and trusts, cold pressed olive oil and quality essential oils in her balm. I actually met the farmer at the last Wise Traditions conference!

My Experience

I have found that if I consistently dry brush my arms and thighs where I tend to have keratosis pilaris develop, followed by application of Chery’s tallow balm, the condition resolves and my skin is smooth! I like the lavender/frankincense combination for that purpose. Both very nourishing essential oils for the skin. The eucalyptus is a recommended alternative to petroleum based Vick’s vapor rub. I honestly wanted to eat the lemon, as well as the combination of cloves and orange that Cheryl sent! I have used tallow balm for soothing rashes, and itches and recommend it for children and adults!

I myself just placed another order for an upcoming trip I am taking to enjoy the sun! While we often think of tallow balm for the dry winter months, I love it for sun protection as well!

Giveaway and Discount

Cheryl is generously offering 2 of our community members in the United States a 4-ounce jar of their choice complimentary, and everyone can enjoy 15% off her products with the coupon code Nourished. If you click on this link, you don’t need to even use a coupon code! The 15% discount will be applied at checkout.

Enter

To enter the giveaway, please let us know, in at least 5 sentences why you’d like a jar of Stripped Body Care Tallow Balm, and/or if you’ve had any experiences with tallow balm that you’ve made yourself or purchased.

Everyone who comments will receive a special opportunity to enter a drawing to receive A Real Food Alphabet complimentary at the end of the giveaway.

Please enter by Saturday, January 12, 2019 at noon Pacific when 2 qualified responses will be randomly chosen.