Rise of Animal-Based Skincare Products

A growing number of consumers are turning to animal-based skincare products, such as beef tallow balms and salmon sperm facials, as natural alternatives to synthetic cosmetics. This trend, evident in recent years across social media, high-end spas, farmers markets, and home kitchens, reflects heightened concerns over chemical ingredients in personal care items.

Bryan Vander Dussen, a former dairy farmer in California who now raises beef, began producing tallow balm with his wife about a year ago using fat from their animals. The couple experiments with scents like lavender and wild orange to mask any meaty odor, responding to customer feedback. "You see it everywhere, so we were like, Why don't we do this?" Vander Dussen said. He noted that in today's market, people prioritize knowing the origin of what they apply to their skin.

Similarly, Jamie Moody, founder of Sonoma Mountain Beef in Northern California, started making tallow products to repurpose industry waste, aligning with the ongoing demand for clean beauty. In South Carolina, Corrin Dial and her husband, who operate Lowcountry Family Farms, began whipping tallow into balms two years ago after seeking natural options for...