I have dry skin – slugging with a controversial homemade face mask is the best thing I’ve ever done, I’m glowing
A SKINCARE fan shared a DIY face mask that nourishes her dry skin.
They said the anti-aging recipe is the “best thing” they’ve ever done for their skin.
Redditor Realex3 shared the skincare advice in a viral post.
They explained that the cost-effective, though controversial, technique was a game-changer for their dry skin.
“Slugging with homemade tallow is the best thing I’ve ever done for my skin,” they wrote.
Slugging involves layering a moisturizing occlusive product over other skincare steps as the last step in a nighttime routine.
They opted for a homemade beef tallow mask to intensely hydrate their dry skin.
“[I] bought 5lbs of tallow from my local butcher, and I rendered it in my kitchen in a crock pot following a YouTube video over the course of a week,” they said.
Beef tallow is beef fat that’s been cooked down to remove all impurities.
Their naturally dry skin, they added, was even more dehydrated thanks to a topical prescription they used.
“I use Retin-A every morning, and I slug with the tallow at night,” they said.
Their results shocked them, especially when they considered how affordable the mask was.
“My skin is glowing. No acne; it’s amazing and only cost me $2.30 for two months’ worth,” they said.
One knowledgeable commenter explained why beef tallow is having a moment.
“[It’s] packed with fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K that are easy for your skin to use and penetrate deeper, providing faster restoration,” they explained.
“Tallow induces collagen and elastin production, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines.”
Benefits of beef tallow
Beauty fans have flocked to social media to share their homemade beef tallow recipes.
TikTok alone boasts over 1,500 posts under the #beeftallowskincare hashtag.
Skincare enthusiasts have cooked down beef fat to remove all impurities and moisture and use it as a moisturizer.
Dermatologists explained the potential benefits of the all-natural ingredient to Everyday Health.
Joshua Zeichner, an associate professor of dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, explained that beef tallow can provide the same fats that our skin naturally produces.
“There’s little harm to applying beef tallow to the skin, although there certainly are more cosmetically elegant, well-formulated moisturizers to get the job done,” he said.
“By applying it to the skin, it provides emollient benefits to soften rough cells on the skin‘s surface [as well as] hydration benefits.”
Benjamin Knight Fuchs, a skincare chemist, added that beef tallow may provide some benefits due to its cholesterol content.
Despite being vitamin-rich, however, Fuchs explained that its true benefits are dubious at best because the skin may not be able to absorb it all.
“As far as cellular activity and overall skin health benefits go, there’s very little reason to recommend [beef tallow],” he said.
“Tallow is PERFECT for preventing premature aging of the skin.”
Others shared similar skincare experiences with beef tallow.
“I started using beef tallow after some research and hearing good things,” said one commenter.
“I bought 7 pounds on Amazon, [and] so far so good.”
Slugging with homemade tallow is the best thing I’ve ever done for my skin.
Redditor Realex3
One fan attested to the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the ingredient.
“I got a nine-ounce jar of premade rendered beef tallow on Etsy, and it is whipped and rendered to the point of no smell!” they said.
“I would totally recommend. You need so little so the jar lasts forever too.”
