Beef tallow has quietly migrated from kitchen pantries to vanity tables, and one of the biggest endorsements thus far has come from none other than Khloé Kardashian.
The 41-year-old Good American cofounder recently revealed she rubs beef tallow for skin care around her eyes at night — a practice she swears helps keep nighttime wrinkles at bay. Her endorsement adds fuel to a viral trend that’s been simmering on TikTok and Instagram for several years, even as dermatologists everywhere urge caution.
Why Khloé Kardashian Uses Beef Tallow for Skin
During an “Ask Me Anything” episode of her “Khloé In Wonder Land” podcast, the mother of two was asked how she keeps her skin looking flawless. After running through tips like getting facials, washing your face daily and never sleeping in makeup, Kardashian dropped the suggestion no one saw coming.
“I believe in hydration for your skin — moisturizers at night,” she said. “I love beef tallow that I put specifically around my eyes.”
She elaborated on the logic behind the practice: “Something that makes your eyes — it could be an oil, Vitamin E oil — anything that makes your eyes really lubricated, so when you sleep you don’t get wrinkles around your eyes.”
What Dermatologists Say About Beef Tallow for Skin
While celebrity endorsements have driven the trend, dermatologists are far less enthusiastic.
Many experts understand the appeal — beef tallow is natural, simple and has been used for generations — but they caution that the lack of research is a meaningful concern. The ingredient does contain fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins, but those properties don’t necessarily make it superior to existing skincare formulations.
“It gets promoted a lot on social media because it’s natural,” dermatology resident Angela Wei, MD, told the Cleveland Clinic. “People seem to like it because it’s something that’s been around for a long time and marketed as ‘chemical-free.’”
Wei warned that beef tallow could lead to clogged pores, irritation, allergic reactions and sunburn. She also pushed back on the idea that it offers any unique benefits.
“There’s no evidence that shows beef tallow has any additional benefits for your skin beyond being a natural moisturizer,” Wei added. “There are other moisturizers out there with more consistent formulations that are better and safer for use on the skin.”
Other Celebrities That Use Beef Tallow for Skin
Kardashian is far from alone. The surge in beef tallow’s popularity has been driven largely by influencers and celebrities who’ve publicly endorsed slathering rendered beef fat on their faces.
Among the celebrities that use beef tallow are wellness influencers, pop musicians and viral TikTok creators — each with their own reasons for swearing by it.
Hannah Bronfman
The health and wellness influencer has been using beef tallow since at least 2021 and publicly endorsed it in a March 2023 Instagram post.
“Guys, I literally slather this all over my face every single night,” she said, calling it a “game-changer” for her skin. Bronfman has touted beef tallow as having the same molecular biology as the oils in human skin, and described it as rich in lipids and fat-soluble vitamins, including Vitamins A, D, E, K and B12.
“This is literally the last step in my skincare routine and it actually leaves a nice slip so if you wanted to have a face massage moment, here is the time,” she said.
Jack Gilinsky
The pop singer, one-half of the duo Jack & Jack, endorsed beef tallow during a February 2024 appearance on the “Zach Sang Show”. “Beef tallow is just beef fat,” he said. “I rub it all over my face.”
He pointed to the simplicity of the ingredient as a selling point. “Go look at your moisturizer. It probably has like 50 ingredients and you might know what two of them are. Beef tallow is just beef tallow — it’s just beef fat.” He also noted its lack of smell and said using it connects him to his ancestral roots.
Nara Smith
TikTok influencer Nara Smith went viral in May 2024 when she shared a video of her husband, Lucky Blue Smith, making a homemade moisturizer with beef tallow.
“My husband’s usual moisturizer ran out, so he decided to whip up a batch from scratch!” she wrote in the caption. “This #homemade #skincare recipe is simple and perfect for couples!”
Smith favors natural, homemade skincare products in part because they help her manage her eczema. “I grew up with eczema, but then it kind of just went away,” she said in a 2025 interview with ESSENCE. “When I gave birth, I had a tiny little flare up on my hand and I thought it would just go away [again].”
Beef Tallow for Skin Had a Pop Culture Moment in 2024
Some fans might remember beef tallow from the first season of Netflix’s The Perfect Couple.
The tallow is the key piece of forensic evidence that points to Abby Winbury (Dakota Fanning) as Merritt’s killer. Earlier in the series, Abby mentions to Amelia that she uses a special belly balm for stretch marks during her pregnancy — a Korean skincare product she’s smuggled in because it contains tallow (rendered beef fat), which isn’t legal in US cosmetics.
When Abby drowned Merritt by holding her head underwater, traces of that tallow transferred from her hands to Merritt’s hair. Because tallow doesn’t dissolve in water, it survived the drowning and showed up in Merritt’s toxicology/forensic report.
