Beef Tallow and Honey for Skin: What the Research Shows

Short answer: tallow and honey are a sensible pairing for dry skin, and both have research behind them. The evidence is also thinner than most brands imply.

Three caveats before you buy anything. Tallow has very little human-trial data. A 2024 review found pumpkin seed oil and linoleic acid moisturized better than tallow in head-to-head tests. And honey's strongest clinical results come from treating second-degree burns, not daily moisturizing.

If your skin is dry, it's worth trying. If your skin is sensitive or reactive, or if it clogs easily, patch test before you commit. Ours is scented with essential oils, which is the part most likely to bother reactive skin.

We make one, so read this with that in mind. Every source is linked at the bottom.

Is beef tallow and honey actually good for your skin?

For dry or flaky skin, a tallow and honey balm is probably a good choice. For sensitive or congestion-prone skin it's less clear cut, and anyone who tells you otherwise in either direction is overstating what's known.

The logic is ordinary even if the ingredients aren't. Tallow seals and softens: it sits in and on your skin's outer layer and slows water loss. Honey pulls water in and holds it there.

Pairing a sealer with a water-attractor is how most moisturizers are built. It's the same principle behind mixing glycerin with petroleum jelly.

What tallow adds is similarity to your own skin. A 2024 scoping review in Cureus found tallow is rich in oleic, palmitic, stearic, and linoleic acids, and that this profile overlaps with the fats in your skin's outer layer, the part that holds moisture in¹. That overlap is the usual argument for tallow.

Tallow also carries fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K¹. We found no study showing those reach your skin in useful amounts from a balm, so treat the vitamin lists on tallow labels as chemistry rather than benefit.

How strong is the evidence for tallow?

Weaker than the marketing suggests, and the clearest source for saying so is the one tallow brands cite most.

That same Cureus review is candid about the gaps¹:

• Most of the studies were done on animals or in labs, not on people.
• Some studies reported no irritation. Others reported severe irritation.
• In head-to-head tests, pumpkin seed oil and linoleic acid moisturized better than tallow.
• The authors call for randomized controlled trials, which is what a field says when it lacks human data.

That third point deserves more attention than it gets, including from us. If matching your skin's fats were decisive, tallow would have won that comparison. It didn't. "Tallow is like your skin" is a reasonable hypothesis, not a demonstrated advantage.

Tallow does moisturize, and the review supports that much. What it doesn't have is evidence of an edge over cheaper plant oils. For the fuller picture on tallow by itself, see our complete guide to beef tallow for skin.

Does honey do anything for skin?

Yes, mainly as a humectant, the ingredient in a formula that attracts water and holds it against your skin.

A 2013 review in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology describes honey's softening, water-attracting, and soothing effects in cosmetics, where most formulas use 1 to 10 percent honey².

Honey also has antimicrobial activity, which comes from the slow release of hydrogen peroxide, plus a second compound called methylglyoxal in manuka specifically². Be careful how much weight that carries here. A 2016 review in the Central Asian Journal of Global Health found potent antimicrobial effects in lab dishes, and clinical benefit for second-degree burns, which the literature calls partial thickness burns³. Results for other wounds were conflicting, and nobody has studied everyday skin conditions much.

That evidence comes from wound dressings and lab dishes, not from face balms, and none of it establishes that honey at cosmetic strength does anything antimicrobial on your skin. Treat honey as a well-supported humectant, and treat the antibacterial talk as unproven in this format.

One distinction worth making, because the names are close. The one non-wound condition where that review reports a positive result is kanuka honey in rosacea. Kanuka is a different New Zealand plant from manuka, so the result does not transfer to manuka products, ours included.

Those authors conclude honey is "a biologically active and clinically interesting substance" and that more research is necessary³.

Why don't dermatologists like beef tallow?

Three objections come up, and all three hold up: the human evidence is thin, heavy occlusives can clog pores on skin that congests easily, and tallow marketing routinely promises more than any trial supports.

• Thin evidence. Limited human data and conflicting irritation findings, both from the review above¹.
• Pore-clogging. Tallow is high in oleic acid, and heavy sealing products can worsen congestion on skin that clogs easily. This is the objection dermatologists raise most often, though we know of no survey counting it.
• Overclaiming. Product pages routinely say tallow "heals" eczema or "reverses" fine lines. No published trial supports either.

A dermatologist calling tallow unproven is being accurate. Unproven isn't the same as ineffective, and the evidence does support that tallow moisturizes.

Will a tallow balm clog my pores?

Nobody can answer that cleanly, and we'd rather say so than pick whichever side suits us.

The case for caution is mechanical. Tallow is high in oleic acid, it's an occlusive, and occlusives can trap what's underneath them. That's the reason dermatologists raise congestion first, and it's a real concern for anyone whose skin clogs easily.

The case against treating that as settled is that the numbers people quote don't exist. You'll see "comedogenic rating 0-1" on tallow product pages, stated as if it came from a test. There is no published comedogenic rating for beef tallow. The old comedogenicity ratings were largely rabbit-ear studies from decades ago, they were never run on tallow, and they translate poorly to human faces anyway. We had that number on our own FAQ until we removed it.

Then there's the other direction. A New York Post reviewer tested a run of tallow products and named ours "Best for Acne", reporting that her skin calmed over two weeks. That's one person's experience in a product roundup, not a trial, and we'd be doing exactly what we criticize if we presented it as proof. It is, however, a real data point pointing the opposite way from the mechanical argument, and we're not going to quietly drop it because it complicates the story.

What that leaves is honest uncertainty, which is annoying but true. If your skin clogs easily and you want to try a tallow balm:

• Patch test on your jaw for two full weeks. Congestion shows up slowly, so a two-day test tells you nothing.
• Use it on body, hands and lips first, where heavy products are rarely a problem.
• Use far less than you think. Most "tallow broke me out" reports involve a thick layer.
• If you're under a dermatologist's care, ask them before adding an occlusive step.

And if it doesn't suit you, send it back. That's what the guarantee is for, and it's the only sensible answer when the evidence doesn't settle the question.

What are the disadvantages of tallow and honey balm?

Six worth knowing: it can be too heavy for oily skin, it carries allergy risk from both the beef and the honey, it isn't vegan, the scent is a trade-off either way, quality varies invisibly between brands, and plain plant oils may moisturize just as well.

• It can be too heavy for oily or congestion-prone skin. See the section above. Patch test on your jaw for two weeks rather than assuming either way.
• Allergy risk runs two ways. Honey can trigger reactions in people sensitive to pollen or bee products. Tallow is beef-derived, so anyone with a red meat allergy (alpha-gal syndrome) should avoid it or ask a doctor first.
• It's an animal product. Not vegan.
• Scent is a genuine trade-off. Unscented tallow has a faint beefy smell some people can't get past. Scented versions fix that by adding essential oils, which are themselves a common sensitivity trigger. No version of this suits everyone.
• Quality varies and you can't see it. Sourcing, rendering method, and honey grade differ between brands at identical price points, and none of it is visible through the jar.
• Plant oils may work as well or better. Pumpkin seed oil and linoleic acid beat tallow on hydration in the Cureus comparisons¹. If all you want is maximum hydration for the least money, a plant oil is the rational choice.

Does tallow get rid of wrinkles?

No, and no published trial shows that it does.

Well-moisturized skin looks smoother and plumper for a while, so fine lines show less. That's a real cosmetic effect, and it's why the before-and-after photos look convincing. It isn't the same as changing a wrinkle itself. For that, the evidence points to retinoids and daily sunscreen.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

Worth trying: dry, dehydrated, or wind-chapped skin. Skin that feels tight after cleansing. Hands, elbows, and body generally, where heavy products are rarely a problem.

Test carefully first: sensitive or reactive skin, and skin that clogs easily. Two weeks on the jaw, body before face, and stop if you see congestion.

Skip it if: you have a red meat allergy or alpha-gal syndrome, because tallow is beef-derived. You react to bee products or pollen, because of the honey. You're vegan. You need fragrance-free and the version you're looking at is scented.

How to use it

Less product than you'd expect, on damp skin.

• Use less than you think. A pea-sized amount covers a face. Over-application is the most common reason people call tallow greasy.
• Warm it between your fingers first so it spreads instead of dragging.
• Apply to slightly damp skin. Honey works by pulling in water, so it needs some there to grab.
• Wait a minute before sunscreen or makeup, or you get pilling, those little rolled-up flakes.

What to look for when buying

Four questions, and they apply to any brand. Is the tallow grass-fed, and which fat is it rendered from? Is the honey raw or pasteurized? How short is the ingredient list? Does the return policy still apply once you've opened the jar?

Ours is the Citrus & Honey Tallow Balm: grass-fed suet (the fat from around the kidneys), raw manuka honey, royal jelly, and a citrus essential oil blend.

On that last question, since we raised it: ours has no time window. If you're not satisfied we'll make it right, and you don't have to have kept the jar sealed.

Two things it loses on. It's scented, so if you need fragrance-free, a plain unscented tallow balm from any maker will serve you better. And the royal jelly is in there on tradition rather than evidence. We found no good human data for it topically, so don't pay extra for it.

More on choosing, including the rest of the criteria, in how to choose a tallow balm.

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References

¹ 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;16(5):e60981. PMID 38910727. Read the review

² Burlando B, Cornara L. Honey in dermatology and skin care: a review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2013;12(4):306-313. PMID 24305429. Read the abstract

³ McLoone P, Oluwadun A, Warnock M, Fyfe L. Honey: A Therapeutic Agent for Disorders of the Skin. Central Asian Journal of Global Health. 2016;5(1):241. PMID 29138732. Read the review