beef tallow – Dermatologists say the beef-tallow sunscreen trend is being marketed as “natural” and superior, but warn it isn’t a sunscreen active ingredient—potentially leaving skin less protected while clogging pores for some users.
A TikTok-fueled wave of “all-natural” sunscreens built with beef tallow is running headlong into a backlash from dermatologists who say the pitch doesn’t match the science.
The controversy flared after pharmacist Dr. Ethan Melillo posted on June 7 in response to a clip of a badly burned man who reportedly used a beef tallow-based sunscreen. In a follow-up video. the account that shared the man’s image advertised and linked a product described as a “grass-fed beef tallow dayglow blocker. ” marketed as free of “chemicals. dyes and toxins.” Melillo said: “No wonder he looks like the color of raw beef.” He added. “You are literally putting beef tallow on him as sunscreen. it’s just like greasing him up.”.
Dermatologists acknowledge that using animal fats on skin isn’t new. But they argue what’s changed is how the ingredient is being packaged—rebranded and promoted on social media as a cleaner, superior option.
Double board-certified dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Houshmand described the shift this way: “What is new is the way beef tallow has been repackaged and promoted on social media as a ‘clean. ‘ natural or superior skincare ingredient and. more recently. incorporated into some sunscreen formulations.” She pointed to a broader social media movement toward “ancestral” skincare—an approach that borrows the logic of “paleo diet” trends for skin. emphasizing minimal ingredient lists and products marketed as “natural” or “free” from conventional cosmetic ingredients. For Houshmand, the problem is that advertising doesn’t equal effectiveness.
Beef tallow, she said, has no innate sun-protective properties. “There is also no established evidence that beef tallow itself enhances SPF or provides meaningful broad-spectrum ultraviolet protection,” Houshmand said. “Beef tallow itself is not a sunscreen active ingredient and should not be relied upon for ultraviolet protection.”.
Dr. Anthony Rossi. a dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. said beef tallow’s appeal is easy to understand. Its fatty-acid profile can form an oily barrier that reduces water loss, keeping skin more hydrated. But he said that doesn’t make it a suitable replacement for sunscreen’s UV-fighting components. “To extrapolate it for sunscreen doesn’t really make sense because there’s really no inherent SPF … it probably increases your burn risk because not only are you getting unprotected UV exposure. but it’s also an oil that’s sitting on your skin. ” Rossi said.
Rossi also said dermatologists generally don’t recommend using animal fat as a moisturizer because it is less refined and can clog pores. As a sunscreen primary ingredient, he warned, it could work in the opposite direction of what people expect.
The deeper dispute. according to both doctors. is the marketing leap from “natural” to “good.” Houshmand said: “Calling tallow ‘natural’ may be factually accurate. but natural does not automatically mean safer. gentler or more effective. Poison ivy is also natural.” She added that whether a product is gentle depends on the entire formulation.
The concern becomes sharper for people with sensitive skin or allergies—especially those drawn to products that advertise themselves as “free” of “artificial” additives. Rossi argued that swapping conventional moisturizing ingredients for “unrefined oil” can be counterproductive. “Unrefined oil is probably more irritating and more inflammatory than the types of moisturizers that we make skincare with. which are more refined. ” he said. He added that heavier oils can build up in pores. contributing to acne and breakouts. while other established moisturizing ingredients—ceramides. petrolatum. squalene. glycerin. and shea butter—are less likely to cause that outcome.
Both doctors also questioned what consumers are expected to gain from the ingredient’s vitamins. Rossi said: “Plus. Rossi said. the likelihood of that extra vitamin A absorbing through your skin in a meaningful way after lotion application isn’t high.” He compared it to food in a blunt way: “You can put an orange on your skin. but are you actually getting the vitamin C from the orange into your skin cells?”.
Even when a beef tallow product isn’t relying on tallow alone for protection. dermatologists say the shift still raises practical risks. Many sunscreens sold online through marketplaces like Amazon and TikTok Shop. they said. do not use beef tallow as the main sun-fighting ingredient. Those products that list ingredients often include FDA-approved mineral sunscreen agents like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. using beef tallow mainly as an emollient or occlusive.
But formulation is the whole point. Rossi said extensive testing and chemistry go into producing an approved sunscreen. Without that process. he warned. people can end up with lotions that aren’t shelf stable. don’t preserve active ingredients. melt in the sun. wash off more easily in water. apply unevenly. require more reapplications. or simply fail to deliver the benefits their packaging claims.
Houshmand said consumers should focus on product quality: “Consumers should choose a professionally manufactured. well-preserved and properly tested formulation rather than homemade or loosely regulated preparations. where purity. stability. contamination and consistent UV protection may be uncertain.”.
The takeaway from both doctors is not that every sunscreen containing beef tallow is automatically unsafe—it’s that the presence of an ingredient shouldn’t replace the basics. Rossi said that mineral vs. chemical structure matters, along with add-ins like fragrance and oils and moisturizing factors. Both emphasized that people should use at least SPF 30.
For those seeking an alternative aimed at sensitive skin. Rossi and Houshmand pointed to a newer development in the sunscreen market: the FDA-approved sunscreen ingredient bemotrizinol. Rossi said it may be a better option, and Houshmand echoed that it could be less acne-causing. The FDA says bemotrizinol is gentle enough for children as young as 6 months. with lower levels of absorption through the skin and into the body. Sunscreen manufacturers can include bemotrizinol as an active ingredient beginning Aug. 9, and PARSOL Shield is set to be the first brand with the new ingredient sold in the United States.
Houshmand summed up the core warning: “Beef tallow may make a sunscreen more moisturizing, but it does not make it a better sunscreen. UV protection comes from the tested sunscreen filters and the performance of the finished formulation, not from the tallow.”
In the end, the doctors’ message is consistent and blunt. “It is better for your skincare to be effective, not trendy,” Houshmand said. “Find a sunscreen that works for you and use it daily.”
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