For a chance at a youthful complexion, you could slap rendered cow fat on your face, rub snail slime into your wrinkles, or get a salmon sperm facial right after a microneedling treatment.

You read that right: These are things actual people are doing. Influencers, celebrities, and everyday consumers alike are touting the youthful glow such animal-derived products bring to their complexion.

For some consumers, opting for a product like beef tallow is an intentional decision to move away from the conventional skincare products typically sold at the drug store or Sephora. It’s understandable — every day, it seems, we’re told of new horror about how forever chemicals and microplastics are embedded into our environment and bodies. From food to skincare, US consumers have shown they want to distance themselves from potentially unhealthy or toxic ingredients. They’re looking for products that market themselves as clean, concerned that the ingredients in typical treatments are worsening issues like acne or are harmful for long-term health. Beef tallow is a type of MAHA-ism for beauty (and for food, too).

One surprising thing

I’ve struggled with bad eczema flare-ups my whole life, so I know what it’s like to be frustrated with endlessly dry and patchy skin.

But according to Sentient, the benefits of beef tallow as a skincare product are “largely unremarkable.” And while some may see relief for their skin ailments, it could also worsen their issues. Just like any product for the skin, there is no one-size-fits-all solution.

The cosmetics industry sold over $400 billion worth of products in 2023, with skincare making up the sector’s largest category. It’s easy to get sucked into the rabbit hole that is becoming beautiful, especially in a world that is all about maximizing self-improvement. Skincare, in particular, is a personal issue for me — I’ve had eczema my whole life, and when I’m having a particularly bad flare-up, I feel insecure and desperate for a cure. There’s nothing wrong with wanting to feel good about yourself.

But there is an ethical problem if feeling good about yourself comes at the expense of animals — and that’s increasingly the case with these new clean beauty trends.

The cosmetics sector has long — and, at times, quietly — depended on animals, much like the agriculture and fashion industries. Way before folks were spending $44 on beef tallow whipped with chamomile, everyday products like hair-strengthening shampoos featured keratin (usually derived from animal fur or hooves), lipstick pigments depended on carmine (ground-up bugs), and anti-aging moisturizers incorporated collagen (a structural protein found in animal hides and fish skin). That’s not including animal testing to ensure the safety of ingredients in cosmetics.

While some consumers are intentionally seeking out animal-derived products and treatments, plenty of consumers aren’t necessarily concerned about what’s in their cosmetics, or are perhaps unaware of how a certain science-y sounding ingredient is sourced. Instead, they orient more toward what’s trendy or seemingly effective.

Whatever the reason may be for using animal-based skincare and beauty products, we’re still ignoring a larger problem. Just because something comes from an animal, it doesn’t mean the process of getting into our hands is “clean” or “natural.” And even if some of these animal-derived products have beneficial properties for our skin, it still comes at a cost bigger than we realize.

In reality, many of these beauty trends that claim to be against the “toxic” nature of mainstream wellness or those touting the benefits of animal-based products are upholding the very industries that are harming our planet. And in turn, it’s harming ourselves — a steep cost for beauty.

“Clean” living, dirty consequences

When I saw beef tallow hawked on social media, one question immediately came to mind: How were these businesses sourcing their animal ingredients?

That led me to look up “beef tallow for skin” on Amazon, where there were pages upon pages of results. They all........

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