Beef in Your Sunscreen? Seriously??

Dermatologists in North America are sounding the alarm about a new trend among outdoor enthusiasts: applying a type of sunscreen made with beef tallow (tallow = fat) to their faces. Lending his voice to this strange trend is Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Health & Human Services Secretary under Trump, who claims this ingredient is inherently “better for you” than other seed oils and fats. However, as many of you know, Kennedy is notorious for his long list of medical gaffes and for lacking credible scientific evidence to support his wild claims.  

For those eager to try anything for beautification, this novel approach is too tempting to resist. Consequently, beef tallow skincare products have flooded online marketplaces like Amazon and TikTok, where consumers enthusiastically buy and sell this so-called “all-natural” sunscreen. The trend has horrified skincare experts, including Dr. Ethan Melillo, a TikTok-famous pharmacist, who responded on June 7 to a viral video of a man who suffered severe sunburn after using beef tallow-based sunscreen.

In a follow-up video, Melillo highlighted the product that was being marketed as a “grass-fed beef tallow dayglow blocker,” and being pushed as free of chemicals, dyes, and toxins.

“No wonder he looks like the color of raw beef,” Melillo commented. “You’re literally putting beef tallow on him as sunscreen; it’s like greasing him up”.  

While some may defend the use of animal fats in soaps, balms, and protective salves, Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand, a board-certified dermatologist, emphasizes that different animal fats have varying properties and effects on human skin. The promotion of beef tallow sunscreen as a “clean, natural, superior skincare ingredient” lacks scientific backing and has not been extensively tested on humans.

The critical question remains: Does beef tallow provide SPF protection?

Short answer: No! Beef tallow offers no built-in sun protection properties. There is also no evidence showing that beef tallow enhances SPF or provides meaningful broad-spectrum ultraviolet protection. “Beef tallow is not a sunscreen active ingredient and should not be relied upon for UV protection,” says Dr. Houshmand.

According to Dr. Anthony Rossi, a senior dermatologist and skin surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in the USA, confusion arises because the fatty-acid profile of beef tallow creates an oily barrier that prevents moisture loss. However, that is where the benefits end. Beef fat is less refined than other oils, such as coconut and olive oils, and is known to clog pores, which can lead to acne and other skin issues. As a primary sunscreen ingredient, it is likely to produce the opposite effect that users desire.

‘Natural’ Doesn’t Always Mean ‘Good’!

Another major marketing point, that beef tallow is more “natural” and, therefore, gentler and better for the skin, has significant flaws.

“While it may be factually accurate to call tallow ‘natural,’ that doesn’t automatically make it safer, gentler, or more effective,” states Dr. Houshmand. “Poison ivy is also natural. The gentleness of a product depends on the entire formulation.”

Consumers should focus on products that are genuinely beneficial for their skin rather than those trending on social media. Dr. Rossi, who has formulated his own sunscreen product, emphasizes that extensive testing and chemistry go into producing an approved sunscreen. Adding ingredients like beef tallow without proper evaluation can lead to unstable formulations that may not preserve active ingredients, melt in the sun, wash off easily in water, apply unevenly, or fail to deliver the benefits claimed on their packaging.

“Beef tallow may make sunscreen more moisturizing, but it does not make it a better sunscreen. UV protection comes from tested sunscreen filters and the effectiveness of the finished formulation, not from tallow,” says Dr. Houshmand. “For effective skincare, opt for products that work for you rather than those that are merely trendy. Choose sunscreen that suits your needs and use it daily.”

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